Riffath nominated for Elections Commission membership

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has forwarded the name of Riffath Abdulla to Parliament for approval to fill the vacant post on the Elections Commission.

Riffath was selected from among applicants for the position, and his nomination has been referred to Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee for review.

The vacancy arose following the expiry of the term of former member Dr Mohamed Zahir.

Riffath previously served as a lawyer for the Elections Commission and is currently a director at the National Integrity Commission. He has represented the Elections Commission in several major legal cases, including high profile constitutional disputes.

In 2016 and 2017, Riffath defended the commission before the Supreme Court in cases involving the loss of parliamentary seats by 13 MPs. He also acted as legal counsel for the commission during the 2018 presidential election.

The Elections Commission is currently made up of President Mohamed Zahid and members Abdul Rahman Solah Rasheed, Hassan Zakariyya, and Abdul Haseeb Ismail. Hassan Zakariyya also previously served on the commission’s legal team.