Parliament approves extension for Children’s Ombudsperson without nomination

The Parliament on Monday approved the extension of Niumath Shafeeq’s term as the Children’s Ombudsperson for an additional five years.

Niumath was first appointed to the post in July 2019 during the previous administration. Her current term is due to expire on Monday.

The extension was approved following a request from President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who sent a letter to Parliament on 14 June proposing that Niumath be retained for another five-year term. The law permits the extension of the Children’s Ombudsperson‘s term without a public call for nominations, subject to parliamentary approval.

The Human Rights and Gender Committee of Parliament reviewed the President’s request and recommended extending the term. The motion passed with the support of 50 members, including members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). Twenty-five members abstained, including members from both the MDP and the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC).

During the debate preceding the vote, MDP Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader and MP for Villingili Hussain Ziyad expressed concern over the decision not to open public nominations for the post. Presenting the committee’s report, Ziyad noted that while he had no personal objection to Niumath’s continued service, he believed that making the appointment through a public call would have strengthened public trust in the institution.

“The extension has been proposed through a presidential resolution. Institutions such as this must have public confidence. The best way to ensure that is to announce the post and appoint someone through a competitive process,” he said.

Ziyad also acknowledged that retaining an experienced person in the position may be beneficial. He added that this was the first reappointment since the establishment of the Children’s Ombudsperson‘s Office.

Under Article 117 of the Protection of Children's Rights Act, the term of office for the Children’s Ombudsperson is five years. The same article allows Parliament to extend the term of an incumbent for a further period not exceeding five years.

The President’s Office has not announced any nominations for the position prior to seeking the extension.