Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hanimaadhoo, has been elected chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security Services, also known as the 241 Committee. Moosa, a representative of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the majority party in the parliament, assumes this pivotal role at a critical juncture.
The election of Moosa comes in the wake of the ascension of Mohamed Aslam, MP for North Hithadhoo, to the position of Speaker of Parliament. Aslam had previously held the chairpersonship of the 241 Committee. However, the parliamentary rules of procedure stipulate that the Speaker cannot concurrently hold the chairperson post of a parliamentary committee.
The decision to elect a new chairperson was made during a meeting of the 241 Committee. Moosa’s candidature was proposed by Ismail Ahmed, MP for Dhuvaafaru, and seconded by Ahmed Saleem, MP for Hoarafushi and the current Deputy Speaker of Parliament. The committee members unanimously backed Moosa for the chairperson position.
The 241 Committee, deriving its name from Article 241 of the Constitution, is a standing committee of the parliament. It is entrusted with matters pertaining to national security services, policy research and analysis related to national security, and advising the parliament on potential amendments to such policies.
The committee exercises oversight over the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), the Ministry of Defence, and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). It is also tasked with reviewing all bills related to these three institutions. The committee also holds the authority to instruct these institutions to implement corrective measures.