Newly appointed Ambassador of Maldives to Sri Lanka, Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundhu) has presented his designation credentials to Lankan head of state Maithripala Sirisena on Monday morning.
Shareef has presented his credentials amid opposition backlash questioning his position's credibility. Anti-government lawmakers had refused to acknowledge decisions made by the current parliament chaired by Abdulla Maseeh as Speaker; who is repeatedly slandered to resign by opposition over possible bias to government.
The newly approved Ambassador of Maldives to Sri Lanka, Shareef holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Economics and Politics and read for Master of Arts degree in Environmental Politics had been the Minister of Human Resources, Youth and Sports from 2011 to 2012 during Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik's coalition government.
Shareef who filled the designation of Chief Government Spokesperson from 2005 to 2007 and Presidential Spokesperson from 2007 to 2008 under the then president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's administration had lastly filled the role of Ambassador of Maldives to Japan.
He had been the ambassador to Japan since August 2016 following which he was nominated as the new ambassador to Sri Lanka after government had dismissed the previous ambassador Zahiya Zareer.
Shareef was approved for the designation through local parliament with 28 votes - all from pro-government lawmakers - while none of the opposition had caste vote as they had reiterated their stance of an apparent disqualified bench and Speaker in parliament.
