CHAPTER X. PROPERTY, LIABILITIES AND LEGAL ACTIONS of the STATE
247. Property and assets owned and acquired by the State
- All property, assets and monies which at the commencement of this Constitution were vested in the State shall continue to vest in the State.
- All property, assets and monies acquired for, or received by the State shall vest in the State.
248. Land, sea and naturally occurring valuable resources
- The land, sea, and seabed, including all fish within the territory of the Maldives, and all naturally occurring resources, including metallic ores, petroleum and gas, shall vest in the State.
- All living, non-living and naturally occurring resources of value within the Exclusive Economic Zone and the seabed of the Maldives shall vest in the State.
249. Ownerless property
- Any property found within the territory of the Maldives and any property occurring in the seabed or found drifting in the sea, save those naturally occurring or formed in the sea, without a rightful owner, shall vest in the State.
- All property such as gold, silver, other precious metals, jewelry, money and items of historical interest, excavated within the territory of the Maldives without a rightful owner, shall vest in the State.
250. Transactions relating to State property
- Any transfer, sale, lease, release, mortgage (to any person) or destruction of, any property or assets owned by the State, and any such other agreement, shall only be entered into in accordance with law.
- Money, property or any other thing kept as a reserve in the State Treasury shall be used only after approval by a resolution passed by a two-thirds majority of the total membership of the People’s Majlis.
251. Prohibition of foreign ownership and foreign military purposes
- No foreign party, shall own or be given ownership of any part of the territory of the Maldives.
- A foreign party shall not receive a lease of, or be given in any other way, any part of the territory of the Maldives for a period exceeding ninety nine years.
- No part of the territory of the Maldives shall be used for foreign military purposes without the approval of the majority of the total membership of the People’s Majlis.
252. Legal actions in the name of the State
Except where specified in this Constitution as the responsibility of another party, the Executive may sue or be sued on behalf of the State, and may defend any action against the State, in any court of the Maldives, in any foreign court, or in any other place.
