Committee passes bill granting president authority on ACC, EC chief appointment
The legislative move coincides with ongoing parliamentary processes to remove senior officials from the ACC and EC.
Independent institutions committee of parliament has approved a bill to amend the laws governing the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Elections Commission (EC), granting the president the power to appoint their Presidents and Vice-Presidents.
The government introduced the bills on October 24, and they were referred to the committee for review on November 5. After two weeks of deliberations, the committee passed the bills on Wednesday without any amendments to the original proposals.
The amendments propose the following changes:
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The president will appoint the president and vice-president of the ACC and EC from among the existing members of the respective commissions.
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When these positions are to be filled, the president must propose one or more members from the commissions to Parliament.
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Parliament will vote on the oresident's nominees, with the positions confirmed by a majority of members present and voting.
Currently, the presidents and vice-presidents of both commissions are chosen through internal voting by their members.
The proposed changes have drawn criticism from the opposition, which argues that allowing the president to appoint the heads of key independent institutions could increase government influence over these bodies. Government and ruling coalition members, including People’s National Congress (PNC) MPs, contend that the amendments will enhance the functioning of the commissions.
The legislative move coincides with ongoing parliamentary processes to remove senior officials from the ACC and EC. These include EC Vice President Ali Nashath and ACC Vice President Abdul Salam. Additionally, the position of EC president is currently vacant, as the term of the incumbent expired on Saturday.
If the amendments are passed, appointments to key positions, including the EC president, will be made under the new system, giving President Mohamed Muizzu the authority to fill these roles.
