The President's Office has issued a firm rebuttal against what it describes as a misleading and unprofessional news article, accusing the Adhadhu newspaper of deliberately distorting President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s comments for political gain.
The strongly-worded statement, delivered by the Chief Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef, was provoked by a headline that read, “President admits to giving jobs to facilitate corruption during the election campaign.”
The spokesperson clarified that this headline referred to a specific answer President Muizzu gave to a question from a different media outlet during the press conference earlier the same day.
According to the President's Office, the article fundamentally misrepresents the spirit and purpose of the President's comments.
During the press conference, the President was seen advocating against the practice of political appointments. He explicitly stated that employment based on campaign affiliations or political reasons should be stopped, affirming that his administration would only hire for government companies and ministries based on merit, considering applicants' education and experience.
"Giving jobs to anyone in connection with an election campaign or a political party affiliations must come to an end in this country. The people have made that clear. So I will go the same way," the President had affirmed.
Spokesperson Hussain Shareef asserted that the Adhadhu article created a meaning completely contrary to this message. He concluded by stating that the administration would continue to proactively clarify the facts and challenge what it views as unethical journalism designed to achieve a specific political purpose.