Politics of the Maldives
|
|
Country name:
conventional long form:
Republic of Maldives
conventional short form:
Maldives
local long form:
Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa (Dhivehi (requires Unicode Thaana support): ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެޖުމުހޫރިއްޔާ)
local short form:
Dhivehi Raajje (Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ)
Data code: MV
Government type: republic
Capital: Malé (Dhivehi: މާލެ)
Administrative divisions: 19 atolls (atholhu, singular and plural) and one other first-order administrative division*; Alifu, Baa, Dhaalu, Faafu, Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Kaafu, Laamu, Lhaviyani, Maale*, Meemu, Noonu, Raa, Seenu, Shaviyani, Thaa, Vaavu
Independence: 26 July 1965 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 July (1965)
Constitution: adopted January 1998
Legal system: based on Islamic law with admixtures of English common law primarily in commercial matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
Suffrage: 21 years of age; Muslims only.
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government:
President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since 11 November 1978); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:
appointed by the president; note - need not be members of Majlis
elections:
president nominated by the Majlis and then that nomination must be ratified by a national referendum (at least a 51% approval margin is required); president elected for a five-year term; election last held 16 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2003)
election results:
President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom reelected; percent of popular vote - Maumoon Abdul Gayoom 90.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Council or Majlis (50 seats; 42 elected by popular vote, eight appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections:
last held 20 November 1999 (next to be held November 2004)
election results:
percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 42
Judicial branch: High Court
Political parties and leaders: Political parties in Maldives was not allowed, though the constitution allowed it, until June 2005. Many attempts at forming political parties in the Maldives, have led to illegal arrests and harassment of the involved people.
Goverment of Maldives allowed political parties in June 2005. The parties that are expected to be registered are Maldives People's Party MPP, Maldivian Democratic Party MDP, Islamic Democratic Party IDP, Maldives Labour Party MLP, & Adalat Party AP.
International organization participation: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: Maldives does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Maldives; the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there.
Flag description: red with a large green rectangle in the center bearing a vertical white crescent; the closed side of the crescent is on the hoist side of the flag
Description
The president heads the executive branch and appoints the cabinet. The president is nominated to a five-year term by a secret ballot of the Majlis (parliament), a nomination which must be confirmed by national referendum.
The unicameral Majlis is composed of 48 members serving five-year terms. Two male members from each atoll are elected directly by universal suffrage. Eight are appointed by the president.
The Maldivian legal system, derived mainly from traditional Islamic law, is administered by secular officials, a chief justice, and lesser judges on each of the 19 atolls, who are appointed by the president and function under the Ministry of Justice. There also is an attorney general. Each inhabited island within an atoll has a chief who is responsible for law and order. Every atoll chief, appointed by the president, functions as a district officer in the British South Asian tradition.
Even though political parties can be formed, according to the constitution of the Maldives, no parties have been registered as such, possibly because President Gayoom has systematically suppressed any and all political activity in the Maldives. His use of election rigging and imprisonment of political activists have all ensured that he went unchallenged for over 26 years in office. President Gayoom routinely uses torture, propaganda, and censorship as a means to cling on to political power.
Independent news media is non-existent. The three running dailies are controlled by cabinet ministers of President Gayoom.
History
A 1968 referendum 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 is again under revision.
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 reelected in 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2003.
On November 3, 1988, Sri Lankan Tamil mercenaries tried to overthrow the Maldivian government. At President Gayoom's request, the Indian military suppressed the coup attempt within 24 hours.
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 four deaths when police guards at the prison opened fire on the inmates. Several government buildings were set on fire during the riots.
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 provocateur, President Gayoom declared a State of Emergency, suspending all human rights guaranteed under the Constitution, banning demonstrations and the expression of views critical of the government. At least 250 pro-reform protestors were arrested. As part of the state of emergency, the government shut off Internet access and some mobile telephony services to the Maldives on August 13 and 14, 2004.
During Fall 2004, University of Pennsylvania Law School students in a seminar held by Professor Paul Robinson are drafting a revised version of the Maldives criminal code. The project is at the request of the United Nations Development Programme. The new code will be based on the Sharia and will be presented to the Maldivian government in early 2005.
External links
- Amnesty International reports on the Maldives (http://web.amnesty.org/library/eng-mdv/index)
- Maldivian Democratic Party (http://www.maldiviandemocraticparty.org)
- Penn Law School Students Help Draft a Criminal Code for the Maldives (http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/article.php?id=665), from the University of Pennsylvania website