New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday appointed the senior-most Election Commissioner, Dr Nasim Zaidi, as the next Chief Election Commissioner ( CEC) of the country.
Zaidi will assume the charge of office of the Chief Election Commissioner with effect from April 19, after the incumbent Hari Shankar Brahma will retire on April 18.
The Law Ministry, which initiated the file to appoint the next CEC as present incumbent HS Brahma retires on April 19, had reportedly cited convention of appointing the senior-most EC as the CEC.
After Zaidi's appointment, the government will set in motion the process to appoint two Election Commissioners to fill vacancies in the three-member body.
After VS Sampath demitted office in January, Brahma was elevated as CEC. But the post which fell vacant after Brahma's elevation has not been filled up so far. After Brahma retires on April 19, Zaidi will be the only member of the three-member poll watchdog.
Zaidi will have a tenure up to July, 2017 when he attains the age of 65.
An EC or a CEC has a tenure of six years in office or 65 years of age, whichever is earlier.
A 1976 batch IAS officer, Zaidi has worked in the Civil Aviation Ministry for a long time.
With PTI inputs
