Ambassadors are being appointed just to provide a salary to someone, aiding it isn’t our responsibility

Vaikaradhoo MP Hussain Ziyad (Fitte) has said that appointing ambassadors and non-resident ambassadors to foreign countries should not be done merely to provide salaried positions for certain individuals, adding that this is not the responsibility of Parliament.

Speaking in Parliament today, Ziyad said that over the past two and a half years, one of the issues Parliament has spent the most time on has been approving ambassadorial appointments. He questioned what tangible benefits the country receives from ambassadors appointed at significant public expense.

“One of the things we do most in this Parliament is approve ambassadors and non-resident ambassadors. The government is appointing ambassadors even to countries most of us have never heard of. What benefit does this bring to the Maldivian people?” Ziyad asked.

He further alleged that ambassadorial posts are often given to former ministers and other senior officials as a way of rewarding them. While these individuals receive substantial salaries abroad, he argued that the country continues to struggle to secure essential items, including medicines.

Ziyad said the issue is not necessarily the competence of the ambassadors but rather a lack of confidence in the government from foreign countries.

Highlighting that embassies consume a significant portion of the state budget, Ziyad stressed that Parliament is not an extension of the government but an institution responsible for holding the government accountable. He said lawmakers must carefully examine whether public funds spent on embassies and diplomatic appointments provide meaningful benefits to the country.

He also expressed concern over the country’s broader economic challenges, including the rising US dollar exchange rate and unresolved social issues such as waste management. He criticized the government for repeatedly announcing that work on various initiatives has begun while failing to produce visible, practical results.