Government
type: Republic
Capital:
Male
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: Many attempts at forming
political parties in the Maldives, have led to illegal
arrests and harassment of these people. However, a
party in exile exists, calling itself Maldivian
Democratic Party. The constitution allows formation
of political parties.
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 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,
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 Program. The new code will
be based on the Sharia and will be presented
to the Maldivian government in early 2005.
