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Election Date: October 10, 2008

At stake: President

Background

The Republic of Maldives (formerly called the Maldive Islands) is a group of 1,190 coral islands in the Indian Ocean, almost 700km southwest of Sri Lanka. The islands cover 300 square kilometers and are home to about 350,000 South Indians, Sinhalese people and Arabs. The main language spoken is Maldivian Dhivehi, though English is also spoken by most government officials. The country’s predominant religion is Islam and its monetary unit is the Rufiya.

Given that none of the islands rise more than six feet above sea level, they are especially vulnerable to the effects of global warming and the shrinking of the polar ice caps. The 2004 tsunami brought irrevocable damage to the islands, as 14 of the archipelago’s islands became uninhabitable and another 79 were left without safe drinking water. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom—the current president—has repeatedly campaigned in favour of the international Kyoto Accord to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as the islands face a huge danger of being wiped out by rising sea levels.

Originally under British occupancy, the Maldives signed an independence agreement with Britain in July 1965. The islands’ form of government also underwent several transformations over the years. A sultanate for centuries, the islands adopted a republican form of government in 1952, which lasted until 1954 (which saw the restoration of the sultanate).

While the sultanate continued for 14 years, a referendum in 1968 led to the re-establishment of a republic. Women were granted the right to vote in 1952.

The Constitution of 1968 also created a unicameral 50-member People’s Assembly, whose members serve five-year terms. Eight members are appointed by the president and 42 are popularly elected. The People’s Assembly designates the next presidential candidate—who may then become the next Maldives president if he gets elected via a national referendum.

Each presidency lasts five years. The president holds the highest political and religious authority in Maldives. He is responsible for appointing judges who interpret Muslim beliefs in the adjudication of civil and criminal cases, and appoints 20 island chiefs to oversee local political dealings.

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has been in power since 1978, when he replaced Ibrahim Nasir, the authoritarian president since 1968.

In September 2003, all 50 members of the Majlis nominated Gayoom as the presidential candidate to be put to the voters in a referendum (the voters were adults over the age of 21).

The weeks leading up to the presidential referendum brought dissent to the usually peaceful islands, as a series of anti-government demonstrations escalated in Male, the Maldives capital. The protests were over the death of three inmates while in police custody (allegedly arrested for opposing the regime).

On Oct. 17, 2003, the referendum took place without any violent incidents. Final tallies indicated that 90.28 per cent of voters supported a continuation of Gayoom’s presidency for another five years. A total of 68.6 per cent of the votes came from Male.

According to Amnesty International, "there were severe restrictions on freedom of the press, and political parties were unable to function" in the Maldives.

Click here for Maldives 2003 Election Tracker

To ease some of the criticism against him, Gayoom brought new blood to the cabinet, appointing Hassan Saeed as attorney general, Ahmed Shaheed as foreign minister, Mohamed Jameel as justice minister and Mohamed Nasheed as information minister.

In June 2004, the president legalized political parties in Maldives for the first time in the country’s history.

On Sept. 1, 2004, Gayoom, also the defense minister and finance minister of the Maldives for many years, renounced his posts following more international pressure and scorning. He was often criticized for his autocratic ruling and his tendencies towards nepotism.

To further alleviate disapproval, Gayoom convened the Special People’s Assembly in order to enact a series of constitutional amendments. The proposals included a provision to hold direct presidential elections with more than one contender, establishing the post of prime minister, and ending the head of state’s right to appoint eight People’s Assembly members at will. The proposals were announced after international criticism of the country’s political and human rights record increased even further. The most significant piece of legislation passed was the Amendment to the Human Rights Commission Act, making the new body fully compliant with the principles of international laws.

On Jan. 22, 2005, parliamentary elections were held in the Maldives. Almost 36 members of the existing parliament joined the Maldivian People’s Party and elected Gayoom as their leader. In turn, 12 members joined the Maldives Democratic Party and formed the Opposition. Two members remained independent.

Click here for Maldives 2005 Election Tracker

President Gayoom further initiated the creation of the Constitutional Assembly in order to write a modern liberal-democratic body of law for the Maldives. The Constitutional Assembly—comprised of the 50 members of the People’s Assembly and an equal number of similarly constituted persons, as well as the cabinet—has been sitting since July 2004 and has been widely criticized for making very little progress.

