Restore Control. Combine Experience and Youthful leaders.

More than ten cabinet ministers walking out is not routine politics—it is a system failure. At moments like this, the Maldives does not need spin, slogans, or rushed political reshuffles designed to “look” decisive. The reshuffle done tonight looks more cosmetic than revolutionary.  

There are a few good appointments but this looks like an opportunity lost to show real commitment to change. .

President Muizzu should have shown the guts to bring in some older and experienced politicians and paired them with a new generation that can execute with energy and urgency. Figures such as Abdul Sattar Yousuf represent a category of leadership the Maldives urgently needs right now: experienced, disciplined, and largely removed from today’s factional noise. These are individuals who understand how government actually works—not just how it is presented.

And there is a deep bench of such experienced technocrats in the Maldives that could have been used to strengthen the Cabinet. Veteran diplomat Legal minds like Aishath Azima Shakoor can restore procedural discipline at a time when governance risks becoming erratic. Economic and financial stability requires people who know the system inside out—individuals such as Abdulla Jihad, whose experience in managing state finances can become invaluable during uncertainty.

There are others, equally capable and equally necessary in this moment. For example, Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed adds constitutional and legal depth, critical for keeping decisions grounded in law rather than expediency. There are many such experienced administrators that represent the quiet backbone of governance—people who know where systems break, and how to fix them without fanfare.

But stability through experienced, older politicians alone is not enough. It must be matched with drive from some youthful operators too. This is where a new generation must step forward—not to replace experience, but to complement it. Figures such as Faris Maumoon represent a cohort that understands both the political landscape and the urgency of reform. Some might laugh at this but it would have been a master stroke from Muizzu if he brought Faris to the Cabinet. Umar Naseer is another name that comes to mind. Former Finance Minister Inaz and former MMA Governor Naseer are two more examples of youthful leaders who can bring experience and youthful leadership to the table.

There are plenty of such youthful leaders who could have brought communication skills, policy engagement, and the stamina required to translate decisions into action quickly. But instead we saw a cosmetic makeover. 

The combination of experience and youth described above is the balance the Maldives needs right now: experience to steady the system, and youthful energy to move it forward.

This is not about nostalgia. It is about functionality. These senior figures may be past the usual retirement age, but that is precisely the point: they have nothing left to prove, nothing to campaign for, and little incentive to play politics. Their value lies in stability, not ambition. Paired with younger leaders who are ready to deliver, the result is not stagnation—it is controlled momentum.

Critics will argue this delays generational change. They are missing the moment. You cannot build the future on a system that is actively shaking. First, you stabilize. Then, you reform—with the next generation already at the table, learning, contributing, and preparing to lead.

Right now, ministries must function. Salaries must be paid. International confidence must be maintained. Public trust must be rebuilt. None of this requires political experimentation—it requires competence, backed by urgency.

What we saw tonight is continuing the status quo with improvised fixes and politically convenient appointments. Instead, the President could have restored control with older people such as Abdul Sattar and Jihadh who already know how to run the system, supported by the younger generation such as Faris Maumoon who can carry it forward. Sadly an opportunity to put things right seems to have been lost. Or is it? Still there's time to use this formula if the government has the guts and the commitment to do that.