Elections Commission to allow member retirement with benefits after two terms

An amendment to the regulations of Elections Commission of Maldives' has been established to allow retirement of members who have completed two five year terms at Election's Commission (EC).

The regulation released on the 28th of February was implemented on the same day and includes policies established for the salaries, allowances and overtime pay of the commission's employees and members.

While a member of the Commission is offered MVR 40,000, the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Commission receives a higher amount when allowances are factored in.

The policy states that together with the retirement status, the employee can be excused from work if they are over 55 years of age and has offered over 15 years of service to the Commission. If the employee was elected as the Commissioner of EC while working as an employee of the institute, these years will also be considered in deeming the duration of service.

However, a member of the Commission need not be 55 years to retire. The policy highlights that with 10 years of service to the Commission as a member, retirement, together with lifetime benefits, will be arranged.

Within this new policy, the bulk remuneration pay disbursed to the employee will include the determined stipend for the employee's rank as well as the amount multiplied from the duration of their service. Furthermore, 75 percent of the determined salary of the employee's latest rank at the Commission will be issued as remuneration to the employee as a monthly lifelong retirement payment as well.

However, if the years of service exceeds 15 years, 15 years will be considered for this bulk remuneration pay.

With the changes to the policy, four out of five members of the Commission are presently able to retire. These members are;

- The Chairman of the Commission, Fuwad Thowfeek

- Vice Chairman of the Commission, Ismail Habeeb

- Member of the Commission, Mohamed Asif

- Member of the Commission, Ali Nashaath

The term of the Vice President Habeeb will expire tomorrow after having served as a member of the commission for ten years in addition to serving as an employee of the Commission. The regulation stipulates that no one person can serve more than a two year term as a member of the Commission.

While the Elections Commission has established retirement policies, independent institutions have offered to arrange a retirement package for the members of the Commission. However, this procedure has not progressed at the parliament so far.