Parliament to form new committee to appoint members to independent institutions

Speaker of Parliament, former President Mohamed Nasheed has submitted an amendment to parliamentary regulations designed to establish a new parliamentary committee which will be charged with appointing and dismissing members of independent institutions.

Nasheed, at this Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting, announced that he believed the appointment and dismissal of members of independent institutions required a far higher scope of scrutiny than which can be undertaken by a single committee alone.

He said the process required the input of all politicians at the Parliament.

It is expected the committee will be composed of chairpersons of permanent parliamentary committees and leaders of political parties at the Parliament.

Stressing the need for the establishment of a special committee, Nasheed said that the current permanent parliamentary committees were charged with oversight, and that an additional committee needed to be established which is charged solely with appointments and dismissals of members of independent institutions based on efficient policies.

“Appointment of members of independent institutions is too huge a task to carry out by a single parliamentary committee alone,” said Nasheed. “These are not decisions which can be taken by us parliamentarians at committees guided by our emotions. This work requires us to take specific steps within a specific protocol. It requires us to stop at different points and cast our thoughts many different ways.”

Nasheed said the Parliament’s policies regarding appointment and dismissal of members of independent institutions needs to be acceptable to the general public.

He said the efficiency of policies guiding appointment and dismissal of members of independent institutions was essential to creating a State which is accountable to its citizens.

“The new parliamentary regulations will comprise of all measures necessary to create a Parliament of integrity and an accountable State,” said Nasheed.

He has also expressed interest in chairing over the committee.

The amendment to parliamentary regulations by Nasheed comes after allocation of marks to candidates for Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) by the Independent Institutions Committee, as well as its decision regarding dismissal of members of Maldives Broadcasting Commission created division within the ruling MDP parliamentary group.