LGA Declares Seat of Thinadhoo Council President Vacant Following Party Switch

MV+ News Desk | July 4, 2026
Vaavu Thinadhoo Council President Shujau Ali.

The Local Government Authority (LGA) has declared the seat of Vaavu Thinadhoo Council President Shujau Ali vacant after ruling that he forfeited his position by joining a different political party, marking the first application of the Maldives’ anti-defection provisions to a local councillor.

In a statement, the LGA said it had been notified by the Elections Commission (EC) that Shujau registered with the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on 19 May, following this year’s local council elections.

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Shujau was elected to the Vaavu Thinadhoo Council on a ticket from The Democrats. However, the Elections Commission dissolved The Democrats on 11 April 2026 after the party failed to maintain the minimum membership required under Maldivian law.Following the dissolution of his party, Shujau joined the MDP.

The LGA said its board considered the matter during its eighth meeting of the year, held on 30 June, and concluded that Shujau had lost his council seat upon registering with the MDP, in accordance with the legal provisions governing party defection.

The authority has since informed the Elections Commission that the seat is vacant, initiating the legal process to fill the vacancy.

Prior to the board’s final decision, Shujau had already been relieved of his duties as council president pending the outcome of the case.

The decision has drawn criticism from opposition politicians, who argue that the anti-defection rules should not apply when a political party has been dissolved.

Former Democrats president Imthiyaz Fahmy said on X that members whose elected party ceases to exist should have the right to join another political party, describing it as a fundamental civil and political right.

MDP President Abdulla Shahid also criticised the ruling, saying there are established procedures to determine whether an elected official has lost their seat. He argued that it was unacceptable to take what he described as politically motivated action solely because Shujau had become an MDP member without first completing the required legal process. Shahid called on the LGA to withdraw its decision.

The ruling is the first instance of a local councillor losing office under the Maldives’ anti-defection framework, establishing a precedent for the application of the law at local government level.

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