President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has appointed three more ministers to his cabinet during a ceremony held on today (November 21) morning at the President’s Office.
The three new cabinet ministers are Dr Aishath Shiham as the Minister of Education, Dr Mariyam Shakeela as the Minister of Health and Gender and Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal as the Minister of Youth and Sports.
Earlier this week, President Yameen made 11 ministerial appointments that included his niece Dunya Maumoon as Minister of Foreign Affairs along with along with other members of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and the coalition of political parties that backed him during the presidential elections.
Who’s who?
Among the newest appointments to President Yameen’s cabinet, Dr Aishath Shiham and Dr Mariyam Shakeela previously served in the cabinets of former governments.
Dr Aishath Shiham was the Minister of Youth and Sports during the final days of Maldives former autocratic ruler for 30 years, Yameen’s half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
Dr Mariyam Shakeela formerly served in the previous government of former President Mohamed Waheed Hassan, as the Minister of Environment and Energy.
Following the death of then Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdul Samad Abdulla last September, Shakeela was appointed as the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs by Waheed.
Mohamed Maleeh Jamaal was the former Deputy Minster of Tourism during Waheed’s government.
Following his refusal to back his party Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP)’s decision to support Waheed’s re-election bid, Jamaal was sacked from the position and at the request of DQP and swiftly replaced by another DQP member.
DQP however later withdrew their support to Waheed and backed resort tycoon and Jumhoree Party (JP) leader Gasim Ibrahim, but Jamaal opted to join the PPM.
President Yameen today also appointed Abdulla Ameen –the former State Minister of Ministry of Economic Affairs during Waheed’s administration – as a Minister for the President’s Office.
Apart from Ameen, Waheed’s Minister of Youth and Sports Mohamed ‘Mundhu’ Hussain Shareef was also appointed as a Minister for the Presidents Office earlier.
People expect things to be done – President Yameen
While addressing the new appointees today, President Yameen stated that he wanted a cabinet who would disburse their maximum time and effort in providing services required by the people and who would work within a progressive timeline of development projects.
“As you would know, we have been put in charge [of the government] with a huge support from the people at such chaotic time. We have been given this opportunity to manage the affairs of the people because they want things done. They expect things to be done. They also believe things have to be done. Therefore we should not step back and we cannot fail in that,” President Yameen said.
Highlighting that the country is in desperate need for development, President Yameen noted that his manifesto had a special focus on the youths of the country and appealed to young people of the country to support the government’s efforts to develop the country.
“By the will of Allah, even today we assure the people that this is a government that will bring results,” the President added.
With 14 cabinet appointments as of now, the President is yet to appoint an Attorney General.
President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz told Minivan News that President Yameen would soon appoint a person for the position of Attorney General but did not mention a specific date.
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Abdulla Ameen, a Minister for the President's Office. Yameen promised a government with doers and without wasters. What exactly is the role of a Minister for the President's office? Wonder how may of these empty titles will Yameen create after promising to set an example starting from his office.
Is this the new catch-all job for misfits who couldn't fit anywhere else? A clear waste of public money and goes completely against Yameen's pledges. Every other office now will have a State Minister, Deputy State minister to keep the rest of the misfits on the payroll. So much for a light government.
30 billion debt, 70% people unproductive, a liability of useless big government…. Who can rescue such crazy country? In few days time buggers will start to come on the road to claim, Beyyas nubeyyas 10000, 5000 elderly, and handicap pension , free text books, subsidy on utility bill. Buggers think Allah is growing money on the trees and the president is there to distribute it. Yameen may be better than Anni as this fellow has backing of armed militia, and strict personality, he probably can squeeze the balls of this backward society who want stick to their 07th century Bedouin culture and live in 21st century modern cooperative world. Anni’s hope to create economy by getting this useless human colony to work would have never worked out as most buggers want sit at their dungeon, play politics, and spy on privacy of fellow members. Good luck Yaameen, you can do better because these morons want live as prisoners and you are good warden
I wish Shakeela was given Ministry of Education. Aishath Shiham though trained first as a teacher, left the school system quite early. An opportunist that won scholarships for MSc and then later phD with the blessings of Nasreena Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom.
Aishtah Shiham does not believe in sending kids to schools and therefore provided home schooling for her children.
Usually late for almost every meeting, misplaces important files and carelessness beyond imagination. Are we to live with this for 5 years.
The new cabinet show cases 3 good looking (by local standard ofcourse) elderly ladies. At least it's some inspiration to see the entire country is not under depressing Hijaabs.
The solution to Maldives lies in having more good looking women in all positions