Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (; dv, މައުމޫން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް; born 29 December 1937) is a Maldivian politician and an Islamic scholar who served as the
President of Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Transport, he was nominated as President by the
Majlis (Parliament) of the
Maldives
Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
and succeeded
Ibrahim Nasir in 1978. He was defeated in the
October 2008 presidential election. In opposition, he continued to serve as leader of the
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party
The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party ( dv, ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުންގެ ޕާޓީ, , DRP) is a political party of the Maldives. On 2 June 2005, the nation’s 50-member parliament voted unanimously to allow and operate political parties in Maldi ...
until January 2010, when he retired from active politics.
However, in September 2011, he returned to Maldivian politics as the leader of the newly formed
Progressive Party of Maldives
The Progressive Party of Maldives ( dv, ޕްރޮގްރެސިވް ޕާރޓީ އޮފް މޯލްޑިވްސް), also known by its PPM, is an Islamist political party in Maldives with a total membership of 37,093 as of 11 July 2021. The stated goal o ...
(PPM), whose candidate
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Maumoon's half-brother, was victorious in the
2013 presidential elections. In July 2016, due to disagreements between president Yameen and Maumoon, the party split into two factions. Later in October 27, Maumoon withdrew his support for president Yameen and joined the Maldives United Opposition.
Maumoon was arrested on 5 February 2018, for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government along his son-in-law Mohamed Nadheem. Maumoon's son, Faris Maumoon, was arrested and released, then arrested again a day after his release. The Maldivian Democracy Network reported Maumoon and Faris were being tortured by not being allowed medical treatment.
Maumoon was freed on bail on 30 September 2018.
Career and politics
Education and family life
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is the son of Abdul Gayyoom Ibrahim (Maafaiygey Dhon Seedhi) and Khadheeja Moosa. His father had 25 children from 8 wives. He is the 11th child of his family.
He spent most of his youth in Egypt. He was part of a group of 15 students chosen at the initiative of
Mohamed Amin Didi to get an education abroad. At the age of 10, in 1947, he embarked for Egypt. However, because of the troubles which led to the Arab-Israeli war of 1948–1949, his layover in
Ceylon, scheduled to last several days, lasted for two and a half years during which he studied at the
Buona Vista College,
Galle
Galle ( si, ගාල්ල, translit=Gālla; ta, காலி, translit=Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern ...
, and
Royal College, Colombo. He eventually reached Egypt in March 1950, after the end of the conflict.
He attended
Al-Azhar University. He spent six months learning Arabic. He joined the Faculty and graduated in 1966. He also obtained a secondary level certificate in the English Language at the
American University in Cairo.
In 1965, he met
Nasreena Ibrahim
Nasreena Ibrahim is a Maldivian public figure, former First Lady of the Maldives from 1978 until 2008, and the wife of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom.
Nasreena is one of the founding members of the Society for Health Education (SHE), ...
, a student who had just arrived in
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
from the Maldives for her studies. She was then 15 and he was 27. Four years later, they married in Cairo, on 14 July 1969. A few weeks after his marriage, he joined
Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is a federal government research university in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. ABU was founded on 4 October 1962, as the pioneer university in Northern Nigeria. It was founded and named after the Sardauna of Sokoto, A ...
in
Zaria
Zaria is a List of Nigerian cities by population, metropolitan city in Nigeria which at the present time lies within four (4) local government areas in Kaduna State, Kaduna state; it happens to be the capital city to the Zazzau, Zazzau Emirate ...
,
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
as a lecturer in
Islamic Studies
Islamic studies refers to the academic study of Islam, and generally to academic multidisciplinary "studies" programs—programs similar to others that focus on the history, texts and theologies of other religious traditions, such as Easter ...
and moved there with Nasreena.
Early career in the Maldives
When his two-year contract with
Ahmadu Bello University
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria is a federal government research university in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. ABU was founded on 4 October 1962, as the pioneer university in Northern Nigeria. It was founded and named after the Sardauna of Sokoto, A ...
ended, he returned to the Maldives in 1971. Three weeks later, he joined the
Aminiyya School
Aminiya School is a primary, secondary school in Malé, the capital of the Maldives. It is the first girls' secondary school in the country and remained the only all-girls school until 14 June 2011
It was established in 1944 to accommodate Fe ...
as a teacher of English,
arithmetic and
Islam. In 1972, he was appointed as the manager of the government shipping department.
