Maumoon Abdul Gayoom - Former President of Maldives, Facts and Personal Life
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's Personal Details
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is a Maldivianpolitician who served as the President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | December 29, 1937 |
| Nationality | Maldivian |
| Famous | Leaders, Political Leaders, Presidents, Former President of Maldives |
| Spouses | Nasreena Ibrahim |
| Siblings | Abdulla Hameed, Abdulla Yameen |
| Childrens | Dunya Maumoon |
| Universities |
|
| Founder / Co-Founder |
|
| Birth Place | Malé, Maldives |
| Religion | Islam, Sunni Islam |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Abdul Qayyoom Ibrahim |
| Sun Sign | Capricorn |
| Born in | Malé, Maldives |
| Famous as | Former President of Maldives |
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's photo
Who is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is a Maldivian politician who served as the President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. He ventured into politics as the minister of transport and went in to become the President of Maldives. Even though there were three attempts to overthrow his government, he remained in office as the longest-serving leader of Maldives till 2008 when Mohamed Nasheed became the President. He was accused of employing terror tactics against dissidents, and opponents through arbitrary arrests, detention without trial, torture, forced confessions, and politically motivated killings by his opponents and international human rights groups. Gayoom's political tenure was also marked by several allegations of corruption, autocratic rule and human rights abuses and corruption but he still denies these charges. Even after he was succeeded by Mohamed Nasheed, parliament still remained heavily influenced by Gayoom. He retired from active politics in January 2010 but he returned to Maldivian politics as the leader of the newly formed Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in September 2011.
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Childhood & Early Life
Mamoon Abdul Gayoom was born December 29, 1937 to Abdul Gayoom Ibrahim and Khadheeja Moosa. His father had 125 children from 8 wives and Gayoom is the 11th child of his parents.
Gayoom spent a considerable part of his youth in Egypt as a part of the educational group sent by Mohamed Amin Didi under an educational scheme.
He had left for Egypt in 1947 but due to Arab-Israeli conflict in 1948-49, he had to stay in Ceylon where he enrolled at the Royal College, Colombo, and stayed for another two and half years till 1950.
In March 1950 he reached Egypt and joined the Galamuniyaa University for graduation. He passed out from college with flying colors in 1966. He also got trained in Arabic and English language, receiving a secondary level certificate for the later from the American University in Cairo.
Career
He shifted to Zaria, Nigeria post marriage in 1969 where he became a lecturer of Islamic studies at the Ahmadu Bello University. After fulfilling the contractual term of two years, he went back to Maldives.
While in Maldives, he worked as English, arithmetic and Islam teacher in the Aminiyya School during 1971 and later became the manager of the governmental shipping department in 1972.
Gayoom was tried in 1973 for criticizing the policies of President Ibrahim Nasir and sentenced to banishment for 4 years, but he was released within five months only due to an amnesty post Ibrahim Nasir’s re-election.
In 1974, he became under-secretary in the department of telecommunications and later became its director.
Gayyom was once again in trouble for criticizing Nasir in 1974, and this time he was imprisoned for 50 days in Male in the prison called the ‘China Garden’.
He went on to become the special undersecretary at the Prime Minister, Ahmed Zaki’s Office during late 1974. With the abolishment of the prime ministerial post, Gayoom became jobless but in 1975 he was appointed deputy ambassador of the Maldives to Srilanka.
During 1975, he was sent to the United Nations as a Maldivian delegate under the Foreign Ministry.
He served as the deputy minister of transport and later joined Ibrahim Nasir’s cabinet as the Minister of Transport from March 29, 1977 till November 10, 1978.
As per Nasir’s disinterest in contesting for re-election in 1978, the Citizen’s Majlis nominated Gayoom (with 27 votes) for the presidential candidature.
He was elected President of the Maldives with 92.96% of the votes and the grand reception of his inauguration was held at the Majeediyaa School on November, 10, 1978.
Gayoom was also the Commander-in-Chief of the Maldivian armed forces, the Maldives National Defence Force on the grounds of the President of the Maldives being the the Head of Government as well as the Head of State.
Through a referendum, he was re-elected President for a second time on September 30, 1983 with 95.6% votes and a third time by 96.4% on September 23, 1988.
Being the only candidate nominated by the Citizen Majlis, he made a record by being re-elected even the fourth (October 1, 1993 by 92.76%), fifth (October, 16 by 90.9%) and finally the sixth time in a row in October 2003 with 90.28% of the votes.
His governance was without doubt autocratic as evident from the curbs he put on the freedom of expression.
Three attempts were made to overthrow his government in the 1980s.
He thwarted the third attempt to overthrow his government in 1988 with the help of Indian military.
He lost to Mohammed Nasheed in the first ever democratic presidential elections of Maldives in 2008 after serving as a President for six consecutive terms. He won the first round but failed to meet the prerequisite of the 50% majority for a clear win against his opponent, MDP's Mohamed Nasheed (54.25%).
Gayoom later became the leader of the opposition party, the Dhivehi Rayyithunge but retired from politics in January 2010.
