Bill submitted to mandate establishment of Intelligence Committee

PNC deputy leader, Maduvvari MP Adam Shareef Umar has submitted legislature to make the establishment of an Intelligence Committee mandatory.

Adam Shareef’s “Maldives’ National Security Services Bill” states that a National Intelligence Committee must be established and headed by the President. It states that the work of the committee must be overseen by the President’s Office.

The bill states that in addition to the President, the committee must be composed of officials from Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), Maldives Police Service, Maldives Customs, Maldives Immigration, National Counter-Terrorism Center, and other such institutions.

The officials who will represent the institutions in the committee will be decided by the head of the institutions, and must be trustworthy and senior officials, states the bill.

According to the bill, the main responsibility of the Intelligence Committee is to gather information the institutions receive related to national security, and to review the information and compile reports.

The bill also makes it mandatory to form a National Security Council, which will be in charge of drafting policies related to national security, monitor the enforcement of the policies, and advice the President on the policies.

Adam Shareef said the purpose of the bill was to establish an Intelligence Committee and National Security Council, and to write the declaration of state of emergency and related affairs in a separate law.