Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom GCMG NGIV
މައުމޫން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް
Official Portrait, 1978
3rd President of the Maldives
In office 11 November 1978 – 11 November 2008
Vice President	None
Preceded by	Ibrahim Nasir
Succeeded by	Mohamed Nasheed
Personal details
Born	Abdulla Maumoon Khairi (1937-12-29) 29 December 1937 (age 86) Malé, Sultanate of the Maldive Islands
Political party	Reform (since 2019)
Other political affiliations	Independent (before 2005) Rayyithunge (2005–2011) Progressive (2011–2017)
Spouse	Nasreena Ibrahim ​ (m. 1969)​
Relations	Abdulla Yameen (half-brother)
Children	Dunya Yumna Faris Ghassan
Parent	Abdul Gayoom Ibrahim
Alma mater	Al-Azhar University Buona Vista College Royal College Ahmadu Bello University
Signature

This article is part of a series about Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
Political career President (1978–2008) Minister of Transport (1977–1978) Minister of Finance (1978–1988, 1989–2004) Diplomatic positions Deputy Ambassador of the Maldives to Sri Lanka Permanent representative to the United Nations Presidency Coup attempt Unrests 2003 2005 2004 Tsunami Trips Assassination attempt Elections 1978· 1983· 1988· 1993· 1998· 2003 Family Nasreena Ibrahim Dunya· Yumna· Faris· Ghassan Media Gallery
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Maumoon Abdul Gayoom^[a] GCMG,NGIV (born 29 December 1937) is a Maldivian diplomat and politician who served as President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as transport minister, he was nominated president by the People's Majlis and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir in 1978. He was defeated in 2008 during the first Presidential Elections after democratic reforms in the Maldives.^[1] He holds the nations highest award, "The Most Honourable Order of Distinguished Rule of Ghaazee", presented to him in 2013.^[2] Maumoon was the longest-serving president in Asia.^[3]

In opposition, Maumoon continued to serve as leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party until January 2010, when he retired from active politics. He however returned to active politics in September 2011 as leader of the newly formed Progressive Party of Maldives (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, Maumoon withdrew his support for president Yameen and joined the Maldives United Opposition.^[4][5]

Maumoon was arrested on 5 February 2018, for conspiring to overthrow the government along with his son-in-law Mohamed Nadheem. His son son, Faris Maumoon, was also arrested. Maumoon was freed on bail in September 2018 and later acquitted.

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