Digitisation Plan Faces Scrutiny as Minister Calls It Path to Progress

MV+ News Desk | May 10, 2025
Minister Adam Shareef Umar met with the Guaidhoo Council on 28th April 2025. | Photo credit: Ministry of Cities, Local Government, Public Works

Minister of Cities, Local Government and Public Works, Adam Shareef Umar, has described President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s decision to digitise all sectors except voting as “a sincere effort towards the country’s progress.”

“Digital transformation can reduce corruption, speed up governance, increase transparency, and make it easier for citizens,” Minister Adam said, expressing support for the administration’s Maldives 2.0 initiative, officially launched last evening.

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Maldives 2.0 is the Government’s national vision for digital transformation, aimed at reshaping   how government serves, how the economy grows, and how public services, opportunity, and essential information reach every Maldivian, across every island, according to the administration. The initiative was launched during a summit that began last night.

However, the opposition has sharply criticised the programme, voicing concerns particularly around issues of trust and transparency.

Former Youth Minister Ahmed Mahloof raised concerns over the project, particularly the potential introduction of electronic voting. In a post on X, Mahloof claimed the initiative was launched under the guise of digitisation to enable election manipulation. “In the name of digitising all state institutions, Maldives 2.0 was officially launched this evening with the intention of manipulating elections through the implementation of electronic voting. Of course, I want to directly oppose it for one of them,” he said.

He argued that the current system already ensures reliable and timely results, and noted that some countries have scaled back e-voting amid fraud allegations. Questioning whether the government could be trusted to handle citizens’ data securely, he added: “Let’s not allow ourselves to play with our votes and take away our right to vote freely. I don’t believe it should proceed without considering public opinion and gaining the trust of the people.”

Responding to the criticism, President Muizzu posted on X, reiterating that voting would remain outside the digital scope of Maldives 2.0. “Why is the political opposition against efforts being made to eliminate corruption?” he wrote. “Maldives 2.0 is the largest effort to eliminate corruption within the state system. A system that grants every citizen total control and authority over their personal information… A system that will improve the country’s position in the Press Freedom Index significantly.”

The President said the government would continue working closely with the public and encouraged the opposition to participate constructively in the process.

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