Politics of the Maldives
Encyclopedia
The politics of the Maldives take place in the framework of a presidential
republic
, whereby the President is the Head of Government
. Executive power
is exercised by the government. The President heads the executive branch and appoints the Cabinet
; Like many presidential democracies, each member of the cabinet need to be approved by the Parliament
. The President, along with the vice President, is directly elected by the people to a five-year term by a secret ballot. He could be re-elected to second 5 year term, the limit allowed by the Constitution. The current President of the Maldives is former Amnesty International
prisoner of conscience
, Mohamed Nasheed
, who defeated President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, who had ruled the country for 30 years, in the county's first multiparty Presidential election.
The unicameral
Majlis of the Maldives
is composed of 77 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 under the new constitution was held in 9 May 2009. A total of 465 candidates - 211 from 11 political parties and 254 independents - were vying for seats in the People's Majlis. The 2009 elections were the first multi-party elections in the country. During the election, 78.87 per cent of the 209,000 registered voters turned out at the polls. The final results gave the DRP and the PA 28 and seven seats respectively, three short of a parliamentary majority. The MDP became the second largest party, winning 26 seats. The Dhivehi Qaumee Party
(DQP) and the Republican Party
(RP) took two seats and one seat respectively. The remaining 13 seats went to independent candidates. The Commonwealth observers who monitored the elections said that they were "well-conducted". The newly elected People's Majlis held its first session on 28 May and elected Mr. Abdulla Shahid (DRP) as its new Speaker.
The Maldivian legal system is derived mainly from traditional Islamic law
. There is a Supreme Court 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. There is a High Court, a Criminal Court, Civil Court and many Lower Courts in each Atoll/Island. An Attorney General
is part of the Cabinet and also needs the approval of Parliament before taking office.
Under the new 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 councilors are elected by the people of each island, and the Atoll Councilors are in turn elected by the Island Councilors.
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-1968 sultanate, became President and held office from 1968 to 1978. He was succeeded by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
, who was elected President in 1978 and re-elected in 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2003. At the end of his presidency, he was the longest serving leader in Asia.
On November 3, 1988, Sri Lankan Tamil
mercenaries
tried to overthrow the Maldivian government. At President Gayoom's request, the India
n military intervened and provided assistance in suppressing the attempt within 24 hours.
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, and end to torture and oppression. As a result of these activities, political parties were eventually allowed in June 2005. There main parties registered in Maldives are: the Maldivian Democratic Party
(MDP), the Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP), the Islamic Democratic Party
(IDP) and the Adhaalath Party, also known as the Justice Party
.The first party to register was the MDP headed by popular opposition figures such as Mohamed Nasheed
(Anni) and Mohamed Latheef
(Gogo). The next was the Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP) headed by then-President Gayoom.
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
, judged Maldives as "not free" until May 1, 2009, when it was raised to "partly free". The "Worldwide Press Freedom Index", published by Reporters Without Borders
, lists Maldives as a "very serious situation" (a judgment also given to Libya
, Cuba
, and China
).
Violent protests
broke out in Malé
on September 20, 2003 after Evan Naseem, a prisoner, was killed in Maafushi jail, after the most brutal torture, reportedly by prison staff. An attempt to cover up the death was foiled when the mother of the dead man discovered the marks of torture on his body and made the knowledge public, therefore triggering the riots. A subsequent disturbance at the prison resulted in three deaths when police guards at the prison opened fire on the inmates. Several government buildings were set on fire during the riots. As a result of pressure from reformists, the junior prison guards responsible for Naseem's death were subsequently tried, convicted and sentenced in 2005 in what was believed to be a show trial that avoided the senior officers involved being investigated. The report of an inquiry into the prison shootings was heavily censored by the Government, citing "national security" grounds. Pro-reformists claim this was in order to cover-up the chain of authority and circumstances that led to the killings.
There were fresh protests on August 13, 2004, (Black Friday
), which appear to have begun as a demand for the release of four political activists from detention. Up to 5,000 demonstrators were involved. After two police officers were reportedly stabbed, allegedly by government agents provocateurs
, President Gayoom declared a State of Emergency
and suppressed the demonstration, suspending all human rights guaranteed under the Constitution, banning demonstrations and the expression of views critical of the government. At least 250 pro-reform protesters were arrested. As part of the state of emergency, and to prevent independent reporting of events, the government shut off Internet access and some mobile telephony services to Maldives on August 13 and 14, 2004.
