Govt. submits 5 bills designed to increase autonomy of institutions

The Attorney General’s Office has submitted 5 legislatures to the Parliament designed to increase the autonomy of independent institutions.

Legislative changes to increase the autonomy of independent institutions was one of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s electoral pledges.

The 5 bills drafted by the Attorney General’s Office are designed to amend existing legislature on the function of five independent institutions.

They are:

• Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)
• Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM)
• Auditor General’s Office
• Elections Commission (EC)
• Civil Service Commission (CSC)

Attorney General’s Office reports the bills are designed to empower independent commissions and officials at independent positions to work with autonomy and free of bias and influence.

The office reports it has now fulfilled 11 of the 12 pledges on its mandate for the first 100 working days of the current administration.

PLEDGES FULFILLED BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE

1. Research and revision of legislature passed or amended to secure illicit gain to a specific party or parties or to facilitate a loss to a specific party or parties.
2. Initiation of renegotiation of loans and contracts which risk the State to be in debt to the level it threatens the sovereignty of the nation.
3. Amending the Penal Code to incriminate the person who offers a bribe to the same level of incrimination as the person who accepts a bribe.
4. Facilitating use of the town halls managed by councils to members of local communities if the request is made from a number of people which meets or exceeds a predetermined number.
5. Initiating work to reform Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the courts to establish judicial justice.
6. Drafting and submitting Whistleblower Protection Bill
7. Drafting and submitting Ant-Illicit Enrichment Bill
8. Drafting and submitting amendments Decentralization Act to allow for greater decentralization to local administrative divisions.
9. Drafting and submitting Juvenile Justice Bill.
10. Drafting and submitting amendments to Social Clubs Act.
11. Drafting and submitting amendments to the laws to facilitate greater autonomy for independent institutions.