Parliament Calls Extraordinary Session to Approve Dr. Aishath Rameela as HRCM President

The Maldives Parliament has scheduled an extraordinary session for Tuesday to vote on the appointment of Dr. Aishath Rameela as the President of the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM). Dr. Rameela, who was appointed to the commission on October 29, was nominated by President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu on December 3 for the position of chairperson. Her nomination was forwarded to the Parliament’s Human Rights Committee for review, which unanimously endorsed her without conducting an interview, citing her previous vetting process during her appointment to the commission. Dr. Rameela, who previously served as the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, resigned on December 1, 2024, to undergo cancer treatment. She holds a PhD in social sciences and has also served twice as the State Minister of Health. The HRCM is composed of five members, including Vice-President Mohamed Shafeeg Mahmood and members Samaau Ahmed Najeeb, Ismail Habeeb Abdul Raheem, and Ahmed Magsoom.