A new Constitution
was ratified in August 2008, paving the way for the country's first multi-party presidential election
two months later.
An October 2009 cabinet meeting was held underwater (ministers wore scuba gear and communicated with hand signals) to publicise to the wider world the threat of global warming on the low-lying islands of the Maldives.
and vice president. Political experts criticized this act, saying that this was a move by President Nasheed to gain the decreasing public support and to silence the voices of the opposition by threatening them.
Note: the president is both the chief of state and head of government
(assembly) has 77 members elected by the people.
- the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by parliament and confirmed in a referendum by the people. In this referendum on 17 October 2003, 90.3 % voted in favour of then president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
(turnout 77 %). At the last parliamentary elections, 22 January 2005, only non-partisans have been elected. Until 2005 (after the election), no legal parties existed. Out of the 42 elected parliamentaries, according to Adam Carr, 20 (32.3 % of popular vote) support the government and 18 (31.1 % of popular vote) are endorsed by the Maldivian Democratic Party
.
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 include the Maldivian Peoples Party
, the Islamic Democratic Party
and the Adhaalath Party.
On October 8, 2008, the country held its first ever multi-party presidential election
.
with admixtures of English common law
primarily in commercial matters. Maldives has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice
jurisdiction.
, Alif Dhaal
, Baa
, Dhaalu
, Faafu
, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu
, Gnaviyani
, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu
, Laamu
, Lhaviyani
, Kaafu
, Meemu
, Noonu
, Raa
, Seenu
, Shaviyani
, Thaa
, Vaavu
, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, International Monetary Fund
, IMO, Intelsat
(nonsignatory user), Interpol
, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO
, UNIDO, UPU, World Health Organization
, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Presidential system
A presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not responsible and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
, whereby the President is the Head of Government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government. The President heads the executive branch and appoints the Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
; Like many presidential democracies, each member of the cabinet need to be approved by the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. The President, along with the vice President, is directly elected by the people to a five-year term by a secret ballot. He could be re-elected to second 5 year term, the limit allowed by the Constitution. The current President of the Maldives is former Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
, Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed is a Maldivian politician. He is the current President of the Maldives. He is the founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party and was its presidential candidate in the October 2008 presidential election, defeating long-time President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in a second round of voting...
, who defeated President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, who had ruled the country for 30 years, in the county's first multiparty Presidential election.
The unicameral
Unicameralism
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a unicameral parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house...
Majlis of the Maldives
Majlis of the Maldives
The Majlis of the Maldives or the People’s Majlis is the main legislature body of the Maldives. The Majlis has the authority to enact, amend and revise laws, except the constitution of the Maldives. Majlis is composed of 77 members...
is composed of 77 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 under the new constitution was held in 9 May 2009. A total of 465 candidates - 211 from 11 political parties and 254 independents - were vying for seats in the People's Majlis. The 2009 elections were the first multi-party elections in the country. During the election, 78.87 per cent of the 209,000 registered voters turned out at the polls. The final results gave the DRP and the PA 28 and seven seats respectively, three short of a parliamentary majority. The MDP became the second largest party, winning 26 seats. The Dhivehi Qaumee Party
National Alliance (Maldives)
The Dhivehi Qaumee Party is a political party in the Maldives. It was registered with the Election Commission on 5 September 2008.The party's 2008 Presidential candidate is Dr.Hassan Saeed.His running mate was Dr.Ahmed Shaheed.Dr.Hassan was the former attorney general of Maldives during Maumoon...
(DQP) and the Republican Party
Republican Party (Maldives)
The Republican Party is a political party in the Maldives. The party was founded by a group of MPs on May 26, 2008, and grew quickly, rapidly overtaking the Maldivian Democratic Party to become the largest opposition party in the Majlis....
(RP) took two seats and one seat respectively. The remaining 13 seats went to independent candidates. The Commonwealth observers who monitored the elections said that they were "well-conducted". The newly elected People's Majlis held its first session on 28 May and elected Mr. Abdulla Shahid (DRP) as its new Speaker.
The Maldivian legal system is derived mainly from traditional Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
. There is a Supreme Court 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. There is a High Court, a Criminal Court, Civil Court and many Lower Courts in each Atoll/Island. An Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
is part of the Cabinet and also needs the approval of Parliament before taking office.
Under the new 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 councilors are elected by the people of each island, and the Atoll Councilors are in turn elected by the Island Councilors.
History
A 1968 referendumReferendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
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
Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan , KCMG, NGIV was a Maldivian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Maldives under Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi from 1957 to 1968 and succeeded him to become the first President of the Second Republic from...
