Director of Culture apologises to Opposition, says group not deliberately excluded from flag-raising ceremony

See below the full statement from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport:

We extend a formal and unequivocal apology to the Leader of the Opposition and members of the Opposition over the failure to issue invitations to the 55th Republic Flag Raising Ceremony.

We also extend our sincere apologies to His Excellency, President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, for the regrettable embarrassment this oversight has caused.

The responsibility for coordinating and distributing invitations rests solely with the Office of the Director of Culture, and this regrettable oversight is entirely attributable to our office.

This was not a deliberate act of exclusion. Invitations were duly extended to the Opposition in 2024, and there was no intent to disregard or undermine their participation in this year’s national event.

We take this matter seriously and are committed to ensuring that all state functions reflect the principles of inclusivity and respect for all stakeholders. Moving forward, stringent measures will be implemented to prevent such oversights and uphold the integrity of our national celebrations.