Writer
Aishath Rasheed
Political correspondent. Covered the last four presidential elections and the long arc of constitutional reform from Majeedhee Magu.
Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Cabinet appointments to require minimum qualifications, Muizzu says
Political hiring in the executive will be scaled back in favour of published qualification criteria and open recruitment.
Muizzu pledges an AI regulation bill in the next Majlis session
The president names artificial intelligence as one of four priority areas for legislation in the second half of the year.
Tuesday, 14 April 2026
Muizzu cuts his cabinet from twenty ministries to fifteen
Ten ministers resign — almost half the cabinet — as the president restructures the executive ten days after a bruising referendum loss.
Sunday, 5 April 2026
Women's Development Committee vote mirrors the national swing
In 226 WDC seats with reported results, PNC took 100 to MDP's 83 — a narrower margin than the party had grown used to.
MDP sweeps the mayoralties; PNC holds council seats by a thread
The opposition takes all five city mayoralties — including Male' — while the ruling party clings to a one-seat edge in the broader council count.
Saturday, 4 April 2026
Voters reject the referendum on joint elections, 68.7 per cent to 31.3
The constitutional amendment that would have merged presidential and parliamentary polls has been turned back at the ballot — and the government has read it as a verdict.
Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Constitutional amendment on simultaneous elections passes Parliament
The Eighth Amendment clears the Majlis on 10 February with the supermajority required to proceed to a referendum.
Thursday, 15 January 2026
Parliament approves the death penalty for major drug trafficking cases
A unanimous vote permits capital punishment where the Supreme Court bench reaches a unanimous decision.
Monday, 5 January 2026
Extraordinary session passes constitutional amendment bill; MDP boycotts
A bill tabled on the 4th, passed on the 5th — and walked out of by the principal opposition party.