Parliament on Tuesday approved the appointment of Mohamed Shakeel as president of the Elections Commission (EC), filling a vacancy left by the resignation of former commission chief Mohamed Zahid in May.

The position became vacant after Zahid stepped down on May 1.

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu nominated Shakeel for the role from among the applicants who sought the post and submitted his name to Parliament for approval.

The Parliament's Independent Institutions Committee interviewed Shakeel on Monday before forwarding its recommendation to parliament.

MPs subsequently approved his appointment, with 51 members voting in favor. Seven MPs voted against the nomination.

Ahead of the vote, Shakeel resigned from his position as Managing Director of the Maldives Hajj Corporation.

Shakeel previously served at the Elections Commission in two capacities, first as Director General and later as a commissioner. He resigned from the commission in 2018 after serving three years as a member.

During his appearance before the parliamentary committee, Shakeel said he resigned because he did not believe he could carry out his constitutional responsibilities in an environment that allowed him to work independently.

He told MPs that he would again step down if similar circumstances arose in the future.

"If such a situation arises now or in the future, I will resign," he said.

In addition to serving as Managing Director of the Hajj Corporation, Shakeel had also been the registrar of the ruling People's National Congress (PNC) and a member of the party's senate.