Ruling Party MPs Rejects Emergency Motion on Political Appointments Disclosure

The ruling party’s majority in parliament dismissed an emergency motion aimed at compelling the government to disclose details of political appointees.

The motion, put forward by Galolhu South MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem, called on the parliament to use powers under article 70 of the constitution to compel the government to disclose the number of political appointments by the president and the salaries being paid by state-owned enterprises.

advertisement

The motion was swiftly swept aside as 56 members voted against debating on it and only 11 votes in favour.

In his motion, MP Meekail criticised President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, alleging that the exercise of powers under Article 115 of the Constitution has resulted in what he termed as “excessive and unrestrained” political appointments across various government institutions.

He further alleged that state-owned enterprises have similarly engaged in overstaffing without proper oversight, leading to bloated payrolls that hamper operational efficiency.

Meekail highlighted that Finance Minister Dr. Mohamed Shafeeq declined to disclose the precise number of political appointees to the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee. He argued that this lack of transparency undermines Parliament’s constitutional responsibility to oversee and hold the government accountable.

Additionally, Meekail pointed out that the government has also refused to respond to information requests from the press and the public under the Right to Information Act. This stance has intensified scrutiny over the administration’s high number of political appointments and their associated financial implications, particularly amidst fiscal challenges.