Ruling Party Member Fazeen Preferred Over Veteran Journalist Shifza for Broadcom Membership

The Majlis has voted to elect RaajjeTV presenter Mohamed Fazeen, an MDP party-member, as a Member of the Maldives Broadcasting Commission. Fazeen had previously contested the Thulhaadhoo ticket during the MDP Majlis primaries.

The Parliament Committee on Independent Institutions evaluated the list of names nominated for the Maldives Broadcasting Commission by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. The highest marks had been given to Shifza Mustafa, a veteran journalist who had worked at VTV from its first day of operations until last year. Shifza had spent 14 years in broadcasting. Fazeen, on the other hand, had only spent half the time in the field.

Shifza had received several awards for her work in journalism and had also received the Rehendhi Award. She had also served on the Maldives Media Council. Unlike Fazeen, she is also not a member of any political party.

Hussain Shameem, a member of the Parliament Committee on Independent Institutions, had expressed his displeasure at Fazeen’s election over Shifza. He said that if this was going to be the outcome, there was no need for the Committee to have spent so much time on evaluation; he said that the regulations should just be changed to give the position to the person with the biggest family.

The MDP had criticised former President Yameen Abdul Gayyoom for the inclusion of PPM members in the Broadcasting Commission. They had said that the Members of the Commission should be “professional and unbiased”.