News Desk
President Mohamed Muizzu has firmly ruled out holding a public referendum on the controversial Rasmalé real estate project involving Abu Dhabi-based developer Eagle Hills, insisting that statutory protections within proposed legislation fully safeguard national sovereignty and public rights.
Speaking at a press conference at the President’s Office on Monday, Muizzu addressed calls from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) for a public vote regarding the allocation of 500 hectares of reclaimed land to the UAE firm.
“This is not something we will hold a referendum on,” Muizzu said in response to reporters. “The rights of the Maldivian people, state independence, sovereignty, and our laws have all been directly accounted for within the law itself.”
Muizzu noted that while the administration could have governed the development through executive regulations, it chose instead to embed all binding terms directly into the forthcoming Real Estate Bill. Chapter Eight of the draft bill, he said, clearly outlines protections for future generations without leaving room for public concern.
The president’s refusal follows a resolution passed last Sunday by the MDP’s national council, which demanded a national referendum on the $20 billion waterfront and marina project. The opposition resolution warned that if the government ignored its call for a vote, the party would mobilize joint direct action alongside other political groups and civic organizations.
The opposition resolution highlighted internal friction within the MDP itself. Former President and current party chairperson Mohamed Nasheed voiced full support for the Rasmalé development during the council meeting, though the majority ultimately voted against his stance to pass the referendum demand.