On 12 March 1973, he was placed under house-arrest for criticizing President
Ibrahim Nasir's policies for having no human rights. He was tried in court and sentenced to banishment for four years on 14 May 1973. On 21 May, he was taken to
Makunudhoo Island of
Haa Dhaalu Atoll
Haa Dhaalu Atoll is the code name based on the letters of the Maldivian alphabet commonly used to refer to the administrative division (known as "Atoll") officially known as South Thiladhunmathi Atoll ( Maldivian: ''Thiladhunmathi Dhekunuburi'') ...
. he was released on 13 October 1973, after serving only five months, as a result of an
amnesty
Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, ''amnestia'', "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power offici ...
following Nasir's re-election for a second five-year term.
In 1974, he was appointed under-secretary in the Telecommunications Department. He was thereafter promoted to director of the department. During this period, he worked as a part-time teacher in some private schools, teaching Islam,
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
and English.
On 28 July 1974, he was again arrested for criticizing Nasir's policies. This time he was kept in
solitary confinement in a prison in Malé nicknamed the 'China Garden', as Chinese fishermen were once detained there. This prison was later demolished during Maumoon's presidency and the
Islamic Centre was erected on the site. After 50 days in jail, he was set free, in September 1974.
Six weeks later, he was appointed special
undersecretary
Undersecretary (or under secretary) is a title for a person who works for and has a lower rank than a secretary (person in charge). It is used in the executive branch of government, with different meanings in different political systems, and is al ...
in the office of
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
Ahmed Zaki. The post of Prime Minister was abolished with the removal and
banishment
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
of Ahmed Zaki from office, on 6 March 1975. With this decision, his position vanished as well. However, when he returned from
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
, he was made the Deputy Ambassador of the Maldives to
Sri Lanka. In 1975, he was sent to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
for two months as a member of the Maldives delegation, part of the department of External Affairs (as the Foreign Ministry was then called). After nine weeks, he was appointed the Deputy
Minister of Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...
. One year later, he was tenured at the United Nations from September 1976 to January 1977. On 29 March 1977, Maumoon was appointed Minister of Transport, making him a member of Nasir's
cabinet. He held the post until 10 November 1978.
Presidency
As Ibrahim Nasir's second term was coming to an end, he decided not to seek re-election and, in June 1978, the
Citizen's Majlis was called upon to nominate a presidential candidate as required under the then-existing
constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When these princ ...
. There were 45 votes for Nasir (despite his stated intention not to seek re-election), with the remaining 3 votes for Maumoon. Another ballot was called on 16 June. He received 27 votes, allowing his name to be put forward as the sole candidate.
Five months later, he was elected the new
President of the Maldives
The president of the Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ރައީސުލްޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ) is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Maldives and the commander-in-chief of the Maldives National Defence Fo ...
, with 92.96% of the votes. In a 1983
referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
, he was re-elected on 30 September for a second term, polling 95.6%. On 23 September 1988, he was re-elected for a third term with 96.4% of the popular vote. On 1 October 1993, he was elected for a fourth term with 92.76% of the popular vote. On 16 October 1998, he was elected for a fifth term of office, this time with 90.9% of the popular vote. He was last re-elected to a sixth five-year term in October 2003 with 90.28% of the vote. In all cases, he was the sole candidate, having been nominated by the Majlis.
The President of the Maldives is both the Head of Government and Head of State, with very little distinction between the two roles. Therefore, Maumoon was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Maldivian armed forces, the
Maldives National Defence Force. Additionally he held the portfolio of
Minister of Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
,
and the position of the governor of
Maldives Monetary Authority
The Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) is the central bank of the republic of Maldives and was established on July 1, 1981, under the mandate provided by the "MMA Act" of 1981, located in the capital city of Malé. The current governor and chairp ...
.
In a
2007 referendum, voters approved a presidential system with direct election of the president rather than a parliamentary system.
Coups d'état
There were three attempts to overthrow Maumoon's government during the 1980s. The first one was in 1980 and second attempt was in 1983. The third attempt, which was in 1988, succeeded in controlling the capital city and many government offices. This
coup d'état in Maldives against Maumoon's rule was foiled by the
Indian Armed Forces
The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by th ...
, who intervened at his request.
Assassination attempt
On 8 January 2008, Maumoon escaped unharmed from an assassination attempt at
Hoarafushi. Mohamed Murshid, a twenty-year-old man from the island, attempted to stab him with a knife concealed in a Maldives flag. The attempt was foiled when
Mohamed Jaisham Ibrahim, a sixteen-year-old
Boy Scout from the island, blocked the attack with his bare hands. Jaisham sustained injuries during the intervention and was subsequently treated.