Later he returned to politics in September, 2011 as a leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
Personal Life & Legacy
Gayoom got married on July 14, 1969 in Cairo to Nasreena Ibrahim from Maldives whom he met in Cairo. The couple had twin daughters and two sons (Dhunya, Yumna , Farish and Ghassan).
Gayoom had a narrow escape on January 8, 2008 when a twenty-year-old Mohamed Murshid attacked him with a knife in Hoarafushi. He was saved by a young boy scout, Mohamed Jaisham Ibrahim who sustained the attack with his hands and faced injuries.
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Maumoon Abdul Gayoom biography timelines
- // 29th Dec 1937Mamoon Abdul Gayoom was born December 29, 1937 to Abdul Gayoom Ibrahim and Khadheeja Moosa. His father had 125 children from 8 wives and Gayoom is the 11th child of his parents.
- // Mar 1950 To 1966In March 1950 he reached Egypt and joined the Galamuniyaa University for graduation. He passed out from college with flying colors in 1966. He also got trained in Arabic and English language, receiving a secondary level certificate for the later from the American University in Cairo.
- // 1969He shifted to Zaria, Nigeria post marriage in 1969 where he became a lecturer of Islamic studies at the Ahmadu Bello University. After fulfilling the contractual term of two years, he went back to Maldives.
- // 14th Jul 1969Gayoom got married on July 14, 1969 in Cairo to Nasreena Ibrahim from Maldives whom he met in Cairo. The couple had twin daughters and two sons (Dhunya, Yumna , Farish and Ghassan).
- // 1971 To 1972While in Maldives, he worked as English, arithmetic and Islam teacher in the Aminiyya School during 1971 and later became the manager of the governmental shipping department in 1972.
- // 1973Gayoom was tried in 1973 for criticizing the policies of President Ibrahim Nasir and sentenced to banishment for 4 years, but he was released within five months only due to an amnesty post Ibrahim Nasir’s re-election.
- // 1974In 1974, he became under-secretary in the department of telecommunications and later became its director.
- // 1974Gayyom was once again in trouble for criticizing Nasir in 1974, and this time he was imprisoned for 50 days in Male in the prison called the ‘China Garden’.
- // 1974 To 1975He went on to become the special undersecretary at the Prime Minister, Ahmed Zaki’s Office during late 1974. With the abolishment of the prime ministerial post, Gayoom became jobless but in 1975 he was appointed deputy ambassador of the Maldives to Srilanka.
- // 1975During 1975, he was sent to the United Nations as a Maldivian delegate under the Foreign Ministry.
- // 29th Mar 1977 To 10th Nov 1978He served as the deputy minister of transport and later joined Ibrahim Nasir’s cabinet as the Minister of Transport from March 29, 1977 till November 10, 1978.
- // 1978As per Nasir’s disinterest in contesting for re-election in 1978, the Citizen’s Majlis nominated Gayoom (with 27 votes) for the presidential candidature.
- // 1978He was elected President of the Maldives with 92.96% of the votes and the grand reception of his inauguration was held at the Majeediyaa School on November, 10, 1978.
- // 30th Sep 1983 To 23rd Sep 1988Through a referendum, he was re-elected President for a second time on September 30, 1983 with 95.6% votes and a third time by 96.4% on September 23, 1988.
- // 1988He thwarted the third attempt to overthrow his government in 1988 with the help of Indian military.
- // 1st Oct 1993 To Oct 2003Being the only candidate nominated by the Citizen Majlis, he made a record by being re-elected even the fourth (October 1, 1993 by 92.76%), fifth (October, 16 by 90.9%) and finally the sixth time in a row in October 2003 with 90.28% of the votes.
- // 2008He lost to Mohammed Nasheed in the first ever democratic presidential elections of Maldives in 2008 after serving as a President for six consecutive terms. He won the first round but failed to meet the prerequisite of the 50% majority for a clear win against his opponent, MDP's Mohamed Nasheed (54.25%).
- // 8th Jan 2008Gayoom had a narrow escape on January 8, 2008 when a twenty-year-old Mohamed Murshid attacked him with a knife in Hoarafushi. He was saved by a young boy scout, Mohamed Jaisham Ibrahim who sustained the attack with his hands and faced injuries.
- // Jan 2010Gayoom later became the leader of the opposition party, the Dhivehi Rayyithunge but retired from politics in January 2010.
- // 2011Later he returned to politics in September, 2011 as a leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM).
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Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's FAQ
What is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom birthday?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was born at 1937-12-29
Where is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's birth place?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was born in Malé, Maldives
What is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom nationalities?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's nationalities is Maldivian
Who is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom spouses?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's spouses is Nasreena Ibrahim
Who is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom siblings?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's siblings is Abdulla Hameed, Abdulla Yameen
Who is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom childrens?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's childrens is Dunya Maumoon
What was Maumoon Abdul Gayoom universities?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom studied at Al-Azhar University, American University in Cairo, Royal College, Colombo
Which company or organization was founded by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom was the founder/co-founder of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party, Progressive Party of Maldives
What is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's religion?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's religion is Islam, Sunni Islam
Who is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's father?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's father is Abdul Qayyoom Ibrahim
What is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's sun sign?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is Capricorn
How famous is Maumoon Abdul Gayoom?
Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is famouse as Former President of Maldives