Govt declines to disclose names of fired political appointees
Despite these measures, the government has faced criticism over delays in reducing the size of the political workforce amid the country’s financial challenges.
The President’s Office on Tuesday confirmed the dismissal of 248 political employees as part of fiscal reforms aimed at reducing government expenditure, but said that the names of those dismissed cannot be disclosed as they constitute personal information under the Right to Information Act.
A private individual had requested the names of the dismissed employees and the ministries they were associated with.
In response, the President’s Office explained:
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Names of political employees are classified as personal information.
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Revealing the ministries they worked for could indirectly disclose their identities, breaching privacy protections under the law.
The reduction in political staff was part of measures announced by President Mohamed Muizzu in October to address state spending. At the time, the president stated that the move would save the government MVR 5.7 million per month.
Despite these measures, the government has faced criticism over delays in reducing the size of the political workforce amid the country’s financial challenges.
