Yameen appoints new home minister

President Abdulla Yameen has replaced Home Minister Ahmed Zuhoor with former Deputy Minister of Education, Azleen Ahmed.

Azleen took his oath of office at a ceremony at the president’s office today.

Zuhoor, who only took up the home affairs portfolio in June, remains in the cabinet as a minister.

When asked about Zuhoor’s new portfolio, Ibrahim Muaz Ali, the president’s spokesman, said: “Can he not be just minister? Should the title ‘minister’ always be followed by an ‘of …’?”

The reasons for the sudden change remains unclear.

Zuhoor was first appointed to Yameen’s cabinet in March 2015 as health minister. Two months later, he was handed the youth and sports portfolio.

He was chosen as home minister when his predecessor Umar Naseer resigned in June. He later cited differences with Yameen for his resignation.

Neither Zuhoor nor Azleen were responding to calls at the time of going to press.

Yameen has shuffled his cabinet several times since he assumed the presidency in November 2013. The changes were often preceded by crises, including a split in the ruling coalition and a bomb attack on the president by his former deputy.

The most recent change saw Finance Minister Abdulla Jihad appointed as the vice president, and three new appointments to the finance, health and gender portfolios.

Yameen is facing international and domestic pressure over human rights abuses and allegations of corruption.