President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has nominated Mohamed Shakeel to serve as President of the Elections Commission of Maldives (ECM), forwarding his name to Parliament for approval.
The position became vacant following the resignation of Mohamed Zahid as both President and member of the Elections Commission.
Under the law, a new president can only be appointed once the commission has its full complement of five members.
With the approval of the Parliament, President Muizzu appointed Mohamed Shakeel as a member of the Elections Commission on 24 June, restoring the commission to its full membership.
The President has now submitted Shakeel's nomination for the post of President of the Elections Commission to Parliament.
The nomination has been referred to the Parliament's Independent Institutions Committee for review. If the committee endorses the nomination, it will be presented to the full Parliament for a vote. Shakeel will assume the presidency of the commission if his nomination is approved by a majority of members.
Shakeel previously served as a member of the Elections Commission from 3 December 2014 to 9 May 2018. Before that, he served as the commission's Director General from 1 September 2013 to 3 December 2014.
Most recently, he served as Managing Director of Maldives Hajj Corporation.
The Elections Commission comprises five members. Its current members are Vice President Abdul Rahman Salah Rasheed, Hassan Zakariyya, Abdul Haseeb Ismail, Riffath Abdullah and Mohamed Shakeel.