The President's Office began accepting applications for the position of Prosecutor General on Thursday.
The deadline for submitting applications is 1400hrs on Sunday, 1st December 2019. Therefore, applicants will have only the official working hours of Sunday to submit their application as the two days following the announcement falls on the weekend.
It is believed that such a short time frame was given for application as the Parliament goes on recess on December 5. A new Prosecutor General will be approved and appointed by the Parliament before ending the ongoing session of the 19th Parliament.
The position of Prosecutor General became vacant when former Prosecutor General Aishath Bisham resigned from her post amid efforts by the parliament's judiciary committee to remove her from the position. Bisham was asked to present herself at the Judiciary Committee Thursday at 11 am to respond to the motion before she sent in her resignation to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Prior to her resignation, Bisham released a statement in which she expressed her belief that the dismissal motion was being pursued against the spirit of the constitution.
MDP has previously stated that the party would pursue Bisham's dismissal if the party attained parliament majority. While the main ruling party holds super majority of the parliament, criticism has been directed at the party over delays in removing the PG from her post. Some members have accused Nasheed of preventing Bisham's removal.
Bisham was appointed as the Prosecutor General by former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom. Bisham was highly criticized by the opposition during the former administration over raising criminal charges against opposition leaders at the time.
