Majlis Opening Day

People’s Majlis Opening Day marks the first sitting of the Maldivian parliament's annual session and the delivery of the presidential address. Article 84 of the Constitution requires the President to present the state of the country and outline proposals for improvement at the opening. The occasion is therefore a constitutional event rather than a fixed-date national festival: the parliamentary timetable determines the day, and the President may declare it a government holiday for that year.

The address gives legislators and the public a formal account of government priorities, proposed laws and national policy. Debate about those policies belongs to ordinary democratic and parliamentary life; the holiday status should not be presented as approval of the sitting president or governing party. The People's Majlis remains the institution empowered to legislate, scrutinise public administration and represent constituencies across the atolls.

Directive No. 3/2026 declared Thursday, February 5 a government holiday because the presidential address was scheduled for that day. The President's Office described this as a traditional administrative practice, not a permanent statutory date. Government-office closure does not automatically bind every private employer, resort or essential service. The Ministry of Education calendar also lists the day, while employment agreements and the Employment Act govern people rostered to work. Future years require a fresh official announcement.