SOUTH ASIA - House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats

2268be a Sunni Muslim male, from a list of self-announced candidates for the nomination.Would-be nominees for President are not permitted to campaign for the nomination.The nominee is then confirmed or rejected by secret ballot in a nationwidereferendum. From a field of five candidates, President Gayoom was nominated bythe Majlis and was confirmed for a fifth 5-year term in October 1998. Observersfrom the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation found the referendumto be free and fair.The elected members of the Majlis, who must be Muslims, serve 5-year terms. Allcitizens over 21 years of age may vote. Of the body’s 50 members, 42 are elected—2 from each of the 20 inhabited atolls and 2 from Male—and the President appoints8 members. Individuals or groups are free to approach members of the Majlis withgrievances or opinions on proposed legislation, and any member may introduce legislation.There are no political parties, which are officially discouraged.The Office of the President is the most powerful political institution. The 1997Constitution gives Islamic law preeminence over civil law and designates the Presidentas the ‘‘supreme authority to propagate the tenets’’ of Islam. The President’sauthority to appoint one-sixth of the Majlis members, which is one-third of the totalneeded for nominating the President, provides the President with a power base andstrong political leverage. The President currently also is commander in chief of thearmed forces, the Minister of Defense and National Security, the Minister of Financeand Treasury, and the Governor of the Maldivian Monetary Authority.Relations between the Government and the Majlis have been constructive. TheGovernment may introduce legislation but may not enact a bill into law without theMajlis’ approval. However, the Majlis may enact legislation into law without presidentialassent if the President fails to act on the proposal within 30 days or if abill is repassed with a two-thirds majority. In recent years, the Majlis has becomeincreasingly independent, challenging government policies and rejecting government-proposedlegislation.In 1993 the Majlis introduced a question period during which members may questiongovernment ministers about public policy. Debate on the floor has since becomeincreasingly sharp and more open. Elections to the People’s Majlis were held in November1999. According to observers from the South Asian Association for RegionalCooperation (SAARC), the elections were generally free and fair. Several losing candidatesentered court challenges, but the courts upheld the election results.Women are not eligible to become president but may hold other government posts.For reasons of tradition and culture, few women seek or are selected for public office,and women are underrepresented in government and politics. In order to increaseparticipation by women in the political process, the Government continueda political awareness campaign in the atolls. In the November 1999 elections, sixwomen ran for seats and two were elected. During the 1999 elections, observersfrom the SAARC noted that women participated equally in the electoral process.Following the elections, President Gayoom appointed an additional three women tothe Majlis.Section 4. Governmental Attitude Regarding International and Nongovernmental Investigationof Alleged Violations of Human RightsAlthough not prohibited, there are no active local human rights groups. The Governmenthas been responsive to at least one foreign government’s interest in examininghuman rights issues. The Government also facilitated visits of teams ofSAARC election observers in 1994, 1998, and 1999.Section 5. Discrimination Based on Race, Sex, Religion, Disability, Language, or SocialStatusThe 1997 Constitution declares all citizens equal before the law, but there is nospecific provision to prohibit discrimination based on these factors. Women have traditionallybeen disadvantaged, particularly in terms of education and the applicationof Islamic law to matters such as divorce, inheritance, and testimony in legal proceedings.Women.—Women’s rights advocates agree that wife beating and other forms of violenceare not widespread. There are no firm data on the extent of violence againstwomen because of the value attached to privacy in this conservative society. In 1997the Government commissioned a study by a local nongovernmental organization(NGO) on domestic violence, but it was never completed. Police officials report thatthey receive few complaints of assaults against women. Rape and other violentcrimes against women are extremely rare. None were reported or prosecuted duringthe year. Under Shari’a the penalty would be flogging, banishment, or imprisonmentfor up to 5 years.VerDate 11-MAY-2000 13:46 Sep 20, 2001 Jkt 071555 PO 00000 Frm 00112 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 F:\WORK\COUNTRYR\S71555\71555.036 HINTREL1 PsN: HINTREL1