Legislative branch: unicameral Citizens' Council (Majlis)
Judicial branch: High Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—President Maumoon Abdul GAYOOM (since since 11 November 1978)
Political parties and leaders: no organized political parties; country governed by the Didi clan for the past eight centuries
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections:
President—last held 23 September 1988 (next to be held September
1994);
results—President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom reelected;
Citizens' Council—last held on 7 December 1984 (next to be held 7 December 1989); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(48 total, 40 elected)
Communists: negligible
Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth (special member), ESCAP, FAO,
G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD,
IFC, IMF, IMO, ITU, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Maldives does not maintain an embassy in the US, but does have a UN mission in New York; US—the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accredited to Maldives and makes periodic visits there; US Consular Agency, Mahduedurage, Violet Magu, Henveru, Male; telephone 2581