President Mohamed Muizzu’s pledge to hold weekly press conferences every Monday has come to a halt following the conclusion of the local council elections and the public referendum.
Muizzu had previously committed to meeting with the press every Monday, provided it was not a public holiday. However, the President's Office has not disclosed a reason for the cancellation of today’s briefing.
During his Presidential Address in February, Muizzu announced that starting from March, he would dedicate one hour every Monday morning to engage with the media.
"To ensure I personally provide information to the media, starting from March this year, I will meet with journalists every Monday morning from 10:00 am to 11:00 am," Muizzu stated.
Since making this commitment, only three such press conferences have been held: on March 2, March 23, and March 30. Briefings were not held on March 9 and March 16 as those dates coincided with government holidays.
Furthermore, the scheduled briefing for April 4 did not take place as the President was in Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah pilgrimage.
In his Presidential Address, Muizzu maintained that he would meet with the press for one hour every Monday, except when precluded by official travel or public holidays.
He also mandated in his address that cabinet ministers meet with the press for one hour each week. However, not all government ministers have been adhering to this weekly schedule.
Three years into his term, Muizzu has held only five press conferences. The first was held on December 5, 2023, while the briefing that set a national record for the longest press conference was held 515 days later.
