Parliament has approved the 14 newly appointed Cabinet members following a vote held during today’s sitting.
The matter was included in the day’s agenda following the presentation of a report by the Government Oversight Committee, with members voting on the appointments later in the session.
The committee reviewed whether the nominees met the required qualifications and checked their criminal records before confirmation. It consulted the Department of Judicial Administration, Maldives Correctional Service, Anti-Corruption Commission, Ministry of Economic Development, Transport and Trade, and the President’s Office to verify that the nominees were eligible for Cabinet positions.
In a strong show of parliamentary support, several ministers received near-unanimous approval. Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises Moosa Zameer and Minister of Defence and National Security Hassan Rasheed each received 76 votes in favour from the 78 parliamentarians present at today’s session.
Foreign Minister Iruthisham Adam, Health Minister Geela Ali, and Youth Empowerment, Sports and Fitness Minister Abdulla Rafiu each secured 75 votes in support. Iruthisham Adam, Geela Ali, Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed, and Abdulla Rafiu did not receive any votes against their appointments.
However, some ministers faced opposition during the vote. Minister of Climate Change, Environment and Energy Ali Shareef received the highest number of dissenting votes with 13 against. Minister of Economic Development, Transport and Trade Mohamed Saeed and Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage Heena Waleed each received 12 votes against. Dr Abdulla Muththalib received five votes against, while Dr Ismail Shafeeu received two.
During the debate, Unguraidhoo MP Ibrahim Falah said the parliamentary committee responsible for vetting Cabinet nominees had ensured accountability in the appointment process. He said all 14 nominees had been approved by the committee, including with the support of MDP members serving on it. He described the nominees as capable individuals suitable for Cabinet roles and said qualified candidates should be approved by Parliament.
He also referred to the previous Parliament’s decision not to approve some of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu’s initial Cabinet nominees, and urged MPs to support the current list of appointments.
No other members participated in the debate on the Cabinet approvals.
