Tourism Minister Dr. Abdullah Mausoom has retaken his oath of office after the government oversight committee of the parliament deemed his previous oath invalid.
The committee’s decision came after the parliament floor send back the Minister’s name after the committee had forwarded his name for parliamentary approval. It is believed that the parliament floor rejected Minister Mausoom’s name because he had been in the post of managing director at a local business when he took the oath of office earlier this month.
The government oversight committee had then requested President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to have his newest cabinet member retake the oath of office before approaching the parliament for approval.
To follow the request, Dr. Mausoom had resigned as Tourism Minister yesterday and President Solih had re-appointed him as Tourism Minister before presenting the Minister with the letter of appointment.
While his approval had now been accepted by the parliament, the speaker of the parliament had forwarded his name to the government oversight committee for approval today.
Dr. Abdulla Mausoom had previously served in the Cabinet: in 2008 he was appointed as the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation; and he had also held the portfolio of Minister of Environment, Energy, and Water. Previous to that he had been the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation and a Member of Parliament, representing the Kelaa Constituency. Dr. Abdulla Mausoom also served as a Board Member of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI).
Most recently, he had been serving as the Maldives’ High Commissioner to Singapore, non-resident High Commissioner of Maldives to Commonwealth of Australia, and as the non-resident High Commissioner of Maldives to New Zealand. Prior to his appointment Dr. Mausoom was relieved of these duties, so that he may fulfill his new cabinet responsibilities.
Dr. Abdulla Mausoom attained his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom.
