Hussain Sageef of Thiladhun Online has been elected as the new President of the Maldives Media Council.
Sageef contested against Fathmath Shanaa Mohamed of Mihaaru News for the position. In the initial voting held on Sunday, both candidates received an equal number of votes, which prompted a second round of voting. In the second round held Monday, Sageef emerged as the winner, receiving 8 votes to Shanaa’s 7.
In Sunday’s vote, Ibrahim Mohamed was elected as the council’s Vice President. Running as an independent candidate, he received nine more votes than his closest opponent.
The Maldives Media Council is responsible for regulating the country’s media and maintaining media freedom as widely as possible in accordance with the law. Composed of 15 members, the council includes eight journalists representing media outlets and seven independent members. Each member serves a two-year term.