Newly appointed tourism minister required to re-take oath of office

Parliament’s government oversight committee has decided that newly appointed Tourism Minister, Dr. Abdulla Mausoom will have to re-take oath of office.

This was decided at a meeting held on Wednesday.

While parliamentary approval is required for ministerial appointments, the People’s Majlis was to take a vote on Mausoom’s appointment this week.

However, the matter was sent back to the government oversight committee after a lawmaker pointed out that he was the managing director of a business when he took oath of office on August 6.

While the chair of the government oversight committee, West-Maafannu constituency MP Mohamed Falaah assured that Mausoom had left the post after appointment, Speaker Mohamed Nasheed announced the decision to resend the matter to committee, after deliberations with parliament’s counselor general and secretary general.

Article 136 (a) of the constitution states that “a member of the Cabinet shall not hold any other public office or office of profit, actively engage in a business or in the practice of any profession, or any other income generating employment, be employed by any person, buy or lease any property belonging to the State, or have a financial interest in any transaction between the State and another party.”

The post of tourism minister became vacant after the dismissal of Ali Waheed in early July. He was fired over “inappropriate behavior at the workplace” following sexual abuse allegations from ministry staff.