President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated civil servants should have political independence, adding he does not wish for civil servants to be compelled to follow a specific political ideology.
Speaking at the official ceremony held to mark the 54th Republic Day of the Maldives, President Solih said civil servants should not be penalised or dismissed for not participating in political activities and that they should be allowed to follow their own political philosophies.
Speaking further, the president said republicanism is a basic feature of a people's government, and ensuring equality in rendering public services is social justice. He said the government had made efforts to ensure fairness in rendering public services over the past three years.
The president said the foundation of a republic has always been to meet the people's needs, and that it has been a top priority of the administration for the past three years. In this regard, he added that efforts of the administration had been focused on decentralisation.
Furthermore, President Solih highlighted that the administration also prioritised human resource development, and underscored the numerous steps taken by the government for the development of the education sector. He also shed light on the need to build a peaceful society and noted the work undertaken by the government and social workers to tackle the issue of substance abuse, as well as the importance of conducting community-based rehabilitation programmes.