Parliament approves 4 candidates for Civil Service Commission

Parliament has approved four candidates for appointment to the Civil Service Commission.

Independent Institutions Committee shortlisted 15 out of 41 candidates who applied for the vacancies at Civil Service Commission two weeks back, but later disqualified two of the candidates.

The Parliament approved four of the candidates on Monday evening; South Thinadhoo MP Abdulla Saneef’s former spouse Fathimath Shareef, Maldives Media Council’s Secretary-General Mohamed Farushath, Maldives Broadcasting Commission’s Secretary-General Mohamed Nasih, and Ibrahim Rasheed (Black, R. Meedhoo).

MDP’s parliamentary group had issued a three-line whip to approve the four candidates last week.

Saneef is a member of the Independent Commission’s Committee, which had vetted the candidates for Civil Service Commission. And the Privileges and Ethics Committee had conducted an inquiry into allegations of conflict of interest following the decision to shortlist his former spouse.

However, the Privileges and Ethics Committee, following its inquiry, ruled that the decision did not involve conflict of interest.

The four vacancies at Civil Service Commission were left in the wake of the resignation of commission’s president Dr. Ali Shameem, vice president Shaheed Mohamed and member Zakariyya Hussain, and the impeachment of member Ibrahim Shaheeq on July 13.

Civil Service Commission Act establishes that the Parliament must make a public announcement for vacancies at the commission and that the Independent Institutions Committee must vet all the candidates and present a report to the parliamentary floor.

It also establishes that candidate or candidates who pass with a majority vote taken at the parliamentary floor must be appointed to the commission by the President.