Majlis approves ex MP of ruling party to human rights watchdog

The parliament today approved former MP Shifaq Mufeed, Aishath Afreen Mohamed, and Aminath Eenas to the Human Rights of Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).

President Abdulla Yameen nominated the three for parliamentary approval in June to fill three upcoming vacancies. The five-year terms of HRCM president Mariyam Azra, vice president Ahmed Tholal, and Jeehan Mahmood were due to expire this month.

Mufeed represented the mid-Fuvahmulah constituency as a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP in the 16th People’s Majlis. He joined the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in May 2012, several weeks after the ousting of the MDP government on February 7, 2012.

In July 2013, Mufeed quit the PPM and joined the Jumhooree Party and backed its candidate Gasim Ibrahim in the 2013 presidential election.

He did not seek re-election in the May 2014 parliamentary elections and went back to the PPM in March 2015.

Afreen is a former HRCM staff member and the wife of PPM Fares-Maathoda MP Hussain Mohamed Latheef. Eenas works at the gender department.

At today’s sitting, Mufeed was approved with 50 votes in favour, four against, and eight abstentions. Eanas and Afreen were approved with 64 votes and 59 votes, respectively, and no votes against.

The nominees were put to a vote following an evaluation by the parliament’s independent institutions committee.

The PPM and coalition partner Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) controls a comfortable majority of 48 seats in the 85-member house.

Last week, President Yameen nominated a former government official  accused of defrauding the state of MVR24 million (US$1.55 million) in 2009 and 2011.

Moosa Ali Kaleyfaanu was among eight senior officials of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) implicated in corrupt practices flagged in a 2012 audit report.

Moosa Ali was nominated along with Naiveen Abdulla to replace Dr Ali Shameem and Ahmed Abdul Kareem, whose five-year terms are due to expire in September.