This page is a brief, factual orientation to how the Maldives is governed — useful background alongside our history timeline, and deliberately non-partisan: it describes the structure of government, not any particular administration or policy position.
Structure
The Maldives is a presidential republic. The President serves as both head of state and head of government, elected by popular vote. The People's Majlis is the country's parliament, responsible for legislation, with members elected from constituencies across the country.
From sultanate to republic
As covered in our history timeline, the Maldives moved from a centuries-long sultanate system to a republic following independence from British protectorate status in 1965, with the modern republican system dating to 1968.
A multi-party system
Since reforms in the early 2000s, the Maldives has operated as a multi-party democracy, with regular presidential and parliamentary elections — a relatively recent development in the country's political history compared to its much longer sultanate era.