Despite calls against appointment of Abdul Azeez to position of Information Commissioner, committee grants approval and forwards to the floor
24 އޯގަސްޓު 2026 | ހޯމަ 10:50Despite objections from Transparency Maldives, the Parliament's Committee on Independent Institutions has approved the appointment of Abdul Azeez Jamal Abu-Bakur as Information Commissioner. Although concerns were raised regarding his alleged failure to enforce the law during his previous tenure in the same role, the committee forwarded his nomination to the floor after he secured a score of over 75 percent in his interview.
Abdul Azeez Jamal Abu Bakur: The committee has granted its approval for his appointment to the position of Information Commissioner. | Presidents Office
Despite widespread calls from Transparency Maldives and various members of the public to reject the appointment of Abdul Azeez Jamal Abu-Bakur as Information Commissioner, the Committee on Independent Institutions has granted its approval following a review and forwarded the matter to the floor for a final vote.
On August 23, 2026, Transparency Maldives sent a formal letter addressed to Hussain Riza Adam, the Chairperson of the Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee. In the letter, the organization asserted that Abdul Azeez had failed to fully enforce the law during his tenure as Commissioner.
Transparency Maldives stated that the Right to Information (RTI) forms designed during Abdul Azeez’s tenure were structured in a manner that obstructs the exercise of that right. The organization further noted that despite their efforts to address these concerns, the issues were disregarded and left unresolved.
Transparency Maldives stated that the Information Commissioner's Office held its first legally mandated public hearing only after the departure of Abdul Azeez and the subsequent appointment of the second Information Commissioner.
Transparency Maldives has stated that Abdul Azeez is not the most qualified candidate for the position of Information Commissioner, and has urged the Parliament to reopen the application process for the role.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on Sunday submitted the nomination of Abdul Aziz for the position of Information Commissioner to the People’s Majlis. However, the Parliament has provided a window of only six hours for the public to submit any complaints regarding the President's nominee.
Following an interview conducted during Monday's meeting of the Committee on Independent Institutions, the candidate secured a score exceeding 75 percent. Consequently, a committee majority approved Abdul Azeez Jamal Abu-Bakur as a qualified candidate for the position. The committee also passed a motion to forward the matter to the floor of the Parliament for a final decision.
