The politics of the Maldives, as per the reports, take place in the framework of a
presidential representative democratic
Representative democracy, also known as indirect democracy, is a type of democracy where elected people represent a group of people, in contrast to direct democracy. Nearly all modern Western-style democracies function as some type of represe ...
republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
, whereby the President is the
Head of Government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a gro ...
.
Executive power
The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a state.
In political systems ba ...
is exercised by the government. The President heads the executive branch and appoints the
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
; like many presidential democracies, each member of the cabinet need to be approved by the
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
. The President, along with their pick for vice president, is directly elected by the denizens to a five-year term by a secret ballot. Once in office, they could be re-elected to a second 5-year term, which is the limit allowed by the Constitution. The current
President of the Maldives
The president of the Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ރައީސުލްޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ) is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Maldives and the commander-in-chief of the Maldives National Defence F ...
is
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ( dv, އިބްރާހީމް މުޙައްމަދު ޞާލިޙް; ar, إبراهيم محمد صالح; born 1 March 1962), better known as Ibu (އިބޫ), is a Maldivian politician and the president of the Maldives since 17 ...
, who was sworn into office on July 13, 2018, when his predecessor,
Abdulla Yameen
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom ( dv, ޢަބްދުﷲ ޔާމީން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް; born 21 May 1959) is a Maldivian politician who was President of the Maldives from 2013 to 2018. He left office on 17 November 2018 following his ...
, lost the
2018 presidential election. Yameen followed his own predecessor Mohamed Nasheed's forced resignation in a coup led by the police.
Nasheed reportedly resigned involuntarily to forestall an escalation of violence, and was placed in jail, before being forced into exile,
from which he eventually returned.
The
unicameral
Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature, which consists of one house or assembly, that legislates and votes as one.
Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multic ...
Majlis of the Maldives
The People's Majlis ( dv, ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލިސް; ''Rayyithunge Majilis'') is the unicameral legislative body of Maldives. The Majlis has the authority to enact, amend and revise laws, as outlined in the Constitution of th ...
is composed of 87 members serving a five-year term. The total number of the members representing each constituency depends on the total population of that constituency. The last parliamentary election was held on
6 April 2019.
The Maldivian legal system is derived mainly from the
traditional Islamic law. There is a
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
with 5 judges including the
Chief Justice. The Chief Justice is appointed by the President, with the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission. Parliament is required to approve the appointment before he assumes office. Excluding the Supreme Court, there also exists the High Court (two branches), a Criminal Court, Civil Court, Family Court, Juvenile Court, Drug Court and many Lower Courts in each Atoll/Island. An
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
is part of the Cabinet and also needs the approval of Parliament before taking office.
Under the new 2008 constitution, the function of Local Government is devolved to an Atoll Council to administer each atoll and an Island Council to administer each inhabited island. Island councillors are elected by the people of each island, and the Atoll Councillors are in turn elected by the Island Councillors.
The
Constitution of the Maldives
The Constitution of the Maldives is the supreme law of the country of Maldives. It provides the legal foundation for the existence of the Republic of the Maldives, sets out the rights and duties of the citizens of the Maldives, and defines the str ...
requires the following for a president: be a Maldivian citizen born to parents who are Maldivian citizens, and who is not also a citizen of a foreign country;be a Muslim and a follower of a Sunni school of Islam;
History
A 1968
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
approved a constitution making Maldives a republic with executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. The constitution was amended in 1970, 1972, 1975, and 1997 and again in 2008.
Ibrahim Nasir
Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan ( dv, އިބްރާހިމް ނާޞިރު ރަންނަބަނޑޭރި ކިލޭގެފާނު), KCMG, NGIV (''Nishan Ghaazeege 'Izzatheri Veriya'', dv, ނިޝާން ޣާޒީގެ ޢިއްޒަތްތެރި ވެރ ...
, Prime Minister under the pre-1968
sultanate
This article includes a list of successive Islamic states and Muslim dynasties beginning with the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570–632 CE) and the early Muslim conquests that spread Islam outside of the Arabian Peninsula, and continui ...
, became president and held office from 1968 to 1978. He was succeeded by
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (; dv, މައުމޫން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް; born 29 December 1937) is a Maldivian politician and an Islamic scholar who served as the President of Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Trans ...
, who was elected president in 1978 and re-elected in 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2003. At the end of his presidency in 2008, he was the longest serving leader in Asia.
Since 2003, following the death in custody of a prisoner,
Naseem, the Maldives experienced several
anti-government demonstrations calling for political reforms, more freedoms, and an end to torture and oppression. As a result of these activities, political parties were eventually allowed in June 2005. The main parties registered in Maldives are: the
Maldivian Democratic Party
The Maldivian Democratic Party ( dv, ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުންގެ ޑިމޮކްރެޓިކް ޕާޓީ, ''Dhivehi Rayyithunge Dimocretic Pati''; MDP) is the first political party formed in the Republic of Maldives with a total membership ...
