President claims Information Commissioner is aligned with opposition

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has claimed that Information Commissioner Ahmed Ahid Rasheed is aligned with the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and receives instructions to act against the government.

Speaking at the official Independence Day ceremony on Sunday, President Muizzu said Ahid was appointed during the previous administration and alleged that he was acting on political instructions.

The President made the remarks while referring to the Information Commissioner's recent announcement that all government ministries had achieved 100 per cent compliance with the proactive disclosure requirements of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

"The Information Commission is being run by an opposition figure. An appointee of the previous administration. Surely, someone who receives political orders to work against us would not make an announcement like this if we were not implementing this properly," the President said.

President Muizzu said the announcement demonstrated that his administration was implementing the RTI Act and maintaining transparency.

He said achieving full compliance with the proactive disclosure requirements across all ministries was a first for the Maldives.

"This is the first time in Maldivian history that we are running a government with such complete transparency," he said.

The President added that state-owned enterprises were also working towards full compliance with proactive disclosure requirements.

He said the government was responding to information requests, holding regular press conferences and maintaining engagement with the media as part of its commitment to transparency.

The President's remarks follow action taken by the Information Commissioner's Office (iCOM) last month, when it fined the President's Office MVR 2,000 for failing to disclose requested information despite repeated directives.

The Information Commissioner's Office has also issued several warnings to the President's Office over delays in providing information requested under the RTI Act. The office has stated that cases in which final deadlines are not met may be referred to the Prosecutor General's Office for further action.