Male’, Maldives – Vice President of the Elections Commission (EC) Ahmed Akram has been voted to be deposed by the Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee after allegations of sexual assault.
Female employees EC alleged that workplace sexual harassment is normalized at EC, describing it as “persistent like a tradition”.
The issue was submitted to the committee by several female employees working at EC, which has led the committee to gather for multiple meetings on the matter, some with the alleging employees present. The occurrence of these meetings were previously undisclosed the media.
A member of the Independent Institutions Committee said yesterday that, Akram was deposed after reviewing the information provided by the accusing employees and following some conversations held after summoning Akram and other EC members to a committee meeting.
The committee member also revealed that 7 out of 9 members participating at yesterday’s meeting voted to unseat Akram.
Ahmed Akram was re-elected for a second term as EC Vice President last March, gaining a majority 77 votes in Parliament., and received his letter of appointment on 23rd March at a special ceremony held at President’s Office, where he took his oath of office in the presence of Supreme Court Justice Mahaz Ali Zahir.
