At stake in this election:

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

Description of government structure:

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

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system 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.***

*** 2-seat districts. Each voter casts two votes. Two highest vote-getters win seats in each district.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)
  • Leader: Mohamed NASHEED
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Maldivian People's Party / Dhivehi Rahyithunge (DRP)
  • Leader: Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: People's Alliance (PA)
  • Leader: Abdullah YAMEEN
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Justice Party (JP)
  • Leader: Hussain Rasheed AHMED
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Party: Dhivehi Quamee Party (DQP)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: 0
• Independent(s): Independents
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in last election: 0

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 360,000 (2009)
• Registered Voters: 214,405 (March 2009)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 179,451 (2009)

·         Is Maldives a signatory to CEDAW: No

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

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 5 (following the 2009 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: 54,300 (est.)