The Defense Ministry should explain why the Maldivian soldiers who were trained to fly the Indian military aircraft in the Maldives are not allowed to operate the plane, Hithadhoo Medhu MP Ahmed Azan has said.
Azan, a former journalist who advocated for the Right to Information (RTI), said in a post on X that many Maldivians wish to know why their soldiers are not allowed to operate the Dornier. He also said it is related to the interest of the country.
"One of the biggest reasons the people said no to President Ibrahim [Mohamed Solih's] government is because such matters were kept confidential. I hope the Defense [Ministry] will change this decision," Azan said.
Azan's remarks came after the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) went to the High Court to keep the information secret, saying it could endanger national security if disclosed.
Azan had earlier said that the number of political employees could not be kept secret and that the government would disclose the number soon. But the information has not been revealed three months after he made the statement.
According to MNDF, the Indian Army trained a total of six MNDF officers. All of them were trained after 2021.
The opposition at the time criticised former President Solih for not disclosing the agreements signed with India and the number of Indian soldiers in the Maldives.
During the presidential election campaign and after coming to power, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu repeatedly said that his government would be transparent and journalists would not have to submit RTI requests.
However, the government has not revealed anything related to the agreements and has concealed the number of political appointees. The President's Office does not even attend hearings on cases submitted to the Information Commissioner's Office for non-disclosure of information.
