Parliament has approved Abdul Haseeb Ismail's appointment to the Elections Commission (EC) to succeed Fuad Thaufeeq, the commission’s chairperson, whose term will conclude on November 24.

Haseeb’s nomination was put forward by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and was officially presented to Parliament on October 14 after a recess. Following a vetting process by the Independent Institutions Committee, Haseeb secured a unanimous approval with 67 votes during the final floor vote held on Tuesday afternoon.

Prior to his appointment, Haseeb served as the permanent secretary at the Islamic Ministry in 2019 but was suspended and subsequently dismissed in 2021 due to allegations of mistreatment of staff. Currently, he holds the position of assistant director at the EC.

The recruitment process for the upcoming vacancy on the five-member Elections Commission began on September 12.