Politics

On the occasion of the New Year, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, in his address given on 1 January 2026, revealed important goals and policies set for the future of the nation. In this address, the President noted that 2026 will be a year of major changes for the economic and social development of the Maldives, and highlighted the important areas that the government will prioritize. In particular, he assured that the work begun in the past to strengthen national unity and increase the prosperity of the people will be further expanded this year. In addition, President Muizzu emphasized in this message the need for all citizens to work together as one to achieve the national development goals set for 2026.

Today, 1 January 2026, the opportunity to submit applications online has been officially opened for candidates who wish to contest in the upcoming Local Council Elections. The Elections Commission has taken this step with the aim of further strengthening the electoral process and facilitating the opportunity for candidates in different parts of the Maldives to easily compete. Under this new system, arrangements have been made for candidates' documents to be submitted digitally. Detailed information on the progress of election-related matters will now be available through the Commission's portal.

Under the new system that came into effect today, the opportunity to immediately leave a party without any delay has now been opened to general members, upon submitting a request to leave political parties. This modern system is designed to automatically complete tasks through the Elections Commission's portal, bringing an end to the long wait of previous administrative stages. As a result, names are immediately removed from the registers of political parties, which is a major relief for the people, ensuring their political freedom and allowing members to switch to another party or remain as an independent member whenever they wish.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Maumoon Foundation signed an important agreement today, 1 January 2026. Information indicates that this agreement was made to work together in religious and social spheres. Senior officials from the Ministry and leaders from the Maumoon Foundation participated in this ceremony and discussed further strengthening the relationship between the two parties with the start of this new year. It is planned to conduct many activities to increase religious awareness in the future under this agreement.

New rules on how Dhivehi Civil Service employees and female employees should dress in the work environment have been established to come into effect from 1 January 2026. This new dress code is a set of changes introduced with the aim of maintaining the dignity and prestige of the Civil Service and emphasizing that employees appear in a pleasant and complete manner that is relevant to the formal work environment. With this decision, all civil servants and female employees have been instructed to respect the new standards and attend work in the prescribed formal attire.

Riko Moosa Manik has announced his interest in running for the position of Chairperson of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on January 1, 2026. Moosa made this decision with the support of the party's general members, with the aim of strengthening the MDP's internal operations and preparing the party for upcoming political activities. Following his expression of interest in running for this position, discussions have now begun among those active in the forefront of the party regarding this matter.

The "2025 Retrospective" report, released on the first day of 2026, notes that the past year was one in which significant progress was achieved in the political and foreign affairs sectors. The report reveals that during this period, relations between the world's major powers have strengthened, and peace and cooperation have increased in the international arena. Specifically, due to new alliances and important agreements made between countries, today's news describes 2025 as a year of revolutionary changes in the diplomatic arena.

In order to strengthen the administration of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and further expand its work, major changes have been brought to the ministry's structure, and new individuals have been appointed to important positions today. These changes, which came into effect on January 1, 2026, include the appointment of new leaders to the responsibilities of important areas related to religious affairs, in addition to administrative management. These reform changes are an important step taken to raise the level of services provided by the Ministry to the public and to achieve the Ministry's goals. In addition, it has been decided to reorganize some sections under the new structure and speed up the pace of work.

On January 1, 2026, the opposition has strongly criticized and expressed concern over the government's economic policies and land-related decisions. In a statement issued by the opposition coalition, it was stated that the government's current economic direction is having adverse effects on the country's financial situation, and that the public's interest should be prioritized in land use. In addition, opposition political leaders have called for economic reform measures to be taken under a transparent policy, and for a review of land allocation procedures.

Today, Thursday, 1 January 2026, President Yameen highlighted the importance of strengthening the Maldivian National Defence Force and national security, and called on the entire nation to increase national resilience and steadfastness. In this statement addressing the nation, he emphasized the importance of all citizens uniting to protect the independence and sovereignty of Maldives, and of strengthening the defense system to overcome any challenges that may arise. In addition, President Yameen said that the internal stability of the country and the solidarity among the people are the greatest strength to protect the country from external influences. This call is an important message given on the occasion of the New Year with the aim of reviving the national spirit and protecting the sovereignty of the state.

The Mayor of Male' City, Adam Azim, submitted a case concerning illegal agreements related to some transactions previously conducted by the City Council to the Police Department on January 1, 2026. The Mayor noted that these agreements were invalid transactions signed against established procedures and to the detriment of the Council. The Mayor stated that the case was submitted to the police to investigate whether it involved a criminal offense and to take action against those responsible. He noted that this was a step taken as part of efforts to strengthen the Council's operations and eliminate opportunities for corruption.

On January 1, 2026, the government revealed important details regarding the development and infrastructure of various atolls in the Maldives. These projects include the construction of island harbors, the modernization of roads, and the expansion of essential services, marking an important step towards accelerating the economic pace of the atolls. The purpose of these works, which began with the new year, is to raise the standard of living in the islands and provide a permanent solution to the infrastructure challenges in the atolls. These "Miscellaneous," or various types of infrastructural development details, underway in various regions, demonstrate the continuous efforts being made for the development of the islands of the Maldives.

Legal assistance regarding the case of the murder of Mandey and Haadhee, and the proceedings of the trials of that case were further expedited on 1 January 2026. While the relevant authorities are working to provide the necessary legal assistance to those involved in this case, this has been noted as an important effort to establish justice. Today, state institutions have given special priority to obtaining details of the cases being heard in court in connection with this incident and to punishing the perpetrators.