President Abolishes Atoll Councils in Major Overhaul of Local Governance Framework

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has implemented a sweeping restructure of the Maldives' administrative landscape, formally abolishing all Atoll Councils and their Secretariats across the nation. The directive, which took effect on 17 May, marks a fundamental shift in the country's decentralization strategy by removing the intermediate atoll-tier administration. This systemic change follows the 17th Amendment to the Decentralisation Act, which mandates the dissolution of Atoll Councils once councillors elected in the first local election following the amendment assume office. The move effectively consolidates governance power at the island and city council levels, streamlining the hierarchy between local authorities and the central government. As part of this restructuring, the governance of Addu Atoll has been specifically reorganized. The President established separate Secretariats for the Addu Meedhoo Council and the Addu Hulhudhoo Council. These two islands, which previously operated under the unified Addu City Council framework, will now function as independent administrative bodies. Consequently, the Addu City Council has been resized to comprise four islands: Hithadhoo, Maradhoo, Maradhoo-Feydhoo, and Feydhoo. To facilitate official government correspondence, the Secretariat of the Addu Meedhoo Council has been assigned reference number 1140, while the Secretariat of the Addu Hulhudhoo Council has been assigned 1141. Beyond the changes in Addu, the government has also formally abolished the Haa Dhaalu Atoll Hirimaradhoo Council and its accompanying Secretariat. By eliminating the atoll-level layer, the government aims to refine the efficiency of local service delivery and administrative accountability, shifting the focus directly to the councils most closely connected to the resident populations.