Information Denied: The Government's Tactics to Suppress the Right to Information in the Maldives

The Right to Information Act of the Maldives, passed in 2014, was enacted with the aim of granting citizens the right to request information from any government institution. This act was intended to promote transparency and accountability in the workings of government by providing citizens with the tools necessary to access information. However, the reality of its implementation has been vastly different from its intended purpose.

As with any Right to Information Act, this act also contains exceptions, such as information relating to national security or personal information of individuals. However, the government has been using these exceptions as blanket excuses for withholding information, frequently citing them to evade disclosure even in cases where it would not be justified. In addition to this, the government has been employing a multitude of tactics to undermine the RTI act.

One of the tactics used by the government is to delay the response to RTI requests. According to the RTI act, state authorities have 21 days to respond to RTI requests, and they may request an additional 14 days in exceptional circumstances. However, the government often takes the full 35 days to respond, even in cases where they eventually decide not to disclose the information. This delay tactic is intended to discourage citizens from submitting RTIs by making the process cumbersome and time-consuming. Full story from The Maldives Journal