MALE : Transparency Maldives has released a statement raising concern on the Parliament’s decision to dismiss the members of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the subsequent resignation of all the commission members.
In their statement, Transparency Maldives noted that the audit conducted by the Parliament’s Committee on Independent Institutions was from January 2015 to July 2020 and that the sitting ACC members had only served 10 months within that audit period.
Transparency Maldives also stated that political appointees and parliamentarians had directly influenced commission in executing its mandate and that it had affected the commissions right to function independently.
They also noted that the forced dismissal of all the commission members without providing the necessary facilities and funds to overcome the shortcomings of the commission highlighted in the audit will lead to the issues to continue to persist.
The advocacy group also noted four points which they urged for the Government to consider. In their statement that called for the Government to ensure that the commission’s vacant seats are filled at the earliest to ensure continued functioning of the institution. They also called for the Government to ensure the establishment of an environment where the independent institutions can function without the pressure and threats faced from political sources.
Transparency Maldives also called for the Government to provide the necessary budget for the independent institutions to properly execute their mandate and to ensure that the performance audits reflect the actual work done by the commission during the tenure of its members.
