Maldives government announces key administrative appointments

The Maldives’ Parliament Independent Institutions Committee has approved the nomination of Abdul Azeez Jamal Aboobakr as Information Commissioner. Nominated by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, Azeez stated that his approach to the Right to Information (RTI) Act will prioritize diplomacy, noting that public hearings for the non-disclosure of information will be utilized only as a last resort when other efforts to obtain data are exhausted.

In separate administrative developments, Mohamed Areesh, a former Deputy Mayor of Malé and member of the People’s National Congress (PNC), has been appointed as an Under Secretary at the President’s Office. This follows the recent appointment of former Attorney General Azima Shakoor as Principal Secretary to the President. These appointments occur amid government efforts to reduce workforce numbers at state-owned enterprises to cut expenditures, a process that has drawn allegations from the opposition MDP regarding political bias in dismissals.