, Prime Minister under the pre-1968 sultanate, became President and held office from 1968 to 1978. He was succeeded by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Transport, he was nominated as President by the Majlis of the Maldives and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir on November 11, 1978. He eventually became the longest-ruling head of government in Asia...
, who was elected President in 1978 and re-elected in 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2003. At the end of his presidency, he was the longest serving leader in Asia.
On November 3, 1988, Sri Lankan Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
tried to overthrow the Maldivian government. At President Gayoom's request, the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n military intervened and provided assistance in suppressing the attempt within 24 hours.
Since 2003, following the death in custody of a prisoner, Naseem
Hassan Evan Naseem
Hassan Evan Naseem o, commonly referred to as Evan Naseem, is the person whose death became a lever for the current, open, political reform activities in the Maldives...
, the Maldives experienced several anti-government demonstrations
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
calling for political reforms, more freedoms and, and end to torture and oppression. As a result of these activities, political parties were eventually allowed in June 2005. There main parties registered in Maldives are: the Maldivian Democratic Party
Maldivian Democratic Party
The Maldivian Democratic Party is the ruling political party in power of the Maldives. It is a liberal party with its stated goal being the promotion of human rights and democracy in the Maldives. This party won the first ever multi-party elections in the Maldives...
(MDP), the Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP), the Islamic Democratic Party
Islamic Democratic Party (Maldives)
The Islamic Democratic Party is an Islamist political party from the Maldives. On June 2, 2005, the country's 50 member parliament voted unanimously to allow and operate political parties in Maldives. IDP subsequently submitted its registration and was registered. IDP was officially granted...
(IDP) and the Adhaalath Party, also known as the Justice Party
Justice Party (Maldives)
The Adhaalath Party is a political party in the Maldives.The Adhaalath Party was registered as a political party in August 2005, when political parties were allowed to operate for the first time following widespread protests for democracy...
.The first party to register was the MDP headed by popular opposition figures such as Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed is a Maldivian politician. He is the current President of the Maldives. He is the founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party and was its presidential candidate in the October 2008 presidential election, defeating long-time President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in a second round of voting...
(Anni) and Mohamed Latheef
Mohamed Latheef
Mohamed Latheef is a Maldives politician, a former parliamentarian and a campaigner for human rights. He is a co-founder of the MDP , a political party...
(Gogo). The next was the Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP) headed by then-President Gayoom.
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
Freedom House is an international non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
, judged Maldives as "not free" until May 1, 2009, when it was raised to "partly free". The "Worldwide Press Freedom Index", published by Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
, lists Maldives as a "very serious situation" (a judgment also given to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
).
Violent protests
2003 Maldives civil unrest
On Saturday September 20, 2003 civil unrest broke out in Malé, the capital city of the Maldives. This unrest was provoked by the death of Hassan Evan Naseem at Maafushi Prison - located on a separate inhabited island - and the subsequent shooting at the same prison, that killed 3 and injured 17...
broke out in Malé
Malé
Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...
on September 20, 2003 after Evan Naseem, a prisoner, was killed in Maafushi jail, after the most brutal torture, reportedly by prison staff. An attempt to cover up the death was foiled when the mother of the dead man discovered the marks of torture on his body and made the knowledge public, therefore triggering the riots. A subsequent disturbance at the prison resulted in three deaths when police guards at the prison opened fire on the inmates. Several government buildings were set on fire during the riots. As a result of pressure from reformists, the junior prison guards responsible for Naseem's death were subsequently tried, convicted and sentenced in 2005 in what was believed to be a show trial that avoided the senior officers involved being investigated. The report of an inquiry into the prison shootings was heavily censored by the Government, citing "national security" grounds. Pro-reformists claim this was in order to cover-up the chain of authority and circumstances that led to the killings.
There were fresh protests on August 13, 2004, (Black Friday
Black Friday (Maldives)
Black Friday , Friday, August 13, 2004, was the crackdown by the Maldivian National Security Service — later Maldivian National Defence Force — on a peaceful protest in the capital city of Maldives, Malé. This unplanned and unorganized demonstration was the largest such protest in the...
), which appear to have begun as a demand for the release of four political activists from detention. Up to 5,000 demonstrators were involved. After two police officers were reportedly stabbed, allegedly by government agents provocateurs
Agent provocateur
Traditionally, an agent provocateur is a person employed by the police or other entity to act undercover to entice or provoke another person to commit an illegal act...
