Zareer affirms dismissal of political appointees ongoing without disclosing total number

Finance Minister Hassan Zareer, on Tuesday, affirmed that the government is continuing efforts to reduce the number of political appointees, without disclosing the current number of political staff.

Responding to a question from main opposition MDP’s Thoddoo MP Hussain Sameer during Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting, Zareer confirmed that the process of dismissing political appointees is underway. However, he did not provide a specific figure for the number of political appointees currently serving in government.

In response to a separate question from MDP’s South Galolhu MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem, Zareer maintained that political staff are appointed in accordance with established government policies.

"I do not believe any employee is hired outside the scope of existing policies," he added.

The comments follow President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s announcement in April that the government would seek to reduce the number of political appointees and implement a 33 percent workforce reduction across state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Speaking at a press conference at the President’s Office, the President said a decision had been made to terminate as many political appointees as possible based on performance evaluations.

The government has also clarified that the planned 33 percent reduction in SOE staff would be carried out based on performance. In addition, the President directed that future recruitment for state-owned companies be conducted through publicly advertised vacancies.

However, President Muizzu noted that Article 115 of the Constitution grants him the authority to appoint political staff to ministries. He emphasized that such appointments would only be made when necessary and would prioritize academic qualifications and professional experience. He specifically stated that State Minister appointments would require a Master’s degree, while Deputy Minister positions would require a Bachelor’s degree in the relevant field.