Politics of the Maldives ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ސިޔާސަތު | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of Maldives | |
| Polity type | Unitarypresidentialconstitutional republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of Maldives |
| Legislative branch | |
| Name | People's Majlis |
| Type | Unicameral |
| Presiding officer | Abdul Raheem Abdulla |
| Executive branch | |
| Head of state andgovernment | |
| Title | President |
| Currently | Mohamed Muizzu |
| Appointer | Direct popular vote |
| Cabinet | |
| Name | Cabinet of the Maldives |
| Leader | President |
| Deputy leader | Vice-president |
| Appointer | President |
| Judicial branch | |
| Name | Judiciary in the Maldives |
| Chief judge | Abdul Ghanee Mohamed |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Politics of the Maldives |
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Thepolitics of the Maldives take place in the framework of apresidentialrepresentative democraticrepublic, whereby the President is theHead of Government.Executive power is exercised by the government. The President heads the executive branch and appoints theCabinet; like many presidential democracies, each member of the cabinet need to be approved by theParliament. 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 currentPresident of the Maldives isMohamed Muizzu, when his predecessor,Ibrahim Mohamed Solih lost the2023 Maldivian presidential election.[1][2]
TheunicameralMajlis of the Maldives is composed of 93 members serving a five-year term.[3] The total number of the members representing each constituency depends on the total population of that constituency. The last parliamentary election was held on21 April 2024.
The Maldivian legal system is derived mainly from thetraditional Islamic law. There is aSupreme Court with 5 judges including theChief 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 theSupreme Court, there also exists theHigh Court (two branches), aCriminal Court, Civil Court, Family Court, Juvenile Court,Drug Court and many Lower Courts in each Atoll/Island. AnAttorney General is part of the Cabinet and also needs the approval of Parliament before taking office.
Under the new2008 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 Councilors are in turn elected by the Island Councilors.
TheConstitution of the Maldives 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;[4]
Maldives was 2023 the 9th most electoraldemocratic country in Asia according toV-Dem Democracy indices.[5]
A 1968referendum 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,Prime Minister under the pre-1968sultanate, became president and held office from 1968 to 1978. He was succeeded byMaumoon Abdul Gayoom, who was elected president in1978 and re-elected in1983,1988,1993,1998, and2003. At the end of his presidency in2008, he was the longest serving leader in Asia.
Since 2003, following the death in custody of a prisoner,Naseem, the Maldives experienced severalanti-government demonstrations calling for political reforms, more freedoms, and an end to torture and oppression.[6] As a result of these activities, political parties were eventually allowed in June 2005.[7] The main parties registered in Maldives are: theMaldivian Democratic Party (MDP), theDhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP), theIslamic Democratic Party (IDP) and theAdhaalath Party.[7][8] The first party to register was the MDP headed by popular opposition figures such asMohamed Nasheed (Anni) andMohamed Latheef (Gogo).[7] The next was theDhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) headed by then-President Gayoom.[7]
A newConstitution was ratified in August 2008, paving the way for the country'sfirst multi-party presidential election two months later.[9][10]
The Maldives have scored poorly on someindices of freedom. The "Freedom in the World" index, a measure of political rights and civil liberties published byFreedom House, judged Maldives as "not free" until May 1, 2009, when it was raised to "partly free".[11][12] The "WorldwidePress Freedom Index", published byReporters Without Borders, ranks Maldives 106 out of 180 in terms of press freedom as of 2024.[13]
On 30 September 2023,PNC/PPM candidateMohamed Muizzu won the 2023 Maldivespresidential election, beating incumbent presidentIbrahim Solih with 54% of the vote.[14] On 17 October 2023, Mohamed Muizzu was sworn in as the eighth President of the Republic of Maldives.[15]
In April 2024, President Mohamed Muizzu's pro-ChinaPeople's National Congress (PNC) won 66 seats in the2024 Maldivian parliamentary election, while its allies took nine, giving the president the backing of 75 legislators in the 93-member house, meaning a super-majority and enough to change the constitution.[16]
The Cabinet of the Maldives presided by the President, contains the vice-president and ministers. there are currently 19 ministers that lead their respective ministries, they are:
ThePeople's Majlis has 93 members elected by the people underfirst-past-the-post voting.[18]
On a national level, Maldives elects ahead of state – 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 2024 are:
 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
| People's National Congress | 101,128 | 47.48 | 66 | +63 | |
| Maldivian Democratic Party | 65,476 | 30.74 | 12 | –53 | |
| The Democrats | 4,634 | 2.18 | 0 | New | |
| Maldives Development Alliance | 4,071 | 1.91 | 2 | 0 | |
| Jumhooree Party | 3,141 | 1.47 | 1 | –4 | |
| Adhaalath Party | 2,538 | 1.19 | 0 | 0 | |
| Maldives National Party | 1,060 | 0.50 | 1 | New | |
| Independents | 30,931 | 14.52 | 11 | +4 | |
| Total | 212,979 | 100.00 | 93 | +6 | |
| Valid votes | 212,979 | 98.10 | |||
| Invalid/blank votes | 4,120 | 1.90 | |||
| Total votes | 217,099 | 100.00 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 284,663 | 76.27 | |||
| Source:ECM,ORF | |||||
The Maldivian parliament voted unanimously for the creation of a multiparty system on June 2, 2005.[19] 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 theDhivehi Rayyithunge Party, theJumhooree Party, and theAdhaalath Party.[19]
There are now 10 registered political parties in the Maldives:
| Party | Registered Date |
|---|---|
| Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) | 26 June 2005 |
| Adhaalath Party (AP) | 18 August 2005 |
| Jumhooree Party (JP) | 2 August 2008 |
| Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) | 27 October 2011 |
| Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) | 30 December 2012 |
| Maldives Third Way Democrats (MTD) | 27 December 2018 |
| People's National Congress (PNC) | 31 January 2019 |
| Maldives Reform Movement (MRM) | 20 November 2019 |
| Maldives National Party (MNP) | 25 October 2021 |
| The Democrats (TD) | 12 July 2023 |
| People's National Front (PNF) | 25 April 2024 |
| Source:Elections Commission[20] | |
On October 8, 2008, the country held itsfirst ever multi-party presidential election.[10]
In the2019 parliamentary election, 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.[21]
In the2024 parliamentary election, PNC won 66 seats in the 93 seat parliament, meanwhile MDP received 12.[16]
The legal system is based onIslamic law with admixtures of Englishcommon law primarily in commercial matters. Maldives has not accepted compulsoryInternational Court of Justice jurisdiction.
20 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural):Alif Alif,Alif Dhaal,Baa,Dhaalu,Faafu,Gaafu Alifu,Gaafu Dhaalu,Gnaviyani,Haa Alifu,Haa Dhaalu,Laamu,Lhaviyani,Kaafu,Meemu,Noonu,Raa,Seenu,Shaviyani,Thaa,Vaavu, and one first-order administrative city (Malé).
The Maldives is a member of many international organisations, some of which include:
TheADB,[22]Commonwealth of Nations,[23] CP[clarification needed],ESCAP,[24]FAO,[25]G-77,[26]IBRD,[27]ICAO,IDA,[28]IFAD,[29]IFC,International Monetary Fund,[30]IMO,[31]Intelsat (nonsignatory user),Interpol,[32]IOC,IsDB,[33]ITU,[34]NAM,[35]OIC,[36]OPCW,[37]SAARC,[38]UN,[39]UNCTAD,[40]UNESCO,[41]UNIDO,[42]UPU,[43]World Health Organization,[44]WCO,[45]WIPO,[46]WMO,[47] and theWTO.[48]
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