Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee has endorsed the appointment of Mohamed Farushath, former Secretary General of the Maldives Media Council (MMC), as President of the newly established Maldives Media and Broadcasting Commission (MMBC).

The decision was reached with the unanimous support of committee members during Thursday’s meeting. Farushath was selected for the top post following interviews held with all MMBC members.

The new commission consists of seven members: three appointed by Parliament and four elected by registered media outlets, including two representing broadcasters and two representing online media platforms. Parliament is also responsible for appointing the MMBC’s president from among the members.

The three members appointed by Parliament are:

The four elected members are:

The four elected members secured their seats automatically on September 7 after one candidate withdrew from the race, leaving the exact number of contenders to fill the available seats. Their formal appointments were confirmed on October 13.

Parliament approved the three appointed members on Wednesday, following evaluations that shortlisted candidates who scored above 75 points in the interview process.