The NDP is defending its online voting system after MP Jose Nunez-Melo quit the party over concerns with the system and with his exclusion from a nomination contest.

Nunez-Melo left the NDP over the weekend, alleging that his former party tampered with the nomination process in his riding, and will run for the Green Party.

First elected in 2011, he represents the riding of Laval. Elections Canada divided Laval into two ridings — Vimy and Marc-Aurèle-Fortin — for the upcoming federal election; Nunez-Melo unsuccessfully sought the NDP nomination in Vimy, and will now contest the same seat for the Greens.

Nunez-Melo says he objected to the NDP’s introduction of an electronic voting system, and adds that he suspected irregularities with last-minute additions to his riding association’s list of voters.

“We were having conversations with people in the Quebec section (of the NDP) about how we were going to (select a candidate), and, (from) the beginning, there was opposition to the electronic vote,” Nunez-Melo told iPolitics on Monday evening. He said his concerns were ignored until, on August 6, “I published a press release (saying) that I was not in agreement with this electronic vote.”

“He did raise his concerns,” said Christopher Young, president of the NDP riding association in Vimy, on Tuesday morning. “(But) I believe the only pushback we received was from Mr. Nunez-Melo … We did (online voting) in a couple of other ridings where we had no problem whatsoever.”

Nunez-Melo said his concerns about the party’s new electronic voting system grew when he saw the final list of voters for the nomination. There were about 80 names on the list that “looked suspicious,” he said, noting that they were all last-minute additions and had similarly structured email addresses.

Young admitted that “some of the emails were mistaken,” but insisted that “we called each and every one of them individually (and verified) their addresses.”

After issuing his press release against the new system, Nunez-Melo found out, through a journalist, that “I was excluded (from the nomination process) and that my authorization to participate in that contest was revoked.”

Unable to run for the NDP, he quit the party.

“I communicated with (Opposition Whip Nycole Turmel) and (NDP House Leader and Caucus Chair) Peter Julian, and not having any response, I told them consider me out of the party, the caucus, and I don’t want any link with you.”

Nunez-Melo added that he suspects interference from higher up in the NDP, as he is, by his own admission, “not one of their vedettes.”

He spoke just 101 times during his four years in the House of Commons. His only comments in committee were, “I nominate Carol Hughes,” in September 2011, and then, in May 2014, “Excuse me, sir. Did you say next week?”

“I’m not going to comment on the quality of his work or anything like that … You can be a pretty good MP while not being the most active in Ottawa,” said Young, before adding, “I wouldn’t be surprised if the other candidates (for the nomination) were not happy with his performance.”

Wary of “what happens when you go Independent,” Nunez-Melo joined the Greens last weekend as their third-ever MP — and their first to represent a Quebec riding. “I received full support from the members of the Green Party … and because I knew (Green Party Leader Elizabeth) May and (Green Party MP Bruce) Hyer … and I read a lot about the Green plan and the Green mission, I felt comfortable saying I accept your invitation.”

“Jose joins a great team of Quebec Greens ready to fight risky rail and pipeline transport of dangerous materials and demand a real and effective climate plan,” May announced in a statement Monday morning.

Hyer, who left the NDP in 2012 after defying party orders and voting to scrap the long-gun registry, welcomed his fellow former NDPer.

“Like me, (Nunez-Melo) often felt uncomfortable with the lack of democracy in the ‘Non Democratic Party,'” read a statement from Hyer. “I am very pleased that he has now chosen to join the only truly democratic national party.”