Pre-Crisis Phase (July 26, 1965-November 2, 1988): Maldives formally achieved its independence from the United Kingdom on July 26, 1965. A new constitution establishing the Republic of Maldives was approved by 81 percent of the voters in a referendum held on March 15, 1968, and the new constitution went into effect on November 11, 1968. Prime Minister Ahmed Zaki was re-elected by the Citizen’s Assembly on February 22, 1975. Prime Minister Zaki was removed from office and arrested on March 6, 1975, and President Ibrahim Nasir took over the duties of prime minister on March 7, 1975. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was approved as president in a referendum on September 30, 1978, and he was inaugurated on November 11, 1978. Maldives joined the Commonwealth of Nations (CON) on July 9, 1982. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was approved for a second term in a referendum on September 30, 1983, and he was inaugurated on November 11, 1983. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was approved for a third term with 96 percent of the vote in a referendum on September 23, 1988, and he was inaugurated on November 11, 1988.
Crisis Phase (November 3, 1988-November 3, 1989): Abdullah Luthufi and Sagar Ahmed Nasir led a rebellion against the government on November 3-6, 1988. Some 20 individuals were killed during the rebellion. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom requested military assistance from the Indian government, and 300 Indian government troops were deployed on the island beginning on November 4, 1988. On August 17, 1989, seventeen individuals were sentenced to death for their involvement in the December 1988 rebellion. The death sentences were later commuted to life-imprisonment. Indian government troops were withdrawn from the country on November 3, 1989. Twenty individuals were killed during the crisis.
Post-Crisis Phase (November 4, 1989-September 19, 2003): Legislative elections were held on November 24, 1989, and independents won 48 out if 48 seats in the Citizen’s Assembly. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was approved for a fourth term in a referendum on October 4, 1993, and he was inaugurated on November 11, 1993. Legislative elections were held on December 3, 1994, and independents won 48 out of 48 seats in the Citizen’s Assembly. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) sent observers to monitor the legislative elections. The SAARC mission reported that the legislative elections were free and fair. A new constitution went into effect on January 1, 1998. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was approved for a fifth term on October 16, 1998, and he was inaugurated on November 11, 1998. The SAARC sent the Observer Group of Eminent Persons (OGEP) consisting of six election observers from six countries headed by Dawa Tsering of Bhutan to monitor the presidential referendum from October 12-17, 1998. Legislative elections were held on November 19, 1999, and independents won 42 out of 50 seats in the Citizen’s Assembly (the eight other seats were filled by presidential appointees).
Crisis Phase (September 20, 2003-August 14, 2005): On September 20, 2003, civil unrest occurred in Male following the death of a prisoner in Maafushi jail. Three additional prisoners were killed as a result of disturbances at the jail on September 20, 2003. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was approved for a sixth term on October 17, 2003, and he was inaugurated on November 11, 2003. Government police arrested and detained 15 members of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on February 13, 2004. Anti-government demonstrations occurred in Male on August 12-13, 2004, resulting in the arrest of some 250 individuals. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom declared a state-of-emergency on August 13, 2004. President Gayoom lifted the state-of-emergency on October 11, 2004. Legislative elections were held on January 22, 2005, and supporters of President Gayoom won 28 out of 48 seats in the Citizen’s Assembly. The CON sent eight short-term observers headed by Cassam Uteem of Mauritius to monitor the legislative elections from December 23, 2004 to January 24, 2005. Candidates endorsed by the MDP won 18 out of 42 contested seats in the Citizens’ Assembly. On June 2, 2005, the Citizens’ Assembly voted for the creation of a multiparty system. On August 12-14, 2005, anti-government demonstrations occurred in Male and other locations following the arrest of Mohamed Nasheed, chairman of the MDP.
Post-Crisis (August 15, 2005-April 30, 2011): The EU sent a fact-finding mission to investigate the political crisis in Maldives on August 24-26, 2005. Mohamed Nasheed, leader of the MDP, was released from house arrest on September 21, 2006. Sixty-two percent of voters supported a presidential system in a referendum held on August 18, 2007. President Gayoom ratified a new democratic constitution on August 7, 2008. The first round of presidential elections was held on October 8, 2008, and no candidate won more than 50 percent of the vote. Mohamed Nasheed of the MDP was elected president with 54 percent of the vote in the second round of elections held on October 28, 2008. The CON sent eight short-term observers headed by Owen Arthur of Barbados to monitor the presidential elections from October 1 to October 29, 2008. Japan sent three observers to monitor the first round of the presidential elections on October 7-9, 2008. Mohamed Nasheed was inaugurated as president on November 11, 2008. Legislative elections were held on May 9, 2009, and the President Gayoom’s Maldivian People’s Party (Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party – DRP) won 28 out of 77 seats in the Citizen’s Assembly. The MDP won 26 seats in the Citizen’s Assembly. The CON sent four short-term observers headed by Fran Bailey of Australia to monitor the legislative elections from May 3 to May 10, 2009. President Mohamed Nasheed’s 13-member cabinet resigned in protest of the parliament on June 29, 2010. President Nasheed re-appointed his 3-member cabinet on July 8, 2010.
Crisis Phase (May 1, 2011-present): Anti-government protests broke out in Male on May 1, 2011. Demonstrators clashed with government security forces in Male on May 3, 2011. Anti-government protests took place in Male on December 23, 2011. President Mohamed Nasheed ordered the arrest of Judge Abdulla Mohamed, Chief Justice of the Maldives Criminal Court, on January 16, 2012. Anti-government demonstrators clashed with government police in Male from January 17 to February 7, 2012. President Nasheed resigned from office on February 7, 2012, and Vice-President Mohammed Waheed Hassan was sworn in as president the same day. The new government was recognized by the U.S. and Indian governments. MDP supporters began protests in Male on February 8, 2012. The CON sent a commission of inquiry headed by Surujrattan Rambachan of Trinidad & Tobago to the Maldives on February 17-20, 2012. Kamalesh Sharma, CON Secretary-General, appointed Sir Donald McKinnon as Special Envoy to the Maldives. On August 30, 2012, the CON commission of inquiry reported that former president Mohamed Nasheed had not been forced from office. A court issued an arrest warrant for former President Nasheed on September 26, 2012, and government police arrested former president Mohamed Nasheed on October 8, 2012 (he was released the following day). On March 5, 2013, former president Mohamed Nasheed was re-arrested by government police for alleged abuse of office.
[Sources: Banks and Muller, 1998, 582-584; Bercovitch and Jackson, 1997, 237; British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), September 21, 2003, September 25, 2003, September 26, 2003, October 20, 2003, November 11, 2003, February 13, 2004, August 14, 2004, August 23, 2004, October 8, 2004, January 22, 2005, January 23, 2005, January 27, 2005, September 21, 2006, August 19, 2007, August 7, 2008, October 28, 2008, November 11, 2008, June 29, 2010, July 8, 2010, July 21, 2010, February 7, 2012, February 8, 2012, October 8, 2012, March 5, 2013; Commonwealth of Nations (CoN) press release, October 11, 2004, December 22, 2004, September 25, 2008, October 29, 2008, May 1, 2009, March 1, 2012; Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER), May 3, 1990, 28-30, June 14, 1990, 20-21; Jessup, 1998, 451; Keesing’s Record of World Events, April 28-May 4, 1975, December 1988, August 1989; Reuters, April 20, 2008, October 29, 2008, November 11, 2008, February 7, 2012, February 12, 2012, February 17, 2012, March 1, 2012, August 30, 2012, August 31, 2012, September 26, 2012, October 8, 2012, March 5, 2013.]