Maldives

Politics:

• Background

  Maldives: Political background

  The Maldive Islands gained full independence from the UK in July 1965, and was proclaimed the Republic of the Maldive Islands in November 1968. It was renamed the Republic of Maldives in April 1969. The president is head of government, head of state, and presides over a Cabinet of Ministers that includes the vice-president and the attorney-general. In the past, the president was chosen by the People's Majlis (People's Council) from a list of nominees, and then confirmed for a five-year term through a national referendum. However, following a raft of political reforms initiated in 2004, the president is now chosen directly by the electorate and serves a five-year term. The People's Majlis is vested with legislative power. Members are chosen directly by the electorate and serve five-year terms. Following constitutional reforms in February 2009, the number of seats has been increased to 77 from 50 previously. A separate body, the People's Special Majlis (constitutional assembly), made up of members from the cabinet, the People's Majlis and the atolls, has been given the task of recommending and making amendments to the constitution.

  The first president, Amir Ibrahim Nasir, was elected in 1968 for a five-year term. In 1978 Mr Nasir resigned for health reasons. In the same year Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had been the minister of transport under Mr Nasir, was approved by the People's Majlis and was confirmed as president through a national referendum. Mr Gayoom held the presidency between 1978-2008, winning the support of both the People's Majlis and over 90% of voters in referendums in a total of six elections. During that time there was much criticism of the political establishment and Mr Gayoom faced a series of coup attempts from members within his own government. Mr Gayoom lost the 2008 October 2008 presidential election to Mohamed Nasheed.

  The president pledges to reform the political system

  In response to the coup attempts and broader public criticism of the lack of democracy in the country Mr Gayoom promised, in February 1990, to reform the political system, including reducing the powers of the presidential office. It is believed that this effort was shelved when it became apparent that elements within the country's polity opposed the reform process. This opposition was such that the liberalisation process even suffered a reversal—publications that were not approved by the government were banned. In November 1994 Mr Gayoom said a number of measures would be taken to strengthen democracy, including granting greater autonomy to the Council of Ministers and allowing the committees on each of the atolls to be elected (rather than nominated). The People's Majlis released its findings for constitutional reform in 1997. The constitution was ratified in November of that year and came into force in January 1998. The key elements were an expansion in the rights of the population and the powers afforded to ministers.

  In 2001 a group that included former members of the cabinet and of the People's Majlis attempted to register the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), but the People's Majlis blocked this move, suggesting that allowing political parties would undermine social cohesion. This act, which was viewed by many as being backed by Mr Gayoom and as being unconstitutional, resulted in growing public criticism of the president. The situation worsened in 2002, when several journalists were imprisoned for inciting violence after writing stories criticising the president and his government. The final provocation was the death of a detainee in prison in September 2003. The security forces were accused of using excessive force when fellow inmates subsequently rioted. In the same month these acts prompted widespread anti-government protests in the capital, Male (the first such protests since Mr Gayoom had come to power).

  Despite these protests, the People's Majlis re-elected Mr Gayoom out of a total of four candidates. The selection was ratified at a national referendum in October 2003. Upon being re-elected he announced that his sixth term would see reform of the judiciary, executive and legislature, as well as the establishment of a Human Rights Commission (the latter occurred in December 2003). In early 2004 the government asked the public to submit ideas on constitutional reform. In September 2004 the president relinquished the posts of Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and finance. The People's Majlis approved a constitutional amendment, in mid-2005, that allowed opposition parties to register for the first time, ending a no-party system that had prevailed since independence in 1965. Possibly because one of the goals of constitutional reform announced by Mr Gayoom was to limit the number of terms a president can hold office to two, he established and registered the Dhivehi Raiyythunge Party. By the end of 2005, three other political parties had registered with the election commission.

  However, the change to the constitution in 2005 did not lead to an improvement in how politics is conducted in the Maldives, where opposition supporters and politicians still felt persecuted and repressed. In 2006 when the MDP planned a big rally in Male for November 10th, the government responded by detaining more than 100 of its activists, forcing the MDP to call the demonstration off at the last minute.

