The Chief Spokesperson of the President’s Office, Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu), stated today that the specific number of political appointees across government offices can only be discussed or disclosed once the current efforts to reduce their numbers are finalized.
During the first press conference held by the new spokesperson under the title "Presser with the Spox," a journalist questioned why the administration has not revealed the total count of political staff. The journalist further inquired why the numbers had exceeded the initial pledge not to surpass 700 appointees.
In response, Shareef stated that limiting the number of political staff to 700 was not a formal campaign promise of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu. While he noted it was a figure announced during the administration's transition phase, he did not specify the exact reason why the numbers had increased beyond that mark.
Information obtained by Mihaaru in 2024 indicated that the number of political staff at that time stood at over 1,200.
Shareef highlighted today that President Muizzu has announced a reduction of political staff by one-third, and that the President's Office is currently working rapidly on this process.
"...political positions will decrease, and along with that, positions in SOEs (State-Owned Enterprises) will also decrease. I believe it is at that point we should discuss the numbers," he said.
"If I were to tell you a number now, even if I knew it, by the time you report it, that number might be lower tomorrow. This means that as we speak, currently, over the past two weeks, the numbers are decreasing and changing."
Shareef added that once the downsizing process is complete, the total number of employees will be transparently available to everyone without the need to submit a Right to Information (RTI) request.
During a press conference held on the 20th of April, the President stated that because it is certain that the public does not approve of providing political jobs, whether linked to a campaign or otherwise, he will not continue that practice.
Additionally, the Ministry of Finance has instructed the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB) to reduce the workforce in state-owned companies by 33 percent to strengthen the management and systems of these enterprises.
