MDP Highlights Need For Local Economy in Addu City Ahead of Council Elections

Senior figures from the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have said that while most major infrastructure development in Addu City has already been completed, the priority now should be creating a sustainable local economy.

Speaking at the launch of the MDP’s campaign for the upcoming local council and Women’s Development Committee (WDC) elections in Addu City last evening, Hithadhoo South MP Ibrahim Nazil said much of the infrastructure currently in place was developed under the previous MDP government. He added that several projects initiated during that period had since stalled.

Nazil, MDP’s Parliament Group leader, said Addu City’s future development depended on electing councils and WDCs aligned with the people’s priorities. He also defended the MDP’s record in government between 2018 and 2023, noting that the administration had limited time to deliver projects due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Nazil, residents of Addu City would be able to attest to the work carried out during those three years, and he argued that visible development in the city was largely the result of policies implemented by the former MDP-led government.

Meanwhile, Ali Nizar, the current mayor of Addu City and an MDP candidate seeking a second term, criticised the policies of the governing People’s National Congress (PNC). Addressing supporters at the event, Nizar said recent government proposals risked weakening the city’s financial base.

He was referring to President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s recent announcement that Addu City would be developed as a business hub, including the creation of a tax-free zone and an exemption on land rent for businesses for three years. Nizar described the proposal as dangerous, arguing that land rent accounts for around 80 per cent of the Addu City Council’s revenue.

Nizar said that after covering administrative costs using government grants, the council relies heavily on land rent income to fund development projects. Removing that source of revenue, he argued, would leave the city unable to sustain development.

He also accused the PNC of pursuing centralised policies that concentrate political and economic power in Malé, contrasting this with what he described as the MDP’s modern democratic ideology. Nizar claimed that around 70 per cent of the country’s economy is concentrated in the capital and said such policies would not bring meaningful change to the rest of the country.

Local council and WDC elections are scheduled to take place on 4 April, with Addu City shaping up to be a key battleground between the major political parties.

Several other senior MDP officials also addressed the campaign launch in Addu City.