Government & politics — Maldives

• archipelago apparently named after the main island (and capital) of Male
• the word "Maldives" means "the islands (dives) of Male"
• alternatively, the name may derive from the Sanskrit word "maladvipa" meaning "garland of islands"
• Dhivehi Raajje in Maldivian means "Kingdom of the Dhivehi people"

• history: many previous;
• latest ratified 7 August 2008 amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least three-quarters majority vote by its membership and the signature of the president of the republic; passage of amendments to constitutional articles on rights and freedoms and the terms of office of Parliament and of the president also requires a majority vote in a referendum; amended 2015

• chief of state: President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023); Vice President-elect Hussain Mohamed LATHEEF (since 30 September 2023); the president is
• both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mohamed MUIZZU (since 17 November 2023); Vice President-el
• ect Hussain Mohamed LATHEEF (since 30 September 2023) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president,
• approved by Parliament elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); first round held on 9 September 2023 and runoff held on 30
• September 2023 (next to be held in 2028) election results: 2023: Mohamed MUIZZU elected president in the second round; percent of vote in first round - Mohamed MUIZZU (PNC) 46.1%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 39.1%, Ilyas LABEEB (DEMS) 7.1%, other 7.7%; percent of vote in the second round - Mohamed MUIZZU 54%, Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH 46% 2018: Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH elected president in first round; Ibrahim Mohamed SOLIH (MDP) 58.3%, Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom (PPM) 41.7%

Description

unicameral Parliament or People's Majlis (87 seats - includes 2 seats added by the Elections Commission in late 2018; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

Elections

last held on 6 April 2019 (next to be held on 21 April 2024)

Election Results

• percent of vote - MDP 44.7%, JP 10.8%, PPM 8.7%, PNC 6.4%, MDA 2.8%, other 5.6%, independent 21%
• seats by party - MDP 65, JP 5, PPM 5, PNC 3, MDA 2, independent 7;

Composition

men 83, women 4, percent of women 4.6%

• highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the ch
• ief justice and 6 justices judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president in consultation with the Judicial Service Commission - a 10-member body of selected high government officials and the public - and upon confirmation by voting members of the People's Majlis; judges
• serve until mandatory retirement at age 70 subordinate courts: High Court; Criminal, Civil, Family, Juvenile, and Drug Courts; Magistrate Courts (on each of the inhabited islands)

21 administrative atolls (atholhuthah, singular - atholhu); Addu (Addu City), Ariatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Ari Atoll), Ariatholhu Uthuruburi (North Ari Atoll), Faadhippolhu, Felidhuatholhu (Felidhu Atoll), Fuvammulah, Hahdhunmathi, Huvadhuatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Huvadhu Atoll), Huvadhuatholhu Uthuruburi (North Huvadhu Atoll), Kolhumadulu, Maale (Male), Maaleatholhu (Male Atoll), Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi (South Maalhosmadulu), Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi (North Maalhosmadulu), Miladhunmadulu Dhekunuburi (South Miladhunmadulu), Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi (North Miladhunmadulu), Mulakatholhu (Mulaku Atoll), Nilandheatholhu Dhekunuburi (South Nilandhe Atoll), Nilandheatholhu Uthuruburi (North Nilandhe Atoll), Thiladhunmathee Dhekunuburi (South Thiladhunmathi), Thiladhunmathee Uthuruburi (North Thiladhunmathi)

• Adhaalath (Justice)
• Party or AP [Sheikh Imran ABDULLA]
• Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party or DRP [Ibrahim Mohamed SOLITH]
• Maldives Development Alliance or MDA [Ahmed Shiyam MOHAMED]
• Maldivian Democratic Party or MDP [Mohamed NASHEED]
• Maldives Third Way Democrats or MTD [Ahmed ADEEB]
• People's National Congress or PNC [Abdul Raheem ABDULLA]
• People's National Front [Abdulla YAMEEN Abdul Gayoom]
• Republican (Jumhooree)
• Party or JP [Qasim IBRAHIM] (2020)

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one par
• yes residency requirement for naturalization: unknown

ADB, AOSIS, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Hugo Yue-Ho YON (since 6 September 2023); note - Ambassador YON is the first resident US ambassador to the Republic of Maldives embassy: 210 Galle Road, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka; note - as of early November 2023, the US has no consular or diplomatic offices in Maldives; the US Mission to Maldives operates from US Embassy Colombo, Sri Lanka

telephone

[94] (11) 249-8500

FAX

[94] (11) 243-7345

chief of mission

Maldives has no embassy in the US, but its Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Abdul GHAFOOR Mohamed (since 12 December 2022), is accredited to the US and serves as ambassador

chancery

801 Second Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10017

telephone

[1] (212) 599-6194

FAX

[1] (212) 661-6405

Email address and website

• info@maldivesmission.com
• http://www.maldivesmission.com/