New tourism minister declines to comment on having to retake oath

New Tourism Minister, Dr. Abdulla Mausoom has declined to comment on having to retake oath of office.

While he is yet to receive the required parliamentary approval, the matter was resent to the government oversight committee on Tuesday after a lawmaker raised questions over the validity of his appointment.

Vilufushi constituency MP Hassan Afeef noted that Mausoom was still involved in a private business as its managing director when he took oath of office, and stressed that this is against the constitution.

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.”

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.

The committee, on Wednesday, decided that Mausoom will have to retake oath.

When questioned on the issue during an exclusive to RaajjeTV’s Fala Surukhee programme on Wednesday night, the tourism minister declined to comment but stressed that his curriculum vitae is public.

However, he noted that there are administrative issues “in some instances.”

Mausoom said that he does not wish to comment on the issue as he believes that every institution “will be doing their utmost to fulfill responsibilities.”

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih appointed Mausoom as the new tourism minister on August 6, shortly after firing Ali Waheed from the post following numerous sexual abuse allegations from ministry staff.