Zariyand Appeals Omission Of His Name From ACC Membership Candidate List

Ismail Zariyand has requested the People's Majlis to look into the matter of the omission of his name from the list of candidates for membership at the Anti-Corruption Commission that had been sent from the President's Office to the Majlis.

A letter sent by Zariyand, addressed to Majlis Speaker Nasheed, read that he had stood for the ACC membership within the confines of the law. He said that the omission of his name from the list of candidates sent by the President's Office violated his rights. He said that his lawyers have advised him that he had the right to appeal the omission of his name.

Zariyand noted that he stood for the membership after the resignation of former ACC member Ali Ashraf. He said that the forms that he had submitted would have been valid for three months.

He said that the law stated that no ACC membership position should remain empty for a period longer than sixty days; he pointed out that Shakeel, another member of the ACC, resigned within that sixty-day period.

Although the President's Office had canceled their previous two notices seeking candidates for the ACC membership, the notice did not state that any application forms submitted would be nullified. He further stated that the State had the power to extend the timeline within which new members could be appointed.

He further said that a Minister at the President's Office had assured him that it was "unknown" if the forms that he had submitted had been canceled. He said that the omission of his name was a cause of concern for people who supported his work.