The Parliament has approved Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan's appointment as Minister of Fisheries, Marine Resources and Agriculture.
Dr. Hussain Rasheed was previously the Minister of Environment, which was renamed the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology in May during an administrative reorganization of the government. Dr. Hussain was appointed as the Fisheries Minister on May 5th, and the Parliament's Government Oversight Committee approved Dr. Hussain's appointment on June 11.
During the vote taken on Monday, 55 MPs voted in favor of Dr. Hussain's appointment. No members voted against the move.
Although approval for Dr. Hussain's appointment was sought from the parliament, the matter was put on hold after it came to light that Dr. Hussian Rasheed held shares in a local company, and questions were raised over the legitimacy of his oath. A legal opinion from the Parliament's Counsel General was then sought to decide on how to proceed with the matter. The Attorney General's Office later said the minister's shares in the company would not generate any income, and therefore would not affect his qualification to be a minister. The Economic Ministry also confirmed that the minister gave up his shares in the said company. The oversight committee approved his appointment after that.
