Political Parties and Elections
On a national level, Maldives elects a head of state - 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.
| Candidates | Seats |
|---|---|
| Non-partisans supporting the government | 28 |
| Non-partisans endorsed by the Maldivian Democratic Party | 10 |
| Others | 2 |
| Appointed members | 8 |
| Total | 48 |
| Source: Adam Carr | |
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.
Read more about this topic: Politics Of The Maldives
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