Outgoing Maldives president replaces police chief

President Abdulla Yameen has appointed Hamdhoon Rasheed as the commissioner of police, less than two months before the transfer of power.

The former assistant commissioner of police replaces acting commissioner Abdulla Nawaz, who has been appointed deputy minister of environment and energy, according to the president’s spokesman, who tweeted both appointments Monday afternoon.

Rasheed was the commander of the police security operation for the September 23 presidential election.

The change comes two days after the Elections Commission confirmed opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s victory with 58 percent of the vote.

The veteran lawmaker is due to take the oath of office on November 17.

Last week, former commissioner Nawaz gave assurances that police would “uphold and respect the decision of the people” as rumours swirled of the ruling party seeking to annul the election.

The police chief also paid a courtesy call to the president-elect and his running mate Faisal Naseem at their campaign office last Tuesday.

Nawaz was appointed the acting commissioner in February after the president sacked two police commissioners in 48 hours in the wake of a Supreme Court order for the release of his jailed opponents. The acting police chief oversaw the arrests of two Supreme Court justices and several high-profile politicians on charges of plotting a coup.