The Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) has announced the provisional results of Saturday’s referendum on restructuring the Addu City Council, revealing a split decision among the three participating islands.
According to the ECM, voters in Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo have backed the formation of independent island councils, while Feydhoo voted to remain under the existing Addu City Council structure.
In Hulhudhoo, 723 voters supported the proposal for a separate council, with 329 voting against. The island saw a turnout of 37.2 per cent, with 1,069 ballots cast from 2,874 eligible voters.
Meedhoo recorded a stronger turnout of 42.95%. Of the 2,347 eligible voters, 1,008 participated, with 847 voting in favour of separation and 144 against.
Meanwhile, Feydhoo voted decisively to remain part of the city council, with 1,784 votes against separation and 616 in favour. Feydhoo had the highest turnout among the three islands, with 2,436 voters participating out of 4,355 eligible, representing 55.94 per cent.
Across all three islands, a total of 4,513 out of 9,576 eligible voters cast their ballots.
The referendum was held to gauge public support for establishing separate councils for Feydhoo, Hulhudhoo, and Meedhoo. The ECM stated that the final results will be officially announced on Sunday, following the completion of verification procedures.
The outcome marks a significant shift in local governance preferences in Addu City, with implications for administrative restructuring and resource allocation in the southernmost region of the Maldives.
