Parliamentary Committee Completes Interview Process for New Media Commission After Two Candidates Withdraw

The process for appointing public members to the newly formed Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC) saw a slight setback this week, as two of the ten initial candidates withdrew their nominations just as parliamentary interviews were set to begin.

The Parliamentary Independent Institutions Committee announced the withdrawals during its meeting held to interview the applicants for the influential regulatory body. The committee confirmed that Shafeega Naeem and Faris Thoha had formally withdrawn their nominations.

The Committee then proceeded with interviews for the remaining eight candidates vying for the three public seats designated by the Parliament.

The formation of this Commission is a critical step, as it will be the first regulatory body established under the new Media and Broadcasting Regulation Act, officially replacing the previously existing Maldives Media Council (MMC) and the Maldives Broadcasting Commission (Broadcom).

Parliament is responsible for appointing three members to the seven-member Commission. The remaining four members representing broadcasters and other media stakeholders have already been appointed without the need for a election due to the limited candidates.

The Committee must now complete the evaluation of the remaining nominees. According to the regulations, candidates must receive a score exceeding 75 percent during the interview process before their names can be submitted to the Parliament floor for confirmation and final appointment.

The eight candidates interviewed by the Committee are:

Fathimath Fahmy
Mohamed Farshath
Safa Shafeeg
Aminath Sarahath Izzath
Ibrahim Mohamed
Moosa Rilwan
Shehnaz Adnan
Mohamed Shamin