A no-confidence motion has been passed against the Election Commission (EC) president Fuwad Thowfeek.
There are five members in the EC and four members attended the vote on the no-confidence motion.
Adhadhu understands that three members voted against the head of the electoral body. The vote was taken on July 18.
EC was unavailable for comment and Fuwad could not be reached by phone.
Despite the vote of no-confidence, the law does not provide for the removal of EC members by passing a no-confidence motion.
Article 10 (b) of the EC law states that "the position of the president or vice president of the commission shall be deemed to be vacant when a vacancy occurs in the membership of the commission" or "the resignation of the president and vice president."
The law stipulates that the members of the commission can be removed by the parliament.
Last month, Fuwad revealed that there was a dispute amongst EC members with some of them claiming to have lost confidence in the commission’s president.
He said that some members of the commission believe he is biased for working to register The Democrats as a new political party.
But he denied the allegations.
While the EC has passed a no-confidence motion against its president, the term of member Ali Nashaath ends Tuesday.
A proposal was sent to the parliament to reappoint him, but the parliament went into recess without making a decision.
EC on Sunday opened applications for candidates to contest in the September 9 presidential election.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is running for re-election through the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ticket. Adhaalath Party (AP) and Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) have backed his campaign.
Jumhooree Party leader Qasim Ibrahim and Maldives National Party (MNP) leader Mohamed Nazim have also been campaigning.
MP Ilyas Labeeb is the sole contender in The Democrats party primary.
The largest opposition party, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), says its candidate is former President Abdulla Yameen.
PPM is in a coalition with People's National Congress (PNC). However, the EC earlier said Yameen's candidacy would be rejected if his 11-year prison sentence remains.
He was sentenced over corruption in the leasing of Vaavu Aarah in the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) scandal.
The JP, MNP and The Democrats have agreed to field a common opposition candidate if the PPM-PNC coalition agrees.
