Holhudhoo MP Yoonus Ali has introduced a bill to give the Parliament full authority to appoint members to the Elections Commission (EC).
EC is an independent institution tasked with all matters related to elections in the Maldives.
According to the bill proposed by the MP from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the Parliament will make announcements to fill vacancies in the EC. Currently, the announcement is made by the President's Office.
The names of the candidates will be examined by a relevant committee of the Parliament and the committee report will be debated on the Parliament floor. Members to be appointed to the EC will be decided by the Parliament vote.
The President shall appoint a person approved by Parliament as a member of the electoral body, the bill states.
Under the current procedure, interested candidates will file applications to the President's Office and the President chooses nominees. The names of the nominees are then sent to the Parliament for approval.
The proposed bill says the changes will come into effect when the bill is ratified.
MP Yoonus said the purpose of such a bill is because it is important for the Parliament to have the task of appointing the members to the EC.
The bill comes at a time when there is a vacancy in the EC. The commission's Vice President Ismail Habeeb's term ended recently.
A member of the EC can serve a maximum of two terms of five years. Habeeb has served two terms as a member of the commission.
