Former Economic Minister Fayyaz Ismail voiced strong opposition against a government bill proposing to grant the President direct authority to appoint the heads of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Election Commission (EC). Fayyaz urged leaders to govern with transparency and integrity or step back if they cannot ensure a clean administration.

The proposed bill, currently under parliamentary review, would empower the President to submit nominees for the positions of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of both the ACC and EC. Parliament would then approve the nominees before they could assume the positions. This move has sparked concerns over potential conflicts of interest and the autonomy of these key institutions.

Fayyaz stated that if leaders do not know how to run a beautiful and clean government, they should step back. He argued that the proposed law risks creating a government where oversight bodies lack the independence to address corruption and conflicts of interest.

Fayyaz highlighted the need for independent checks within the government, warning that citizens do not want to see watchdog agencies restricted in their ability to monitor government activities. He added that the people will no longer accept a system where corruption overseers are denied access to officials’ offices due to nepotism or political interests.