Transparency Maldives: Azeez unsuitable for Information Commissioner role

Transparency Maldives has called for the application process for the position of Information Commissioner to be reopened, arguing that the nominee for the post, Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakr (Azee), who served as country’s first Information Commissioner, is unsuitable for the role.

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu nominated Azee, who currently serves as a State Minister at the Ministry of Dhivehi Language, Culture and Heritage, for the position. The nomination was submitted to the Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee on Sunday for consideration. However, the public was given only six hours to submit complaints concerning the nominee.

The limited timeframe provided for public feedback has raised considerable concern. In an initial social media post, Transparency Maldives called on Parliament to extend the deadline for submitting complaints.

In a subsequent letter to the Chairperson of the Independent Institutions Committee, MP Hussain Riza Adam, Transparency Maldives highlighted its 12-year history of advocating for and supporting the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, including its engagement with Parliament since 2013.

The organization stated in the letter that the RTI Act was not fully implemented during Azee’s previous tenure as Information Commissioner, resulting in limitations on the public’s access to and exercise of the fundamental right to information.

Transparency Maldives further alleged that, under his leadership, information request forms were developed in a manner that impeded the exercise of the right to information. The organization also noted that the first public hearing of his tenure was held only towards the end of his term.

Citing these concerns, Transparency Maldives said it does not consider Azee to be the most suitable candidate for the position of Information Commissioner. The organization therefore called for Parliament to reject his nomination and reopen the application process for the post.

Azee, who previously represented the Mavaah Constituency in the 17th parliamentary assembly, was first appointed as Information Commissioner on July 22, 2014. A scholar of the Dhivehi language, he has also served as a State Minister at the Ministry of Islamic Affairs under the current administration.

The Information Commissioner serves a five-year term.