Handing authority over to Pres, wish of commissions: Habeeb

According to the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) member and former Deputy President of the Elections Commission (EC), Ismail Habeeb, granting the discretion of appointing heads to the EC and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to the Maldives head of the state was a request made those agencies.

He said this in a social media post on Tuesday, noting that a paper submitted to the president last year, along with copies sent to the Attorney General’s Office and the Parliament’s Committee on Independent Institutions proposed granting discretionary authority to the Maldives president.

Habeeb said the proposition was filed by the members of EC, ACC and the HRCM.

“This is the practice in some of the most developed sovereignties such as the United States,” Habeeb said.

The bills seeking to grant power to the Maldives President to appoint heads to the independent commissions were submitted to the parliament with their first reading held at Monday’s sitting.

The bills cite that name nomination for the roles of presidents and deputy presidents in both the EC and ACC falls under the discretion of the Maldives President. The bills further state that the nominations must be next sent for parliament consideration and subsequent approval.

The presidents and deputy presidents are also required to tender their resignations by addressing to the Maldives head of state according to the amendment bills.

The incumbent presidents and deputy presidents of both EC and ACC will remain in their posts until term expiry if the bills come to effect prior to their term end.

The current law cites that the heads of these commissions are elected through an internal election, the result of which must be shared with both the President and the parliament.

In response to these planned changes, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu took to X on Monday evening, affirming he will not coerce the institutions and assured any changes to their composition would only be done in the context of enhancing their functions.

Habeeb, a long-term serving member in the EC, completed his deputy presidential term on March 13^th this year. At the time of his departure from EC, Habeeb had served in the commission for 21 years at various capacities.

With parliament approval, Habeeb was appointed as an HRCM member by President Muizzu earlier on September 8^th.