The Elections Commission (EC) has stated that 52.9 percent of those eligible to vote in the referendum on whether to change the composition of Addu City Council did not cast their votes.

According to statistics released by the Commission, out of 9,721 people eligible to vote, 4,510 people cast their votes. This accounts for 47.1 percent.

In the vote held today, a large percentage of residents from Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo voted in favor of creating a separate council.

The residents of Feydhoo decided against creating a separate council.

In this election, ballot boxes were placed in Malé and three islands in Addu for voting. Specifically, three ballot boxes were placed in Hulhudhoo, three in Meedhoo, and five in Feydhoo. Additionally, seven ballot boxes were placed in Malé for residents of these three islands living there. This makes a total of 18 ballot boxes.

The President's Office stated on the 12th of this month that the President had decided to amend the questions included in the public vote to ascertain the opinions of the residents of Addu's Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo, and Feydhoo regarding changing the composition of the Addu Council, through a Presidential decree.

The President's Office stated that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu made this determination after amending the previously issued decree based on the advice of the Cabinet, by removing the question regarding establishing a single council for Hulhudhoo and Meedhoo to manage both islands under one island council, and subsequently issued the amended decree on the 12th of this month.

The President's Office stated that, according to that decree, it has been decided to propose questions seeking public opinion on establishing councils named Hulhudhoo, Meedhoo, and Feydhoo.