President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has convened the National Security Council (NSC) to discuss the course of action to be taken following the May 6 terrorist attack against Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed.
The president convened the NSC at the President’s Office on August 12. Discussions at the meeting were centred on the May 6 attack and the subsequent inquiry report compiled by the Parliament Committee on National Security Services, or the 241 Committee.
President Solih and NSC discussed the immediate, short-term and long-term recommendations proposed in the report. They noted 38 of the recommendations proposed in the report are in the process of being implemented. The president and council members also discussed the details of how to initiate and implement the remaining recommendations proposed in the 241 Committee Inquiry Report.
The May 6 inquiry report consists of detailed information on the night of the terrorist attack including the injuries Speaker Nasheed sustained and his subsequent medical treatment, as well as the response of the national security services and the intelligence the committee had gathered. The parliament committee made 45 proposals in the report, including providing 24-hour security at Nasheed's residence, penalising officials that had been negligent in their duties to safeguard Nasheed, and conducting an yearly performance review on Nasheed's security team. Furthermore, the committee suggested appointing a national security advisor for the president, introducing laws on intelligence gathering, and establishing a system to quickly spread intelligence information on national security concerns to all national security services.
The committee further proposed to establish a database consisting of information on individuals who have been involved in terrorist activity or spreading extremism. In the report, the committee also advised the government to implement a whole-of-society approach in order to work with the community to stop the spread of extremism.