President’s nominee for NIC forwarded to committee

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s nominee to the National Integrity Commission is being reviewed by the parliament’s independent institutions’ committee.

A letter forwarded by the president was read out at Monday’s sitting, seeking parliamentary approval to appoint Gasim Abdul Kareem to the commission.

While the appointment can only be confirmed following approval from parliament, it is to ensure whether the nominee is qualified for the job before forwarding its recommendation to the president.

This will be done by the committee on independent institutions, following which the parliament will take a vote on appointing Gasim to NIC.

The nomination comes following the dismissal of NIC president, Ahmed Sulaiman.

President Solih fired him back in August, in accordance with the parliamentary report recommending his termination.

Three other members at the commission resigned following the parliamentary probe, and work is underway to fill these seats as well.

The opportunity for NIC membership was opened following their resignation and 17 candidates are to have applied.

While the names were forwarded to parliament earlier, the independent institutions’ committee is reviewing them as well.

The National Integrity Commission (NIC) comprises of five members; the only current member is Colonel (Rtd.) Ahmed Jihad, who as appointed in November 2018.

It acts as a watchdog for four state institutions; Maldives Police Service, Department of Immigration and Emigration, Maldives Correctional Service, and Maldives Customs Service.