Democracy in the Maldives, Meet the world's newest multiparty democracy.

Here's news to cheer: The Maldives, a picturesque archipelago nation in the Indian Ocean, this week became the world's newest multiparty democracy.

The new president, Mohamed Nasheed, was sworn in on Tuesday, winning office in an election last month by a 54% to 46% margin over the incumbent, President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. This is the first time the Maldivian people have directly exercised their suffrage for the highest office in the land. Since independence from Britain in 1965, the country has seen only two rulers; both were authoritarian and elected indirectly by the legislature.

President-elect Nasheed is a long-time democracy activist who has been jailed often during the past 15 years for criticizing the government on matters of free speech and political opposition. In 1991, Amnesty International declared him a "Prisoner of Conscience."

There is one exception to Mr. Nasheed's democratic bona fides and that is religious freedom. The Maldives is a Muslim country and Mr. Nasheed aligned himself with the Adaalat Party -- which aims "to establish an Islamic political, social, economic, cultural and moral system" -- to win office. He has also expressed support for continuing curbs on religious freedom; the Maldives denies citizenship to non-Muslims. Promoting religious tolerance is especially important in a country that is 99% Sunni Muslim, is infused with Middle Eastern cash, and where Wahhabism has been on the rise.

With this week's inaugural, the Maldives has entered a new stage in its short history. Mr. Nasheed now can take the nation further forward by granting citizens all of their basic freedoms, including that of religion.

Source: online.wsj.com