News Desk
ADDU CITY, — With local council elections approaching, Addu City is confronting a pivotal decision: whether to hand the mayoralty to the opposition MDP for a fifth consecutive term or elect a PNC candidate for the first time.
Launching his campaign on Saturday, PNC mayoral candidate Mushrif Ali unveiled a sweeping vision under the slogan “The Greater Addu”, promising to restore what he described as the city’s “golden age.”
According to campaign material distributed at the event, Addu “has never been an ordinary place,” but a city defined by ambition and distinction. The leaflet argues that Addu has been reduced to a “small city brought to its knees” by limited planning and an administrative culture focused on day‑to‑day minutiae rather than long‑term development.
“Now you can see the target slipping, the boat adrift and without a sail,” the leaflet reads.
A Six‑Point Vision for ‘Greater Addu’
Mushrif’s platform is built around six core pillars:
- Establishing a scientific research centre to preserve Addu’s identity
- Expanding tourism beyond short‑stay guesthouses
- Creating technical and high‑skilled jobs linked to tourism
- Positioning Addu as a green, investor‑friendly city open to innovation and youth
- Strengthening ties with Addu’s diaspora communities
- Building a “civilised city” that supports the upbringing of empowered citizens
Mushrif said he is contesting the mayoralty to “restore the golden age of Addu” and to build a city capable of shaping a prosperous future generation. However, critics were quick to point out that two sectors long associated with Addu’s so‑called golden age — education and healthcare — are notably absent from his six‑point vision.
The vision also calls for expanding surrounding tourism, centralising regional sports, and developing an administrative structure rooted in a knowledge‑based economy with new jobs and opportunities.
