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Maldives

Monthly Event Reports

December 2023 | Parliament passes two landmark labour rights bills

On 18 December, Parliament passed the Industrial Relations (IR) Bill and the Occupation Safety and Health (OSH) Bill aimed at strengthening workers’ rights. The IR bill establishes a legal framework protecting workers' constitutional rights, including the right to strike, form trade unions and freedom of speech. The OSH similarly seeks to protect workers from potential workplace health hazards and harms, establishing procedures to report injuries and provide compensation. Rights advocates have hailed the bills as a victory for unions and the working class in Maldives after a decade-long campaign to enhance workers' rights. President Mohamed Muizzu ratified both bills on 2 January 2024.

September 2023 | Mohammed Muizzu wins presidential election

Mohammed Muizzu, the opposition candidate from the Progressive Alliance (a coalition of the Progressive Party of Maldives and Peoples National Congress), won the presidential run-off on 30 September with 54 per cent of the vote, defeating Ibrahim Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party. The run-off followed the 9 September election, where no candidate secured the minimum 50 per cent of required votes. Voter turnout increased from 79.98 per cent on 9 September to 87.31 per cent on 30 September. A record eight candidates ran in the election, with no female candidates. Transparency Maldives reported overall peaceful elections despite isolated incidents of violence.

August 2023 | Supreme court bars former president from contesting election

The Supreme Court on 6 August upheld the Election Commission's (EC) decision to decline the candidacy of former president Abdulla Yameen in next month's general election scheduled for 9 September, despite appeals from his lawyers. Yameen was convicted on corruption and money-laundering charges in December 2022, resulting in an 11-year prison sentence. The Supreme Court noted that the EC's rejection under Article 109 of the Constitution was valid, an article which disqualifies candidates running for president with a criminal sentencing that exceeds 12 months. The main opposition People's National Congress has since nominated Mohamed Muiz as Yameen's replacement.

December 2022 | Former president sentenced to jail on corruption charges

The Criminal Court of Maldives on 25 December 2022 found former president Abdulla Yameen guilty on charges of corruption and money laundering, sentencing him to an 11-year jail term. The sentencing rules out Yameen’s presidential candidacy in the upcoming 2023 election for now, as Yameen plans to appeal. Yameen was sentenced to five years in jail for money laundering in 2019 on separate charges, but the Supreme Court overturned the verdict in 2021 due to discrepancies in the evidence presented at the initial trial.

Explore past monthly event reports

GSoD Indices Data 2013-2022

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Basic Information

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Population Tooltip
543 620
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (since 2018)
Head of government party
Maldivian Democratic Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post
Women in lower or single chamber
4.6%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2019
Head of state
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
04/11/2020
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
72.20%
Population Tooltip
543 620
System of government
Presidential system
Head of government
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (since 2018)
Head of government party
Maldivian Democratic Party
Electoral system for lower or single chamber
First Past the Post
Women in lower or single chamber
4.6%
Women in upper chamber
Not applicable
Last legislative election
2019
Head of state
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) date
04/11/2020
Latest Universal Periodic Review (UPR) percentage of recommendations supported
72.20%
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Human Rights Treaties

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State Party State party
Signatory Signatory
No Action No action
United Nations Human Right Treaties
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
State Party
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
State Party
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
State Party
Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
State Party
Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment
State Party
Convention on the Rights of the Child
State Party
International Convention on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
No Action
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance 
Signatory
International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
State Party
International Labour Organisation Treaties
Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention
State Party
Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention
State Party
Equal Remuneration Convention
State Party
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention
State Party
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention
State Party
Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
State Party
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention
State Party
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Performance by category over the last 6 months

Representation neutral Representation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rights
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Rule of law
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024
Representation neutral Participation
Sep 2023
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb 2024

Global State of Democracy Indices

Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years

Explore the indices
Representation
Representation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rights
Rights
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Rule of Law
Rule of Law
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Participation
Participation
0
/1
high 0.7-1.0
mid 0.4-0.7
low 0.0-0.4
Annual value

Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time

Use the slider below to see how democratic performance has changed over time

0 10