Public given 6 hours to raise concerns over Abdul Aziz nomination
Abdul Aziz currently serves as a State Minister at the Ministry of National Share, Heritage and Arts.
Parliament on Sunday gave the public six hours to submit complaints regarding Abdul Aziz Jamal Abu Bakr, who has been nominated by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu for appointment as Information Commissioner.
The opportunity was opened as Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee began reviewing Abdul Aziz’s nomination.
Applications for the Information Commissioner post were opened earlier this month as the five-year term of the current commissioner, Ahid Rasheed, is due to expire on the 6th of next month. Applications closed last Sunday.
President Muizzu submitted Abdul Aziz’s name to Parliament on Sunday. He was the only candidate nominated by the President for the post.
Abdul Aziz currently serves as a State Minister at the Ministry of National Share, Heritage and Arts.
Parliament subsequently referred the nomination to the Independent Institutions Committee for review.
In an announcement issued on Sunday, Parliament invited members of the public to submit complaints concerning the nominee, setting a deadline of 6pm the same day.
This gave the public a six-hour period to lodge complaints.
According to Parliament, complaints could be submitted by email to the Independent Institutions Committee or delivered to the Parliament Secretariat.
Submissions were required to include the complainant’s name, permanent address and contact number.
Abdul Aziz previously served as Information Commissioner during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen. He was the first person appointed to the position following the establishment of the Information Commissioner’s Office.
He was also previously involved with the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and served as the Member of Parliament for the Maavah constituency.
Abdul Aziz received the National Award of Recognition in 2020 for his contribution to Dhivehi language and literature. His work has included research and writing on the Dhivehi language.
He has also worked in the education sector for more than 22 years.
