Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef has returned to the Maldives, ending a brief period during which both the President and Vice President were out of the country.
President Mohamed Muizzu is currently in Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj pilgrimage. He departed on Saturday morning accompanied by First Lady Sajida Mohamed and a delegation that includes several Cabinet ministers.
The Vice President travelled to Tajikistan following an earlier official visit to Hawaii. Although his engagements in Tajikistan concluded earlier this week, his return had not been publicly confirmed until now.
The simultaneous absence of both the President and Vice President raised questions about oversight of day-to-day government affairs. It is customary for the Vice President to remain in Malé when the President is abroad to ensure continuity in governance and follow protocol.
During their absence, Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla, who saw off the President at Velana International Airport, remained the highest-ranking state official in the country under the constitutional line of succession.
The President’s return date has not been officially announced.