Maldives President to appoint 6 more Cabinet members

Thursday, 28 November 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

COLOMBO, Nov. 26 (Xinhua): Newly elected Maldives President Abdulla Yameen has sent the names of six more cabinet members to the parliament for approval, local media reported on Tuesday.

The president had earlier sent five ministers for parliament approval after he was elected on Nov. 16. The five members of the cabinet who were sent for parliament approval were Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed as the Islamic Minister, Umar Naseer as the Home Minister, Mohamed Muizzu as the Housing Minister, Mohamed Shainee as the Fisheries Minister, Thorig Ibrahim as the Environment Minister and Mohamed Saeed as the Economic Minister. According to Article 129 (4) of the constitution, the president should submit to the parliament, within seven days of making appointments to the cabinet the names of the appointees to the cabinet for approval of the parliament. Parliament has forwarded the names of the five cabinet ministers sent by the government for approval, to the government oversight committee. Yameen came into power after a prolonged election battle that lasted over two months with three attempts at holding a conclusive vote. He beat former President Mohammad Nasheed and is the second democratically elected president of the Indian Ocean group of islands.