(MDP), the
Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party
The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party ( dv, ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުންގެ ޕާޓީ, , DRP) is a political party of the Maldives. On 2 June 2005, the nation’s 50-member parliament voted unanimously to allow and operate political parties in Maldi ...
(DRP), the
Islamic Democratic Party (IDP) and the Adhaalath Party, also known as the
Adhaalath Party
The Adhaalath Party ( dv, ޢަދާލަތު ޕާޓީ; , AP) is a political party in the Maldives.
History
The AP was registered as a political party in August 2005, when political parties were allowed to operate for the first time following widesp ...
. The first party to register was the MDP headed by popular opposition figures such as
Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed GCSK (; born 17 May 1967) is a Maldivian politician and activist currently serving as the 19th speaker of the People's Majlis since May 2019. A founding member of the Maldivian Democratic Party, he served as President of the ...
(Anni) and
Mohamed Latheef
Mohamed Latheef (died 3 july 2022) was a Maldives politician, a former parliamentarian and a campaigner for human rights. He is a co-founder of the MDP (Maldivian Democratic Party), a political party. He was self-exiled in Sri Lanka for a number of ...
(Gogo). The next was the
Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party
The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party ( dv, ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުންގެ ޕާޓީ, , DRP) is a political party of the Maldives. On 2 June 2005, the nation’s 50-member parliament voted unanimously to allow and operate political parties in Maldi ...
(DRP) headed by then-President Gayoom.
A new
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When ...
was ratified in August 2008, paving the way for the country's
first multi-party presidential election two months later.
["Maldives begin historic election"](_blank)
BBC, October 8, 2008
The Maldives have scored poorly on some
indices of freedom. The "Freedom in the World" index, a measure of political rights and civil liberties published by
Freedom House
Freedom House is a non-profit, majority U.S. government funded organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, and Wendell Wil ...
, judged Maldives as "not free" until May 1, 2009, when it was raised to "partly free". The "Worldwide
Press Freedom Index
The Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders since 2002 based upon the organisation's own assessment of the countries' press freedom records in the previous year. It intends to ...
", published by
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
, ranks Maldives 98th out of 180 in terms of press freedom as of 2019.
In September 2018, a presidential
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
was held, during which
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ( dv, އިބްރާހީމް މުޙައްމަދު ޞާލިޙް; ar, إبراهيم محمد صالح; born 1 March 1962), better known as Ibu (އިބޫ), is a Maldivian politician and the president of the Maldives since 17 ...
was elected to the post of president, with 58.38% of the public vote. He stood as a member of a joint opposition to
Yameen Abdul Gayoom
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom ( dv, ޢަބްދުﷲ ޔާމީން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް; born 21 May 1959) is a Maldivian politician who was President of the Maldives from 2013 to 2018. He left office on 17 November 2018 following his ...
's regime, which had been condemned internationally for shutting down free speech, and violating human rights.
Executive branch
Legislative branch
The
Majlis of the Maldives
The People's Majlis ( dv, ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލިސް; ''Rayyithunge Majilis'') is the unicameral legislative body of Maldives. The Majlis has the authority to enact, amend and revise laws, as outlined in the Constitution of th ...
has 87 members elected by the people under
first-past-the-post voting
In a first-past-the-post electoral system (FPTP or FPP), formally called single-member plurality voting (SMP) when used in single-member districts or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting, or score voting, voters cast their ...
.
Political parties and elections
On a national level, Maldives elects a
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
the president and a legislature. The president is elected for a five-year term by the people since 2008. Until 2005 (after the election), no legal parties existed. The results of the most recent legislative elections held in 2019 are:
The Maldivian parliament voted unanimously for the creation of a multiparty system on June 2, 2005. Prior to June 2005, the Maldivian political system was based on the election of individuals, rather than the more common system of election according to party platform. In June 2005, as part of an ongoing programme of democratic reform, new regulations were promulgated to formally recognised political parties within the framework of the electoral system.
The Maldivian Democratic Party was already active. New parties created within a few years after this included those such as the
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party
The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party ( dv, ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުންގެ ޕާޓީ, , DRP) is a political party of the Maldives. On 2 June 2005, the nation’s 50-member parliament voted unanimously to allow and operate political parties in Maldi ...
, the
Jumhooree Party
The Jumhooree Party ( dv, ޖުމްހޫރީ ޕާޓީ, ''Republican Party'') is a political party in the Maldives. The party was founded by a group of MPs on 26 May 2008, and grew quickly, rapidly overtaking the Maldivian Democratic Party to becom ...
, and the
Adhaalath Party
The Adhaalath Party ( dv, ޢަދާލަތު ޕާޓީ; , AP) is a political party in the Maldives.
