President takes one-week holiday

Cabinet Secretary Dr Abdulla Nazeer has said President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has decided to take a weeklong holiday starting Thursday, 24 October.

The Cabinet Secretary made the statement in reply to a question asked by a member of the Parliament Committee on Independent Institutions, a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) majority committee.

He said the newly appointed member representing parliament in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), MP Ahmed Hamza will take oath of office after the president returns from his holiday.

When asked why the taking of oath for the new Civil Service Commission president Dr Mohamed Latheef, who also needs to be officially sworn into the JSC seat, was being delayed, Dr Nazeer said that the matter had complications due to the Supreme Court ruling to reinstate former JSC president Mohamed Fahumy Hassan. Dr Nazeer asked that the parliament to address issue.

President of CSC Dr Mohamed Latheef told the committee that since his appointment as the commission president, he has been receiving the salary allocated for the CSC president and that he has asked for an appointment with the President to inquire about the delay in his taking oath for JSC seat.

Dr Latheef said all letters addressed to the President of the Civil Service Commission are addressed to him, except the letters sent by the President’s Office. He said the letters sent by the President’s Office are not addressed to a particular person, but just the president of the commission.

The Cabinet Secretary said who holds the seat of the President of the Civil Service Commission is still not clear and that he was unaware that Dr Latheef was receiving the salary and allowances of the commission president.

Deputy Attorney General Ahmed Usham, who was also present at the committee hearing, said the Attorney General has not divulged advice regarding the CSC president’s seat. He any statement regarding the matter will be made by the Attorney General herself.