While blame for the inaction has passed back and forth between the opposition and the government, independent observers point the finger at weak parliamentary traditions and other interventions. A dispute over voting procedures led several members to walk out of the Special People’s Assembly, and many proposed reforms were not immediately enacted.

On Jun. 19, 2007, the Assembly voted to hold a public referendum that would decide the form of government under the new constitutional settlement. Voters decided that the Maldives would become a "Presidential Republic."

The referendum caused turmoil as the opposition—which supports a parliamentary system—claimed the vote was rigged, and three members of Gayoom’s cabinet resigned, including attorney general Hassan Saeed and justice minister Mohamed Jameel, who accused Gayoom of deliberately obstructing the reform process.

2008 Presidential Election

International pressure and criticism against Maldivian president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom led to his establishment of a "roadmap" of democratic reform to pave the way for a presidential election in October 2008, and a multiparty parliamentary ballot in 2009.

Former attorney general Hassan Saeed is running against Gayoom in the presidential election.

The recent surge in Islamist extremism is a concern. A bomb injured two British tourists in the Maldives capital in 2007.

In spite of Gayoom’s reassurances that the upcoming elections would be "free, fair, peaceful and transparent," there is a widespread concern that the ballot will be wide open to threats and vote rigging. In November 2007, the Maldivian government formally invited the European Commission to oversee the process.

Former foreign minister Ahmed Shaheed, spokesperson for the National Unity Alliance of opposition parties, was adamant about the necessity for vigorous election monitoring, declaring, "We welcome [the election support] very much but we still want to see what the actual mandate is. (…) [We need] election monitors who will be stationed in the Maldives well in advance of polling day."

Speaking on behalf of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), Shaheed added that local government elections should take place before the presidential ballot, in order to reduce his "control of the islands and the civil service."

Current foreign minister Abdullah Shahid thinks that the decision to have the European Commission watch over this year’s elections was a "clear demonstration of the positive work the government and the people of the Maldives are doing as regards the democratization of the political system."

The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that an "expert team" from the European Commission will observe the 2008 election. The extent of this observation has yet to be decided and the opposition continues to insist that a full monitoring mission is required.

The country now has eight registered political parties, plus five that are currently in the process of registration. To date, the declared presidential candidates include Gayoom, independent Hassan Saeed, Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldivian Democratic Party; Ibrahim Ismail of the Social Liberal Party, and Umar Naseer of the Islamic Democratic Party.

In June 2008, the Ministry of Information launched the "Think Nation" campaign, designed to raise awareness about political and legal reform. While originally meant to last six months, the plan was scaled down to two weeks.

Several independent groups have launched initiatives to promote a free and fair election. Among them is the website http://www.MaldivesVotes.com, which seeks to ensure voting decisions do not have their origins in "fear, greed or subjugation." Shaheed also established Maldives Election Watch to lobby internationally for fair elections.

On Jul. 8, 2008, the Maldives’ Civil Society Sector launched the "Go Vote" campaign to increase public participation in the upcoming election. With 200 inhabited islands, the NGO Maldives Aid admits that educating all Maldivians will be difficult. So far, the "Go Vote" campaign has been broadcasting weekly programs, covering topics such as election observation. Public forums will be broadcast live, starting on Jul. 23.

The Human Rights Commission of Maldives has also said that it will begin a campaign to further educate the voters, 30 days before the elections.

British High Commissioner Peter Hayes has acknowledged that "trust" in the electoral process is "fragile" in Maldives.

Political Players

President: Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

The president is chosen by the Assembly and then elected to a five-year term in a popular referendum.

Legislative Branch: The Majlis (People’s Assembly) has 50 members. 42 members are elected to five-year terms in one eight-seat and 19 two-seat constituencies, and eight members are appointed by the president.

Results of Last Election:

Presidential Referendum - Oct. 17, 2003

Should incumbent president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom be granted another five-year term as president?

People’s Assembly - Jan. 22, 2005

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