Maldives - Constitutional & Legal Foundations

The Constitution of the Maldives, instituted in 1968, designates the President as Head of State elected to a five-year term by universal suffrage afforded to citizens aged 21 and above. A unicameral Citizens' Council or Majlis, also elected to a five-year term is comprised of 48 members, two of whom are from the capital Male, two from each of the nineteen atolls and eight appointed by the President. The Majlis nominates the presidential candidate and is the body to which the President's cabinet is accountable. The President appoints all judges who administer justice according to the tenets of Islamic Law. Women are not allowed under the current constitution to hold the apex political office, but all other political, administrative and other posts are open to them. The Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was elected to his fifth five-year term in 1998 with more than 80 percent of the vote in the national referendum. The government has placed priority on eradicating illiteracy, universalizing primary education, and expanding access to secondary education as well as improving the quality and career-based applicability of education.