, President Gayoom declared a State of Emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
and suppressed the demonstration, suspending all human rights guaranteed under the Constitution, banning demonstrations and the expression of views critical of the government. At least 250 pro-reform protesters were arrested. As part of the state of emergency, and to prevent independent reporting of events, the government shut off Internet access and some mobile telephony services to Maldives on August 13 and 14, 2004.
A new Constitution
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 Maldives, sets out the rights and duties of the citizens of Maldives, and defines the structure of the Government of the Maldives...
was ratified in August 2008, paving the way for the country's first multi-party presidential election
Maldivian presidential election, 2008
Presidential elections were held in the Maldives on October 8 and 28, 2008. On October 8, no candidate gained more than 50% of the vote; a runoff was held on October 28 between Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed and his running mate, Dr. Mohammed Waheed Hassan. Nasheed and Dr...
two months later.
An October 2009 cabinet meeting was held underwater (ministers wore scuba gear and communicated with hand signals) to publicise to the wider world the threat of global warming on the low-lying islands of the Maldives.
2010 Maldives Cabinet resignation
On 29 June 2010, every minister in the cabinet resigned from their posts; excluding president Mohamed NasheedMohamed Nasheed
Mohamed Nasheed is a Maldivian politician. He is the current President of the Maldives. He is the founder of the Maldivian Democratic Party and was its presidential candidate in the October 2008 presidential election, defeating long-time President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in a second round of voting...
and vice president. Political experts criticized this act, saying that this was a move by President Nasheed to gain the decreasing public support and to silence the voices of the opposition by threatening them.
Note: the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Legislative branch
The Majlis of the MaldivesMajlis of the Maldives
The Majlis of the Maldives or the People’s Majlis is the main legislature body of the Maldives. The Majlis has the authority to enact, amend and revise laws, except the constitution of the Maldives. Majlis is composed of 77 members...
(assembly) has 77 members elected by the people.
Political parties and elections
On a national level, Maldives elects a head of stateHead of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
- the president - and a legislature. The president is elected for a five year term by parliament and confirmed in a referendum by the people. In this referendum on 17 October 2003, 90.3 % voted in favour of then president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Transport, he was nominated as President by the Majlis of the Maldives and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir on November 11, 1978. He eventually became the longest-ruling head of government in Asia...
(turnout 77 %). At the last parliamentary elections, 22 January 2005, only non-partisans have been elected. Until 2005 (after the election), no legal parties existed. Out of the 42 elected parliamentaries, according to Adam Carr, 20 (32.3 % of popular vote) support the government and 18 (31.1 % of popular vote) are endorsed by the Maldivian Democratic Party
Maldivian Democratic Party
The Maldivian Democratic Party is the ruling political party in power of the Maldives. It is a liberal party with its stated goal being the promotion of human rights and democracy in the Maldives. This party won the first ever multi-party elections in the Maldives...
.
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 include the Maldivian Peoples Party
Maldivian Peoples Party
The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party is a political party, of the Maldives. On June 2, 2005, the country's 50-member parliament voted unanimously to allow and operate political parties in Maldives. The DRP subsequently submitted its registration on July 21, 2005 and was registered to be the second...
, the Islamic Democratic Party
Islamic Democratic Party (Maldives)
The Islamic Democratic Party is an Islamist political party from the Maldives. On June 2, 2005, the country's 50 member parliament voted unanimously to allow and operate political parties in Maldives. IDP subsequently submitted its registration and was registered. IDP was officially granted...
and the Adhaalath Party.
On October 8, 2008, the country held its first ever multi-party presidential election
Maldivian presidential election, 2008
Presidential elections were held in the Maldives on October 8 and 28, 2008. On October 8, no candidate gained more than 50% of the vote; a runoff was held on October 28 between Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and Mohamed Nasheed and his running mate, Dr. Mohammed Waheed Hassan. Nasheed and Dr...
.
Judicial branch
The legal system is based on Islamic lawSharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
with admixtures of English common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
primarily in commercial matters. Maldives has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
jurisdiction.
Administrative divisions
20 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and one first-order administrative city*;Alif AlifAlif Alif Atoll
Northern Ari Atoll or Alifu Alifu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It was created on March 1, 1984 combining northern section of Ari Atoll, the small Rasdhukuramathi Atoll, and the isolated island of Thoddoo...
, Alif Dhaal
Alif Dhaal Atoll
Southern Ari Atoll or Alifu Dhaalu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives.The separation of Ari Atoll on March 1, 1984, into a Northern and a Southern section formed the two most recent administrative divisions of the Maldives, namely Alifu Alifu Atoll and Alifu Dhaalu Atoll...
