At stake in this election:

• 85 seats in the People’s Majilis (Rayyithunge Majilis) of the Maldives.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Abdulla YAMEEN
• Head of Government: President Abdulla YAMEEN
• Assembly: Maldives has a unicameral People's Majilis (Rayyithunge Majilis) with 85 seats. 8 seats were added prior to this election to account for demographic changes in the country

Description of electoral system:

• In the People's Majilis (Rayyithunge Majilis), 85 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms. Each of the 20 administrative atolls and Malé are considered separate administrative divisions and have a minimum of two elected members, with additional members elected if the population of the administrative division is over 5,000 people.

Election Notes:

• The last elections to the People’s Majilis were held on May 9, 2009. These elections marked the first multi-party parliamentary elections in Maldivian history, following the legalization of political parties in 2005. Eleven parties contested the elections, in addition to independent candidates. The Dhivehi Raiyithunge Party won the most seats in the election (28), followed by the Maldivian Democratic Party of then-President Mohamed NASHEED (26 seats). The 2014 People’s Majilis election follows both the 2013 presidential elections and the 2014 local elections in the Maldives. In the presidential election, Abdulla YAMEEN (PPM) was elected president in the second round of voting with 51.39 percent of the vote. In the local elections, the coalition led by the PPM won a majority in 86 island councils, while the MDP won a majority in 74 island councils.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) / ދިވެހިރައްޔިތުންގެ ޑިމޮކްރެޓިކް ޕާޓީ [i]
  • Chairperson: Reeko Moosa MANIK
  • Seats won in last People’s Majilis election:26
• Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) / / ޕްރޮގްރެސިވް ޕާރޓީ އޮފް މޯލްޑިވްސް: ޕީ.ޕީ.އެމް [ii]
  • President: Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM
  • Seats won in last People’s Majilis election: N/A[iii]
• Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) / ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުންގެ ޕާޓީ [iv]
  • Interim Leader: Kaanal Mohamed NASHEED[v]
  • Seats won in last People’s Majilis election: 28
• Jumhooree Party / ޖުމްހޫރީ ޕާޓީ
  • Leader: Qasim IBRAHIM
  • Seats won in last People’s Majilis election: 1
• Adhaalath Party / ޢަދާލަތު ޕާޓީ  [vi]
  • Leader: Sheikh Imran ABDULLA
  • Seats won in last People’s Majilis election: 0
• Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) / މޯލްޑިވްސް ޑިވެލޮޕްމަންޓް އެލަޔަންސް
  • Leader: Ahmed Siyam MOHAMED
  • Seats won in last People’s Majilis election: 0
• Independents 
  • Seats won in last People’s Majilis election: 13

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 401,000 (2014)
• Registered Voters: 204,652 (2014)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 199,915 (2014)

·         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: 60,150 (est.)