MDP Threatens Street Protests Unless Government Holds Referendum on Ras Malé Deal

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) voted last night to launch mass street demonstrations unless the government conducts a national referendum before executing any agreement transferring Ras Malé land to Emirati businessman Mohamed Alabbar.

The resolution, sponsored by MDP Kolamaafushi constituency President Mahfooz, passed the MDP National Council with 57 out of 58 members present. Deputy Chairperson (Finance) Mohamed Shifaz cast the sole dissenting vote, standing as the lone outlier against the motion.

advertisement

advertisement

The measure demands an immediate freeze on all project developments pending a public vote and mandates the party to coordinate nationwide street protests alongside allied political parties and civil society organizations if the administration refuses to comply.

The resolution drew strong endorsements from top party figures, including former Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid and former Economic Development Minister Fayyaz Ismail.

Criticizing the initiative, Shahid described the development at Fushidhiggaru Falhu as fraudulent from its inception, asserting that the government misled the public on its branding and engaged in extrabudgetary spending that diverted up to USD 800 million in state funds into the reclamation site.

Fayyaz went further, alleging that land reclaimed under the pretext of resolving the national housing crisis is now being handed away without securing any state equity. He argued that the hundreds of millions poured into the reclamation work had driven up domestic commodity prices and burdened the public, only for reports to emerge that the land was effectively being gifted away.

“The government isn’t even getting a stake in it. What we hear is talk of giving it away for free. That is a massive problem,” Fayyaz said.

Reiterating his demand for a vote, Fayyaz stated that while he would respect the public’s choice on the matter, even regarding contentious policy shifts decisions of such magnitude cannot be made without a direct mandate.

“Even if land were sold to members of the Sunni Muslim community along with citizenship, I would not have an issue if the people chose that,” he said. “Regardless of my personal stance, before undertaking something of this scale, the public must be asked.”

Fayyaz then issued a deadline, calling on party members and citizens across the atolls to converge on the capital to shut down roads if a public vote was denied.

“If a referendum is not called by the 15th of this month, I urge every MDP member to fill the streets wherever they are every single night leading up to November 17,” Fayyaz said. “We must step out and protest. People must travel from across the country to Malé to demand a referendum on this deal.”

Following the vote, Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir moved to establish a dedicated steering committee to coordinate the planned demonstrations and execute the resolution’s directives. Although initially proposed as a seven-member body, the council approved a five-member committee due to the absence of two nominees during the session.