Malé, Maldives – President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih appointed Uz Ahmed Ahid Rasheed to the post of Information Commissioner earlier today as per Article 44 (d) of the Right to Information Act (Law no.: 1/2014).
The letter of appointment was presented to him at a ceremony held at the President’s Office this afternoon.
Uz Ahmed Ahid Rasheed earned his Bachelor of Laws with Honours from Staffordshire University in the United Kingdom. He previously worked at Transparency Maldives as the Governance Manager, a Senior Legal Advisor and a Senior Project Coordinator. He also served as the Anti-Corruption Board’s Legal Officer and the CEO of the Maldives Volunteer Corps.
The Information Commissioner’s Office was established on July 13, 2014, as per Article 43 (a) of the RTI Act. The information commissioner is mandated with the enforcement of the RTI Act – the law defines the right to access and obtain information in any state institution and encourages the widest circulation of information available at state institutions. The also mandates for a new commissioner to be appointed within 60 days of the vacancy.
The position has been vacant since March 21, 2021, following the resignation of Hussain Fiyaz Moosa to work at his own online news website. President Solih has submitted candidates to the parliament approval previously with none receiving approval leaving the post vacant until Ahid Rasheed’s approval today.
