President Waheed appoints seven state ministers, including Gayoom’s son

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan has appointed seven state ministers for various ministries in a ceremony held in the President’s office yesterday.

The newly appointed state ministers were Imad Solih as the Minister of State for Education, Fuad Gasim as the Minister of State for Fisheries and Agriculture, Ahmed Shameem and Mariyam Mizna Shareef as Ministers of State for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Abdulla Ameen as the Minister of State for Economic Development, Gassan Maumoon as the Minister of State for Human Resources, Youth and Sports and Sheikh Mohamed Didi as the Minister of State for Islamic Affairs.

Gassan Maumoon, appointed Minister of State for Human Resources, Youth and Sport, is the son of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Gassan also contested in the last parliamentary elections under a DRP ticket against the recently unseated MDP MP Musthafa. Gassan lost the election twice, after the Elections Commission held the election for a second time after the first election was declared invalid.

The Criminal Court in October 2011 ruled that the arrest of Gassan was unlawful, after he was summoned for questioning in connection with an injury sustained by an MDP protester outside his residence Endherimaage.