Committee approves Azee’s appointment as Information Commissioner despite objections

The Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee on Monday approved the appointment of Heritage Ministry State Minister Abdul Azeez Jamal Abubakr (Azee) as the next Information Commissioner.

After interviewing Azee, committee members awarded him more than 75 percent marks. His name was then forwarded to the full Parliament with the support of five members present.

Only Galolhu South MP Meekail Ahmed Naseem voted against sending his name to the floor. He noted that the public was given just six hours to submit complaints, with the window closing at 6:00 pm on Sunday.

During the meeting, the parliamentary office informed members that the law prohibits individuals holding political positions from serving as Information Commissioner. In addition, legal experts have raised concerns over whether Azee, who served as the country’s first Information Commissioner, can be appointed again, noting that the Right to Information Act only provides for an extension of the existing term.

The appointment process comes amid growing government dissatisfaction with the current Information Commissioner, Ahmed Ahid Rasheed, whom the administration has accused of misleading the state in cases involving non-disclosure of information by the President’s Office and government agencies. President Muizzu has publicly alleged that Ahid acts as an agent of the opposition, an allegation Ahid denies, insisting he is acting in accordance with the law.

Despite these concerns, the committee approved Azee’s name for the post.

Transparency Maldives submitted a complaint within the short deadline, expressing concern over the limited time provided for public feedback. In an initial post, the organisation called on Parliament to extend the window for submitting complaints.

In a letter to Committee Chair Hussain Riza Adam, Transparency Maldives said it has worked with Parliament since 2013 on drafting and implementing the Right to Information Act, and has spent 12 years supporting its enforcement.

The organisation stated that during Azee’s previous tenure as commissioner, the RTI Act was not fully implemented, limiting the public’s ability to access and exercise the right to information. It also said the information request form developed under his leadership hindered the exercise of that right, and noted that the first public hearing of his term was held only towards the end of his tenure.

Citing these concerns, Transparency Maldives said it does not consider Azee the most capable candidate for the role and called on Parliament to reject his nomination.