The Parliament has delayed the approval of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's Cabinet.
The approval of the members of the Cabinet was on the agenda for today's Parliament session. However, as soon as the session commenced, Thulhaadhoo MP Hisan Hussain raised concerns regarding the absence of the mandates of newly created ministries in the committee report. MP Hisan argued that ministers can only be approved if the responsibilities of their respective ministries are clear, and emphasized a violation of constitutional and parliamentary rules.
Accepting MP Hisan's point of order, Parliament Speaker MP Mohamed Aslam briefly adjourned the session to consult with Majority Leader Mohamed Rasheed Hussain (Bigey) and Minority Leader Ali Azim. Upon resuming the session, Speaker Aslam announced that the committee report lacked the necessary details and, as a result, the approval of ministers would be postponed and referred back to the committee for further review.
Pro-government MPs, including Mahibadhoo MP Ahmed Thorig, Fonadhoo MP Moosa Siraj, and Kudahuvadhoo MP Ahmed Amir, raised objections over the Speaker's decision to postpone the approval of ministers. They argued that the removal of a matter from the agenda should be a decision made collectively by the members, not solely by the Speaker.
In response, Speaker Aslam clarified that the issue of ministerial approval was not removed from the agenda but was referred back to the committee due to issues in the committee report.
Despite President Dr. Muizzu's government being in office for a month, parliamentary approval for ministers is yet to be granted. The MDP does not intend to approve all cabinet ministers, some MPs from the MDP parliamentary group have said.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's cabinet is comprised of 22 cabinet ministers, including three female ministers and a blend of individuals with both past government experience and newcomers. Some of the appointments have been met with skepticism from the public.
