Ex-BroadCom Members and Former MMC Vice President Apply for New Commission
Former Members of the Broadcasting Commission.
Ten individuals have applied to join the newly established Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission, including three former members of the dissolved Broadcasting Commission (BroadCom) and a former vice president of the Maldives Media Council.
The former BroadCom officials who have reapplied are ex-president Safa Shafeeq and former members Aminath Saraahath Izzat and Moosa Rilwan. Former Media Council vice president Ibrahim Mohamed is also among the applicants.
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During the Independent Institutions Committee’s review of the newly implemented Act that established the commission, some of these former officials argued that the legislation was too flawed to be effectively implemented.
Former Civil Service Commission member Mohamed Farshath, whose term ended last month, also has applied for the new commission. Mohamed Faris Thaha, who previously sought a position at the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) but was not selected by the committee, is also in the running.
The remaining applicants are:
- Fathimath Fahmy
- Shehenaz Adnan
- Mohamed Shamin
- Shafeeqa Naeem
Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla has forwarded the list of applicants to the Independent Institutions Committee for review.
Under the new legislation, the commission will have seven members. Three will be appointed by Parliament, while four will be elected by the media sector—two representing broadcasters and two from other media outlets.
An election was originally scheduled for 11 October. However, the Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) later confirmed that four members were appointed without a formal vote. According to the commission, three of the four candidates who applied for the broadcaster representative seats met the eligibility criteria, while one was disqualified. One of the eligible candidates then withdrew, resulting in the automatic appointment of the remaining two. Likewise, only two candidates applied for the seats allocated to other media, leading to their selection without contest.
The appointed members are former BroadCom member Zamath Ahmed Waheed, former Media Council president Hussain Shageef, Simaha Naseem and Abdulazeez Ibrahim.
The Independent Institutions Committee will now assess the parliamentary nominees before forwarding the names to the floor for a vote.
The Maldives Journalists Association (MJA) has voiced concern over the act and the establishment of the commission, describing the process as lacking transparency and independence.
In response, the MJA has initiated steps to form its own independent media self-regulatory body, the Press Council Committee, with its final structure expected to be completed by 22 October.
