Parliament Approves Mohamed Shakeel as ECM President

Parliament has approved the appointment of Mohammed Shakeel as President of the Elections Commission of the Maldives (ECM) following a majority vote in the chamber.

Shakeel’s nomination was submitted to parliament by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu in line with constitutional procedures. The motion was approved with 51 members voting in favour, while eight members from the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) voted against the appointment.

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The approval comes after the resignation of former Commission’s President Mohamed Zahid, who stepped down following the conclusion of the local council elections. Zahid had been appointed to the commission in January 2025 and assumed the presidency the following month.

Following Zahid’s resignation, Shakeel was appointed as a member of the Election Commission before being nominated to lead the institution.

Before returning to the commission, Shakeel served as Managing Director of the Maldives Hajj Corporation. He also most recently held the position of Registrar of the ruling People’s National Congress (PNC).

Shakeel is returning to the Election Commission with previous experience in the institution. He earlier served as the commission’s Director General before being appointed as a commissioner. He resigned from that post in 2018 after completing three years in office.