2008 elections
The October 2008 Maldivian presidential election was the first presidential election Maumoon Abdul Gayoom allowed to be contested.
Standing as the DRP candidate, he lost in the election's second round, in which he received 45.75% of the vote against 54.25% for his opponents. MDP's Presidential Candidate
Mohamed Nasheed accordingly succeeded Maumoon as President on November 11, 2008, with
Gaumee Itthihaad's candidate
Dr. Mohammed Waheed Hassan taking the new post of Vice President.
Maumoon's opponents and international
human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
groups had accused him of employing terror tactics against dissidents, such as arbitrary arrests, detention without trial, employing torture,
forced confession
A forced confession is a confession obtained from a suspect or a prisoner by means of torture (including enhanced interrogation techniques) or other forms of duress. Depending on the level of coercion used, a forced confession is not valid in rev ...
s, and politically motivated killings.
Maumoon's tenure was marked by corruption as well as autocratic rule, and, for a country so small, appalling human rights abuses and instances of torture. Even after he left office, he had a strong influence in parliament. Maumoon was declared the "Zaeem", or Honorary Leader, of his party in 2010.
Miadhu News – Maumoon bestowed with the title of “Honorary Leader”
. Retrieved on 2011-04-14.
Life after presidency
On 26 March 2017 he joined the opposition to his half-brother Abdulla Yameen
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom ( dv, ޢަބްދުﷲ ޔާމީން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް; born 21 May 1959) is a Maldivian politician who was President of the Maldives from 2013 to 2018. He left office on 17 November 2018 following his ...
, who became president in 2013, and forged an alliance with his former rival Mohamed Nasheed in view of the 2018 presidential election. The party splitted into two factions, one supporting Yameen and the other supporting Maumoon. The pro-Maumoon faction was later formed a political party named as Maldives Reform Movement.
On 29 June 2018 Nasheed renounced to run in the Maldivian presidential election of 2018 after the refusal of the electoral commission to validate his candidacy. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih was chosen in his place. On election night the estimates of the results showed Solih as the clear winner. The electoral commission then confirmed these results during the night of 23 to 24 September. Abdulla Yameen publicly acknowledged defeat.
Arrest, conviction and release
On 5 February 2018, Abdulla Yameen refused to implement a judgment of the Supreme Court relating to the release of political prisoners, including Faris, the son of Maumoon, despite the request of the UN and remarks that according to him, the Supreme Court ''is not above the law'', then besieged the offices of the Supreme Court, suspended the parliament, in which he had lost the majority after another decision by the Supreme Court ordering the reinstatement of deputies who had recently passed opposition, dismissed police chief, arrested Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and declared state of emergency. In the evening, he also arrested two judges of the Supreme Court, including it's president Abdulla Saeed, and Ali Hameed. He justified this by a ''conspiracy'' and a ''coup''. Nasheed then called on India and the United States to intervene. Finally, the three judges of the Supreme Court who remained free decided to annul the decision. The UN then denounced an ''attack on democracy''.
He was sentenced to 19 months in prison on 13 June 2018 for ''obstructing justice'', for having refused to speak to the judges and to cooperate with the police after his arrest. On September 2018, he was placed under house arrest for health reasons. A day after, he was released on bail and acquitted on 18 October.
References
Further reading
* A Man for All Islands by Royston Ellis
Christopher Royston George Ellis (born 10 February 1941), known as Royston Ellis, is an English novelist, travel writer and erstwhile beat poet.
Biography
Born in Pinner, Ellis was educated at the Harrow County School for Boys in Middlesex unt ...
–
External links
Official site of the Presidency of the Maldives
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, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maumoon, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
1937 births
Al-Azhar University alumni
The American University in Cairo alumni
Living people
Alumni of Royal College, Colombo
Presidents of the Maldives
Finance ministers of the Maldives
Transport ministers of the Maldives
Governors of Maldives Monetary Authority
Permanent Representatives of the Maldives to the United Nations
Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party politicians
People from Malé
Maldivian Muslims
Dhaka College alumni
Stabbing survivors
Progressive Party of Maldives politicians
Maldivian expatriates in Nigeria
Ahmadu Bello University faculty
Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushana
Heads of government who were later imprisoned