History
The AP was registered as a political party in August 2005, when political parties were allowed to operate for the first time following widesp ...
.
On October 8, 2008, the country held its
first ever multi-party presidential election.
In Maldives
2019 parliamentary election Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) won 65 seats in the 87 seat parliament. This was the first time a single party was able to get such a high number of seats in the parliament in Maldivian history.
Judicial branch
The legal system is based on
Islamic law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
with admixtures of English
common law
In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omnipresen ...
primarily in commercial matters. Maldives has not accepted compulsory
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
jurisdiction.
Administrative divisions
20 atolls (''atholhu'', singular and plural):
Alif Alif,
Alif Dhaal,
Baa,
Dhaalu,
Faafu,
Gaafu Alifu,
Gaafu Dhaalu
Gaafu Dhaalu (also known as Southern Huvadhu Atoll or Huvadhu Atholhu Dhekunuburi, ހުވަދުއަތޮޅު ދެކުނުބުރި) is an administrative district of the Maldives formed by the southwestern section of Huvadhu Atoll. It was created on ...
,
Gnaviyani,
Haa Alifu,
Haa Dhaalu,
Laamu,
Lhaviyani,
Kaafu,
Meemu,
Noonu,
Raa,
Seenu,
Shaviyani,
Thaa,
Vaavu, and one first-order administrative city (
Malé
Malé (, ; dv, މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 and an area of , it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern ...
).
International organization participation
The Maldives is a member of many international organisations, some of which include:
The
AsDB,
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...
, CP,
ESCAP
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is one of the five regional commissions under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. It was established in order to increase economic ...
,
FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...
,
G-77,
IBRD
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is an international financial institution, established in 1944 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, that is the lending arm of World Bank Group. The IBRD offers l ...
,
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
,
IDA
Ida or IDA may refer to:
Astronomy
* Ida Facula, a mountain on Amalthea, a moon of Jupiter
*243 Ida, an asteroid
*International Docking Adapter, a docking adapter for the International Space Station
Computing
*Intel Dynamic Acceleration, a techn ...
,
IFAD
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD; french: link=no, Fonds international de développement agricole (FIDA)) is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to address ...
,
IFC,
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...
,
IMO,
Intelsat
Intelsat S.A. (formerly INTEL-SAT, INTELSAT, Intelsat) is a multinational satellite services provider with corporate headquarters in Luxembourg and administrative headquarters in Tysons Corner, Virginia, United States. Originally formed as In ...
(nonsignatory user),
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
,
IOC
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
,
IsDB
Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting (ISDB; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Tōgō dejitaru hōsō sābisu'') is a Japanese broadcasting standard for digital television (DTV) and digital radio.
ISDB supersedes both the NTSC-J analog telev ...
,
ITU
The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Unio ...
,
NAM,
OIC,
OPCW
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force on 29 April 1997. The OPCW, with its 193 member ...
,
SAARC
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, ...
,
UN,
UNCTAD
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations Secretariat that promotes the interests of developing countries in world trade. It was established in 1964 by the ...
,
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
,
UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (French: Organisation des Nations unies pour le développement industriel; French/Spanish acronym: ONUDI) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that assists countries in e ...
,
UPU
Upu or Apu, also rendered as Aba/Apa/Apina/Ubi/Upi, was the region surrounding Damascus of the 1350 BC Amarna letters. Damascus was named ''Dimašqu'' / ''Dimasqu'' / etc. (for example, "Dimaški"-(see: Niya (kingdom)), in the letter correspon ...
,
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
,
WCO,
WIPO
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO; french: link=no, Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI)) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN). Pursuant to the 1967 Convention Establishin ...
,
WMO
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics.
The WMO originated from the Internat ...
, and the
WTO
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
.
Governmental agencies
*
Ministry of Islamic Affairs A Ministry of Islamic Affairs is a Ministry found in certain Islamic countries that is responsible for advising the government on religious matters, and particularly on efforts to conform government efforts to the requirements of Islam.
Examples i ...
See also
*
Ilyas Hussain Ibrahim
Ilyas Hussain Ibrahim ( dv, އައްޝައިހް އިލިޔާސް ޙުސައިން އިބްރާހީމް, born 5 May 1957) is a Maldivian politician.
He was an official in the Ministry of Atolls Development from 1990 to 2004, then a member of the ...
*
Abdulla Ubaid
*
Zahiya Zareer
References
External links
MajlisPresidencyAmnesty International reports on the MaldivesFreedom of expression in the Maldives-
IFEXPenn Law School Students Help Draft a Criminal Code for the Maldives from the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
website
Maldives Holds Cabinet Meeting Underwater to Highlight Danger of Global Warming- video report by ''
Democracy Now!
''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long American TV, radio, and Internet news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live each weekday at ...
''
{{Asia topic, Politics of