MP Ibrahim Didi: Atoll council presidents should also be appointed by the President

South Feydhoo MP Ibrahim Didi states President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu should also be granted the discretion to appoint heads to atoll councils in addition to independent institutions.

Two government-backed bills have been submitted to the Parliament which seeks to grant discretion of appointing heads to the Elections Commission (EC) and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to the President.

While debating in favor of the bill to amend the Anti-Corruption Commission Act at Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting, MP Ibrahim Didi said there will not be a significant change with a shift from today’s practice to what is proposed in the amendment.

Nevertheless, he described what is written in the amendment as the best course of action.

On this note, he said despite the public’s perception that the commissions’ presidents are “special individuals”, they run the commissions as they desire instead of how the public wants. He stressed that the commissions were not exercising their responsibilities to the full extent while corruption cases of billions of Maldivian Rufiyaa remain pending.

MP Ibrahim Didi raised the question as to whether atoll council presidents are properly running atoll councils. He called to grant the discretion to the president to appoint atoll council presidents instead, citing things had been much better in the atolls back when the president was appointed heads of atolls.

Out of the two government-backed bills, the amendment bill on the Elections Commission Act was submitted by Kelaa MP Abdulla Shareef while the Anti-Corruption Commission Act’s amendment bill was submitted by Felidhoo MP Adam Zahir.

According to the particulars of both bills, the authority to appoint presidents and deputy presidents to both of these independent institutions will rest with the Maldives President, who will be responsible in nominating candidates for the roles.