, Baa
Baa Atoll
Baa Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It consists of three separate natural atolls, namely southern Maalhosmadulu Atoll , the Fasdūtherē Atoll and the smaller...
, Dhaalu
Dhaalu Atoll
Southern Nilandhe Atoll, Nilande Atoll South or Dhaalu' Atoll is one of the atolls of the Maldives. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name.-Geography:...
, Faafu
Faafu Atoll
Northern Nilandhe Atoll, Nilande Atoll North or Faafu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives.It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name.Certain islands of this atoll used to be inhabited, like Himithi...
, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu
Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll
Southern Huvadhu Atoll or Gaafu Dhaalu is an administrative district of the Maldives formed by the southwestern section of Huvadhu Atoll. It was created on February 8, 1962 when Huvadhu Atoll was divided into two districts...
, Gnaviyani
Gnaviyani Atoll
Gnaviyani Atoll is one of the administrative divisions of the Maldives corresponding to the natural atoll, Fuvahmulah. Surfacewise this is the smallest administrative unit in the Maldives, situated in the Equatorial Channel between Huvadhu Atoll and Addu Atoll...
, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu
Haa Dhaalu Atoll
Haa Dhaalu Atoll - officially referred as Thiladhunmathi Dhekunuburi is an administrative division of the Maldives...
, Laamu
Laamu Atoll
Haddhunmathi Atoll or Laamu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name. The administrative capital is located in Fonadhoo Island....
, Lhaviyani
Lhaviyani Atoll
Lhaviyani Atoll or Faadhippolhu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives.Lhaviyani Atoll is located between 5° 15" and 5° 35" N and between 73° 20" and 74° 40" E. The capital of the atoll is Naifaru...
, Kaafu
Kaafu Atoll
Kaafu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It consists of Kaashidhoo Island, Gahaafaru Atoll, and Malé Atoll...
, Meemu
Meemu Atoll
Mulaku Atoll or Meemu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name, also known as Mulak Atoll or 'Mulakatolhu'....
, Noonu
Noonu Atoll
Southern Miladhunmadulu Atoll or Noonu is an administrative division of the Maldives corresponding to the southern section of Miladhunmadulu Atoll. The capital is Manadhoo....
, Raa
Raa Atoll
Northern Maalhosmadulu Atoll or Raa Atoll is an administrative division from the Maldives. The capital is Ungoofaaru. It includes Northern Maalhosmadulu Atoll proper and the island of Alifushi.1...
, Seenu
Seenu Atoll
Addu Atoll, previously also known as Seenu Atoll , is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. Addu Atoll, together with Fuvahmulah, located 30 km north of Addu Atoll, extend the Maldives into the Southern Hemisphere. Addu Atoll is located approximately 478 km south of Malé....
, Shaviyani
Shaviyani Atoll
Shaviyani atoll is geographically located within the naturally occurring northern mostatoll formation of Thiladhunmathi. A total of 52 islands, 15 inhabited and...
, Thaa
Thaa Atoll
Kolhumadulu Atoll, letter code Thaa is an is an administrative division of the Maldives. It corresponds to the natural atoll of the same name. The ancient name of the island was Kolhumaduva during the time of King Koimala who united all atolls of the Maldives under one Kingdom for the first...
, Vaavu
Vaavu Atoll
Vaavu Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives comprising the natural atolls of Felidhu Atoll and the Vattaru Reef.It is the smallest administrative atoll in terms of population....
International organization participation
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77Group of 77
The Group of 77 at the United Nations is a loose coalition of developing nations, designed to promote its members' collective economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations. There were 77 founding members of the organization, but the organization has...
, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
, IMO, Intelsat
Intelsat
Intelsat, Ltd. is a communications satellite services provider.Originally formed as International Telecommunications Satellite Organization , it was—from 1964 to 2001—an intergovernmental consortium owning and managing a constellation of communications satellites providing international broadcast...
(nonsignatory user), Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, UNIDO, UPU, World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, WIPO, WMO, WTO
External links
- Amnesty International reports on the Maldives
- Freedom of expression in the Maldives - IFEXInternational Freedom of Expression ExchangeThe International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
- Penn Law School Students Help Draft a Criminal Code for the Maldives, from the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
website - Maldives Holds Cabinet Meeting Underwater to Highlight Danger of Global Warming - video report by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...