  Reform process suffers a setback

  Proponents of political reforms suffered a setback in August 2007 when the nation voted in favour of maintaining a presidential system. The referendum was seen as a test of Mr Gayoom's popularity since he announced his agenda for constitutional reforms in 2004. However, the result was contested by the MDP, which highlighted various voter irregularities and that the vote had been rigged. Although Mr Gayoom won a convincing mandate, he failed to secure the full support of his cabinet. Citing their frustration with the slow pace of political reforms, two cabinet ministers resigned in the same month.

  In preparation for presidential polls in late 2008, opposition parties formed a grand alliance in December 2007. Calling itself the National Unity Alliance, the grouping consists of the MDP, the Islamic Democratic Party (IDP), the National Maldavian Movement and the Social Liberal Party (SLP).

  August 01, 2009

Economy:

• Background

  Maldives: Resources and infrastructure

  The 2006 census recorded a total population of 298,842 with a population density of around 1,000 persons per sq km. Mid-year projections published by the Ministry of Planning and National Development show the total population rising to 304,869 in 2007. The high population density in the Maldives has put considerable pressure on local resources. Of the country's 1,192 islands only 199 are inhabited, with the population on these ranging from 100 to 5,000 (Male, the capital, being the main exception—in 2006 it is estimated to have had a population of around 103,693). (Several additional islands have been developed in order to cater to tourists.) The shortage of land has encouraged the government to carry out some limited land reclamation. Male saw its surface area increase by around 50% in 1986, when a project to reclaim 600,000 sq m worth of land was completed. Plans are already underway to reclaim around 188 hectares of land by 2020 on Hulhumale Island, which is expected to provide living and commercial space as an alternative to overcrowded Male.

  The Maldives is made up of a chain of coral islands, which are broken down into 26 atolls. These atolls are in turn broken down into 21 administrative regions (including Male). There is limited arable land, which means that staple foods such as rice, sugar and wheat must be imported. The widespread presence of coconut palms does, however, provide an opportunity for limited amounts of coconut cultivation. Moreover, with the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) covering 200 nautical miles—equivalent to 859,000 sq km and substantial when compared with its total land mass of 298 sq km—there is great potential for exploitation of marine resources. Indeed, the fishing industry remains a key pillar of the local economy in terms of employment and export revenues.

  Arguably, the country's main natural resource is its natural geography; its white sandy beaches, vast coral formations and the marine life that inhabits these make it a popular destination for high spending tourists from across the world. But the Indian Ocean tsunami that occurred in December 2004 destroyed several inhabited islands and severely damaged buildings and infrastructure at some of the 87 tourist resorts dotted around the islands. Tourism benefits from a range of international scheduled and direct charter flights. There are three unpaved airports that provide links to tourist resorts, and two paved airports that support international traffic.

  A National Press Council was established in 1993, in an effort to oversee and develop newspaper publications. There are currently a number of daily newspapers and periodicals. However, the sector remains dominated by the government. This is also the case with regards to the limited television and radio services available, although the dispersal of the population over so many islands makes the provision of such terrestrial services commercially unviable. This dispersal also makes the provision of utilities expensive. Nevertheless, all the inhabited islands have access to telephone facilities. In 2007 there were 33,000 subscribers to fixed line telephones, 311,000 mobile phone subscribers, while subscribers to the Internet increased to 1,311. The majority of the population also have access to sanitised water and electricity. The country has one port (located in Male). Owing to a limited transport infrastructure, motorcycles are the most popular mode of transport, outnumbering cars by a ratio of 14:1.

  August 01, 2009

Country Briefing

COUNTRY BACKGROUND

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT

Land area

298 sq km

Population

298,842 (estimated from the 2006 census)

Major islands

The country is composed of 1,192 islands grouped into 26 atolls and divided into 20 administrative regions (excluding the capital). The biggest island is Fuvahmulah, which is located in the southern part of the Maldives and constitutes the Ganaviyani atoll.

Capital

Male (on the Male atoll)

Climate

Tropical

Weather in Tarawa

Temperature varies between 25°C and 31°C in the shade. The north-east monsoon (dry) season runs from November to April, and the south-west monsoon (wet) season runs from May to October. In an average year, annual rainfall is over 2,143 mm

Languages

Dhivehi (official language) and English

Measures

Metric and imperial

Currency

The rufiyaa (Rf). Average exchange rate in 2006: Rf12.80:US$1. Exchange rate on April 30th 2007: Rf12.80:US$1

Time

5 hours ahead of GMT

June 22, 2007