Majlis of the Maldives

People's Majlis ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލިސް Rayyithunge Majilis
Type
Type	Unicameral
Term limits	No Limit
History
New session started	February 6, 2017 (2017-02-06)
Leadership
Speaker	Abdulla Maseeh, PPM
Deputy Speaker	Moosa Manik, MDP
Majority Leader	Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik, PPM
Minority Leader	Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, MDP
Structure
Seats	85
Political groups	MDA (5)      PPM (44)      DRP (5)      JP (7)      AP (1)      MDP (21)      Independent (2)
Elections
Last election	22 March 2014
Motto
Wa Amruhum Shuuraa Baynahum
Meeting place
People's Majlis
Website
www.majlis.gov.mv

The People's Majlis is the unicameral legislative body of the Maldives. The Majlis has the authority to enact, amend and revise laws, except the constitution of the Maldives. Majlis is composed of 85 members. Each year on the last Thursday of February, the Majlis is opened by the president of the Maldives. During the opening ceremony, the president outlines his policies and achievements in his presidential term. The annual budget of the state is also passed by the Majlis.

A council was set up by Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen III to draft the constitution of the Maldives on 9 March 1931. The council completed and implemented the constitution on 22 December 1932. This constitution was the basis for the formation, of the first ever Majlis of the Maldives. The meetings of this Majlis were held in the “Hakura Ganduvaru”. The first president or the speaker of the Majlis was Al Ameer Mohammed Farid Didi. Maldives was then ruled by a sultan and the advent of the new constitution was seen as a threat to the sultanate. Thus, mobs were instigated against the constitution and it was publicly torn up. Since then the constitution of the Maldives has been revised a number of times.

The constitution of the Maldives was re-written in 2008, and the composition, electorates and powers of the Majlis changed drastically. For example, the current Majlis has 85 seats, one from each electorate, has an elected speaker from among members, has substantially expanded powers, has been elected in a multi-party election in 2009 and generally resembles the parliament in any liberal democracy.

Two members are elected from each administrative atoll under the present constitution. Another two members are elected from the capital Male’. The president appoints 8 members to the Majlis. In the past the Majlis was fully controlled by the ruling regime but it has changed recently. There are members in the Majlis who have aligned themselves with the opposition parties, although a Multi party election has never been held.

The members are elected for a five-year term. Before the ending of the duration for the existing Majlis, a general election is held to elect a new Majlis. Usually a new Majlis is elected thirty days prior to the expiration of the existing Majlis.