MP Saudhulla heads to LGA over Thinadhoo’s city status

North Thinadhoo MP Saudhulla Hilmy filed a case with the Local Government Authority (LGA) on Wednesday, asserting that Thinadhoo, an island in GDh. Atoll, was granted city status in violation of the law.

He had submitted the case to the Parliament earlier this week.

Thinadhoo was designated as a city on August 30, 2023 by then-President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih during the 2023 presidential campaign. The incumbent administration decided it would not revise the decision.

In a letter to the LGA, Saudhulla said that the population of Thinadhoo is under 10,000 – the legal requirement to be designated a city.

He said that the information of the deceased as well as people who had removed themselves from the island’s registry decades back were added to the list in order to artificially boost the population to 10,150.

Saudulla told Sun that he became aware of it on November 15. He said that there is a discrepancy of 1,800 people in the actual population and the list.

“I saw the list sent by the council. There were people on the list who had removed themselves from Thinadhoo’s registry some 30 years back. There were also people who I knew who are deceased,” he said.

“…I do not want Thinadhoo to be labelled as a ‘fake city’ for generations to come. Anyway, I am someone who wants to do things in accordance with the laws and regulations.”

Saudulla said that while he wants Thinadhoo to become a city, he cannot turn a blind eye to something illegal.

“[President] Dr. Mohamed Muizzu pledged the residents of Thinadhoo during his presidential campaign that he would make Thinadhoo a city, even if it required lowering the population requirement from 10,000 to 8,000. This is what I’m trying to do,” he said.

Saudhulla suspects it was done by Thinadhoo Mayor Saud Ali.

The decision by Saudhulla to raise the issue with the LGA comes after former magistrate Ahmed Raghib lodged a constitutional case with the High Court on November 25 over the same issue. Raghib had been serving as a deputy minister for environment at the time but was subsequently dismissed.