Ali Hussain to Submit Review Request Following Supreme Court Rejection of Ras Malé Petition
Ali Hussain addresses the Supreme Court during the hearing on the constitutional challenge to the anti-defection amendment.
Legal counsel and former Kendhoo MP Ali Hussain has confirmed he is preparing a formal request to review the Supreme Court Registrar’s decision to reject his constitutional challenge against the Ras Malé land agreement.
Speaking at a press conference to launch “Maldivians’ Land for Maldivians”, a campaign opposing the project Ali Hussain stated he would challenge the Registrar’s procedural rejection.
advertisement
advertisement
The petition seeks an injunction to invalidate the commercial terms agreement signed on 21 September 2026 between the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and UAE-based developer Eagle Hills, which grants 500 hectares of reclaimed land in Ras Malé for 99 years.
Ali Hussain contends the deal is void ab initio, arguing that granting land without lease acquisition fees or rent violates Article 250 of the Constitution, and that provisions for successive third-party leaseholds breach Article 251 regarding foreign ownership limits.
He further argued that remarks by the Attorney General promising future legislation governing such developments effectively concede that the agreement was executed without an established statutory framework.
The Supreme Court Registrar dismissed the original filing last Tuesday on jurisdictional grounds, ruling that it does not qualify for direct submission to the Supreme Court as a court of first instance.
Under the Judicature Act, direct original jurisdiction is restricted to severe constitutional issues, such as those risking a constitutional void, systemic institutional collapse, or major public interest disputes between state powers.
Government officials have maintained that the project fully complies with the law. Finance Minister Hassan Zareer and Infrastructure Minister Abdulla Muththalib confirmed that full ownership of the underlying land remains with the state, with Eagle Hills permitted only to hold rights over above-ground developments.
