Hirimadhoo residents to vote in Hanimaadhoo after relocation decree
The government decided in February to relocate the residents of Hirimadhoo, an island with a population of fewer than 300 people.
President Mohamed Muizzu on Tuesday issued a decree allowing residents of HDh. Hirimadhoo to vote in the Hanimaadhoo Island Council in the 2026 local council elections, following the government’s decision to relocate the Hirimadhoo population to HDh. Hanimaadhoo.
The government decided in February to relocate the residents of Hirimadhoo, an island with a population of fewer than 300 people, to Hanimaadhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll. During a visit to Hirimadhoo last August, President Muizzu said the relocation would be completed within one and a half years.
Under the decree, the President amended the list of inhabited islands by removing Hirimadhoo. The President’s Office said the decision was taken because the date of the council elections, scheduled for 4 April 2026, coincides with the relocation process.
The statement noted that, under the General Elections Act, when residents of an island are transferred to another island, their electoral constituency becomes the island to which they are relocated. The amendment was therefore made to designate Hanimaadhoo as the electoral constituency for former residents of Hirimadhoo.
The Elections Commission released its permanent report on constituencies last week. The report still includes the election of three councillors for the Hirimadhoo Island Council.
The decision to relocate the residents was taken after the Hirimadhoo Island Council requested the government to move the population due to challenges faced by the community. The council had proposed relocation to an island closer to the capital rather than Hanimaadhoo, which is undergoing development that includes an international airport. Discussions had also included the possibility of relocation to Thulusdhoo in Kaafu Atoll.
Hirimadhoo is among the least populated islands in Haa Dhaalu Atoll. According to the 2022 census, the island has a population of 293, with around 260 permanent residents. The Hirimadhoo resident register lists 584 people.
