Zareer: Sinaan’s unseating proves Pres. Muizzu doesn’t interfere with judiciary

Ruling PNC’s Mathiveri MP Hassan Zareer, on Thursday, said North MP Mohamed Sinaan (Sina)’s unseating over a court ruling establishing proven unsettled debt demonstrates President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s commitment to judicial independence.

Speaking on SSTV’s ‘Baaru Hathareh’ program on Thursday night, Zareer noted that while the opposition frequently accuses the current administration of interfering with the judiciary, the fact that a prominent ruling party member was unseated from the Parliament proves otherwise.

"The unseating of the prominent ruling party member from Addu City confirms that this government does not interfere with the judiciary and that President Dr. Muizzu does not meddle with the judiciary," Zareer stressed.

Zareer, who originally won his seat on an MDP ticket before switching to the PNC toward the end of the 19th parliamentary assembly, criticized the MDP for its lack of sincerity. He argued that if the MDP had been genuine in its pledges, it would have used its super-majority in the last parliamentary assembly to reform the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) as pledged.

According to Zareer, the MDP secured the election in 2018 by pledging to reform the judiciary, ensure justice, and protect the rights of the citizens

"What issues were truly addressed? What was done to ensure judicial independence? Why was the composition of the JSC not changed? Where was the sincerity?” he questioned.

Zareer further emphasized that the public often questions why previous administrations failed to implement reforms while they held power. He reaffirmed that the PNC remains committed to restructuring the JSC.

The last MDP administration came to power in 2018 with a pledge to ensure JSC remains free from political influence by changing its composition. However, despite holding a clear majority in the 19^th parliamentary assembly during its five-year term, the pledge was not honored. Notably, during that period, the MDP rejected three separate bills introduced by then-opposition MP Ahmed Thariq aimed at reforming the commission.

In early December, President Muizzu reiterated his pledge to reform the JSC’s composition, confirming that the necessary amendments would be submitted. The President assured that any constitutional or legal changes made by the current 20th parliamentary assembly—where the government holds a significant majority—would be done through public consultation. He maintained that the judiciary currently operates independently of executive influence.

The current composition of the JSC includes:

• Parliament Speaker
• A parliamentarian
• A member appointed by the president
• A Supreme Court justice
• A High Court judge
• A lower court judge
• A member of the public appointed by the Parliament
• The President of the Civil Service Commission
• The Attorney General
• A representative elected from among licensed attorneys