Applications opened for Information Commissioner as Ahid’s term set to expire

The President's Office has announced the opening of applications for the position of Information Commissioner, as the five-year term of the incumbent, Ahid Rasheed, is scheduled to conclude next month.

Ahid's term will officially conclude on September 6th, prompting the President's Office to open applications for the position today.

According to the announcement, applications must be submitted by 12:00pm on August 16^th. Application forms will be accepted on working days between 8:30am and 12:00pm. The President's Office also stated that the application form and related documents are available for download from its official website.

The announcement comes as Ahid has recently been the subject of strong criticism from President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.

In his Independence Day address, President Muizzu accused Ahid of carrying out his duties in accordance with instructions from the opposition.

The allegations followed the imposition of a fine on the President's Office for failing to disclose information relating to political appointees. The penalty stemmed from a case in which the office refused to release the requested information despite an order issued under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Responding to the allegations, Ahid stated that although he was appointed during a previous administration, he does not act on instructions from any political party. He also maintained that neither the former MDP administration nor the current government has sought to directly influence the discharge of his official responsibilities.

The withholding of information by ministries and state-owned enterprises has emerged as a key transparency concern under the current administration.