The politics of the Maldives, as per the reports, take place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is the Head of Government. Executive power is exercised by the government. The President heads the executive branch and appoints the Cabinet; like many presidential democracies, each member of the cabinet need to be approved by the Parliament. The President, along with their pick for vice president, is directly elected by the denizens to a five-year term by a secret ballot. Once in office, they could be re-elected to a second 5-year term, which is the limit allowed by the Constitution. The current President of the Maldives is Mohamed Muizzu, when his predecessor, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih lost the 2023 Maldivian presidential election. Nasheed reportedly resigned involuntarily to forestall an escalation of violence, and was placed in jail, before being forced into exile, from which he eventually returned.
The Maldives has remained an independent nation throughout its recorded history, save for a brief spell of Portuguese occupation in the mid-16th century. From 1887 to 1965, the country was a British protectorate while retaining full internal sovereignty. At its independence in 1965, the Maldives joined the United Nations on 20 September.
Fathulla Jameel was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives from 1978 to 2005.
Dunya Maumoon is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013–2016) of the Government of Maldives.
The People's Majlis is the unicameral legislative body of Maldives. The Majlis has the authority to enact, amend and revise laws, as outlined in the Constitution of the Maldives. The Majlis is composed of 87 members as of 2019.
Ahmed Shaheed is a Maldivian diplomat, politician and professor. On 24 March 2016, he was appointed for the sixth year running as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Shaheed is also the Chairperson of the Geneva-based international human rights think-tank, Universal Rights Group, which was launched in January 2014. He now lives in England, as Visiting Professor of Human Rights Practice at the University of Essex.
Ibrahim Hussein Zaki is a politician of the Maldives.
Maldives–Pakistan relations are the foreign relations between Pakistan and the Maldives.
Israel–Maldives relations refer to foreign relations between Israel and the Maldives. The countries had diplomatic relations from 1965 to 1974. From 2012 to 2017, they maintained cooperation agreements, but did not restore full diplomatic relations.
The Cabinet of the Maldives is the most senior level of the executive branch of the Government of the Maldives. It is made up of the President, the Vice President, Attorney General and the Ministers.
Abdulla Shahid is a Maldivian politician who served as President of the 76th United Nations General Assembly between 2021 and 2022. Shahid is the first Maldivian politician to hold that post. He had served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maldives from 2018 to 2023.
Malaysia–Maldives relations refers to bilateral foreign relations between Malaysia and the Maldives. Malaysia's High Commission in Colombo, Sri Lanka is also accredited to the Maldives, and Maldives has a High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.
Japan–Maldives relations are foreign relations between Japan and Maldives. Diplomatic relations were established in 1967.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives is responsible for managing the Foreign relations of the Maldives.
Mohamed Asim is a Maldivian civil servant and diplomat who has been Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives 2016 to 2018.
Maldives–Turkey relations are the foreign relations between the Maldives and the Turkey. The diplomatic relations were established in 1979. The Turkish Embassy in New Delhi, India is accredited to the Maldives and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Maldives to the United Nations Office in Geneva is accredited to Turkey. The two countries have good relations between them mostly in the areas of tourism and defence, while being in close cooperation with one another on international platforms including the United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Maldives–Nepal relations refers to foreign relations between the Maldives and Nepal.
