As the Local Government Authority (LGA) decided Ali Shujau has been removed as the President of the Th. Thinadhoo Council due to him leaving the party he was a part of when he was elected and joining another party, the opportunity to run as a candidate for the by-election has been opened.

LGA decided Shujau lost his seat on 19th July 2026.

An announcement from the Elections Commission (EC) reads that the Thinadhoo election will be held on 28th November. Those who are interested in running as a candidate have until 26th October, 2:00 pm to submit their names.

Shujau was elected as the President of the Thinadhoo Council during the council election as a member of The Democrats. He left the party to join the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

The Decentralization Act states if a candidate is elected to a council after running under a political party's ticket and they leave the party to join another one during their term, they will lose their position.

And so, the LGA held a board meeting on 30th June 2026 to decide that Shujau was relieved from his position as President of Thinadhoo Council and to inform the EC the position had been vacated.

While LGA decided Shujau lost his seat in the case, he was suspended from June until LGA could come to a conclusion on the matter. Council operations were handed over to the Vice President.

Shujau gave a statement to Mihaaru News regarding the issue, saying he joined MDP after the EC told senior leadership of The Democrats on 23rd April that the party had been dissolved.

Shujau also said even though he was elected under The Democrats, the EC had informed the party they had been dissolved even before he was sworn in to the position in May. And so, he said he does not believe he left one party to join another.