Parliamentary motion claims Thinadhoo’s population below 10,000

North Thinadhoo MP Saudulla Hilmy has submitted a parliamentary motion on Sunday claiming GDh. Thinadhoo was granted city status unlawfully.

Former president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced his decision to grant Thinadhoo ‘city’ status during a campaign rally held at the island on August 30th. President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu ratified an amendment to the Decentralization Act to grant Thinadhoo city status back in March. 

A constitutional case was recently filed with the High Court claiming Thinadhoo was granted city status unlawfully as its population does not reach 10,000 people as required by the Decentralization Act. The case was filed by Ahmed Raghib, a lawyer who had been serving as the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Energy. He was subsequently dismissed from his post by President Muizzu as the case argues against the state. 

The parliamentary motion submitted by MP Saudulla claimed that Thinadhoos’s population was shown as 10,150 people by deception. He alleged that this was carried out this way as councilors elected to Thinadhoo Council desired mayorship and as granting ‘city’ status to Thinadhoo had been pledged by the former president.

Saudulla said Thinadhoo’s population was shown above 10,000 by repeating names and fraudulently including people who are not residents of the island on the list.

Furthermore, he stressed that it was declared Thinadhoo met 10,000 population criteria without verifying the list forwarded by the Council. Thus, he underscored the possibility of the Council acquiring block grants from the government fraudulently.

Saudulla also emphasized the possibility of other islands being encouraged to submit falsified documents despite not meeting the 10,000 population criteria in order to gain ‘city’ status.

Henceforth, he requested the relevant parliamentary committee to review the case and summon the relevant authorities in this trajectory for questioning.

The constitutional case submitted by Raaqib placed the current population of Thinadhoo at 7,924 based on information obtained from the Department of National Registration (DNR). However, the case is yet to be heard with the court currently in recess.