President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Thursday appointed Ahmed Naseem to the office of the Minister of Health. President Solih presented Naseem with his Letter of Appointment at a special ceremony held at the President's Office.
Naseem was appointed as the Health Minister after Abdulla Ameen resigned from the post amid investigation into a controversial procurement deal. He took the oath of a Cabinet Minister in front of the President, administered by Supreme Court Justice Honourable Uz Husnu Al Suood.
Ahmed Naseem joined the Government in 1966 and has served in several key positions, including as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. He had also previously held the portfolio of Minister of Foreign Affairs from March 21, 2011, to February 07, 2012. Prior to his new appointment, Ahmed Naseem had been serving as a Minister of the President's Office.
The Health Ministry's ministership was previously allocated as a slot of coalition partner, Jumhooree Party. While former minister Ameen had served on the cabinet as a representative of Jumhooree Party, some parliament members of the main-ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) were seeking to oust him prior to his resignation through a no confidence motion submitted at the parliament. The members pushed Ameen’s dismissal despite the party’s National Council deciding to back Ameen.
