The Elections Commission has decided that the expulsion of Member of Parliament for mid-Fuvahmulah Ali Fazad from Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) was unlawful and has informed of this decision to the Parliament as well.

The commission had informed the Parliament of the decision while MP Fazad after lodged a case at the commission to look into his expulsion.

Speaking to some media outlets, EC spokesperson Ahmed Akram said that they had annulled the letter addressed to the Parliament previously regarding the case, as they are still conducting investigations into the lawmaker’s removal from the ruling party.

Akram stated that they had found out Fazad was expelled from PPM, without completing the appeal process as well. As such, Fazad, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Group, was not given a chance to appeal the case from his side.

PPM’s disciplinary committee had in early September, looked into Fazad’s case and decided to remove him due to him joining the Joint Opposition parties in their campaign activities for September’s polls, as well his absence from recent party activities and because he had not been cooperating with party announcements nor has he been partaking in Parliamentary Group meetings at all of late.

With Fazad’s expulsion from the ruling party, he also lost his seat in Parliament under the Anti-Defection law passed by the government.

Fazad’s expulsion came at a time he was on a campaign trip with President-elect Solih.