Former lawmaker Nihan appointed as Parliament’s new bureau chief

Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik, the former leader of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)’s parliamentary group, has been appointed as the Parliament’s new chief of bureau.

A spokesperson from the Parliament told Sun Nihan was appointed to the post on Wednesday. Nihan replaces Fathimath Mohamed Solih (Faathey), who had been appointed back in December last year.

Parliamentary services regulation empowers the Speaker to make three appointments to assist in their duties.

Parliament’s communications director Hassan Ziyau told Sun that Nihan was appointed by Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla under this regulation.

With the new post, Nihan will be responsible managing the work of the Speaker’s bureau.

The Parliament did not disclose the salary paid for the post.

Nihan had served two terms as parliamentary representative for the Vilimale’ constituency. He served as the leader of then-ruling PPM’s parliamentary group during former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s administration. He made a failed bid to get elected to the parliamentary seat of his native island, GDh. Thinadhoo, back in 2019.

Following the defeat, Nihan joined the Jumhoory Party (JP), and worked closely with the party’s leader, Qasim Ibrahim. Nihan had faced a string of charges for corruption during the last Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) administration, including two counts of accepting a bribe, two counts of seeking bribes, and money laundering charges. However, he was never convicted.