Minister Khaleel admits there are over 100 political staff at foreign ministry alone

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdulla Khaleel has admitted that there are more than 100 political staff in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs alone.

During Monday's sitting of the People’s Majlis, MP for North Galolhu Constituency Mohamed Ibrahim, highlighted Article 41 (b) of the Maldives Foreign Service Act, which states that the appointments referred to in subsection (a)(1) and (a)(4) of the article should not exceed 20 percent of the total number of Foreign Service employees. He also noted that according to the limited information available, this number has now greatly increased, and questioned what the actual number is.

In response to the written question, Minister Khaleel stated that in October 2023, there were 98 Foreign Service staff at the headquarters and 39 Foreign Service staff in missions, totaling 137. He also mentioned that on the same date, there were 18 political staff at the headquarters, 98 in missions, totaling 116 political staff.

Further, Minister Khaleel said that by January 2025, there were 93 Foreign Service staff at the headquarters, 46 in missions, totaling 139. There were 28 political staff at the headquarters, 104 in missions, totaling 132 political staff by January.

While Minister Khaleel has admitted that there are more than 100 political staff in the Foreign Ministry alone, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has asserted that his government would not have more than 700 political appointees.

While the government has yet to disclose the exact number of political appointments, reports suggest that several ministries have hired an overwhelming number of political staff, to the point where there are insufficient desks and chairs to accommodate them. In some cases, individuals are said to have little to no actual work, with some reportedly coming to the office simply to socialize.