At stake in this election:

• 42 seats in the People's Council (Majlis)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM *
• Head of Government: President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM
• Assembly: Maldives has a unicameral People's Council (Majlis) with 50 seats.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government.
Presidential candidates are first nominated by the People's Council and must secure a 51% approval in a national referendum. The president serves a five-year term.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is approved by referendum to serve a 5-year term.
• In the People's Council (Majlis), 42 members are elected by plurality vote in multi-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms and 8 members are appointed by the president to serve 5-year terms.***

*** Political parties do not exist in Maldives. The Maldivian Democratic Party operates from exile in Sri Lanka.
All seats were secured by independents.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Independent(s): Pro-Government
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 20
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Independent(s): Endorsed by the Maldives Democratic Party
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 18
  • Seats won in last election: N/A
• Independent(s): Independent
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this election: 4
  • Seats won in last election: N/A

Last Parliamentary election:

• The last parliamentary election was on November 20, 1999.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 321,000 (2005)
• Registered Voters: 157,027 (2005)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 159,602 (2005)

·         Is Maldives a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Maldives ratified CEDAW: Yes, acession (1 July 1993)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 6 (following the 2005 parliamentary elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 104 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Maldives a signatory to CRPD: Yes (2 October 2007)

·         Has Maldives ratified CRPD: Yes (5 April 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 48,150 (est.)