Abdulla Yameen
Abdulla Yameen عبدالله یامین |
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6th President of the Maldives | |
Assumed office 17 November 2013 |
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Vice President | Mohamed Jameel Ahmed Ahmed Adeeb |
Preceded by | Mohammed Waheed Hassan |
Personal details | |
Born | Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom 21 May 1959 Malé, Maldives |
Political party | Progressive Party |
Spouse(s) | Fathimath Ibrahim |
Residence | Muliaage |
Alma mater | American University of Beirut Claremont Graduate University |
Religion | Islam |
Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom (Maldivian: އަބްދުﷲ ޔާމީން އަބްދުލް ގައްޔޫމް; born 21 May 1959), commonly known as Abdulla Yameen, is a Maldivian politician and current President of the Republic of Maldives.[1][2] He is the half-brother of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.[3]
As the presidential candidate for the Progressive Party (PPM), Yameen became the president in 2013 after defeating Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader and former president Mohamed Nasheed in the 2013 presidential elections.[4][5] In addition to his political career, Yameen spent a large part of his life as a community organiser in Machchangolhi Ward an administrative district of Malé, Maldives) where he was raised. After a few years in People’s Alliance (PA), a political party he helped form, Yameen left to join the Progressive Party of Maldives[6] (PPM) in 2010. He has served as the head of PPM’s Parliamentary Group since the party’s formation and currently occupies the post after being elected to it at PPM’s first Congress held between January 17 and 19, 2013. He is married to Fathmath Ibrahim Didi with 3 children.
Contents
Early life and career
In his early life, Yameen completed his primary and secondary education at Majeediyya School in Malé, Maldives.[7] Upon completion of his schooling he earned his bachelor's degree in business administration at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon.[7] Following this he later completed his master's degree in public policy at Claremont Graduate University in Los Angeles, California.[7] During the presidency of his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Yameen worked as a community organiser in Manchchangolhi Ward in the capital Malé. He was appointed as Minister of Trade and Industries in November 1993.[7] In addition to the role he later became the Minister of Higher Education, Employment and Social Security (2005 - 2007) and as Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation (2008).[7]
Presidency (2013-present)
After resigning as leader of PA, Yameen joined PPM, the party of former President Gayoom and ran for presidency in 2013. The election was held under controversial circumstances following Nasheed's resignation as president in 2012. In the first round of voting, Nasheed received 45.45% of the votes and Yameen received 25.35% of the votes and finished in second place, forcing a second round which Yameen won by 51.39% of votes to Nasheed's 48.61%.[8][9][10] The results were disputed by opposition members due to the planned original second round being annulled by the Supreme Court due to a high number of ineligible voters being registered.[11][12][13]
During his presidency Yameen has sought various economic reforms including allowing the foreign ownership of land in Maldives for the first time.[14] He has also sought closer economic relations with China by supporting China's Maritime Silk Road and also by promoting Chinese and other overseas investment in the Maldives.[15][16]
Yameen has also faced criticism from opposition supporters and overseas leaders for the imprisonment of political figures such as former president Mohamed Nasheed and former Minister of Defence Mohamed Nazim.[17][18][19] He has been accused of framing and imprisoning them for political purposes, a claim that Yameen has denied.[20]
Personal life
Yameen is the son of Sheikh Abdul Gayoom Ibrahim, who was an eminent judge in the Maldives, and half brother of former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.[7][21] He is married to Fathimath Ibrahim and to this date the couple have three children, two sons and a daughter.[7] On September 28th, 2015, his wife, Fathimath Ibrahim, was injured in a reported assassination attempt on Yameen, which was blamed on Ahmed Adeeb, the former Vice President.[22]
Controversies
In 2015 Yameen was embroiled in money-laundering scandal.
Documents and email communications reveal that a Singapore-based shadowy businessman named Tan Kuan Yew flew ‘huge cash amounts’ into the Maldives, which was then laundered through official banking channels in the island country. The money was then channelised into legitimate businesses by floating a front company, SitiTrust & Administrator Ltd. According to documents, the idea of a front company was first conveyed by Tan to Ghassan and Adeeb on December 30, 2014. Documents reveal name of several top government officials, which show that the conspiracy was hatched in connivance with them.
A money laundering scam involving $1.5 billion is looming over the top political family of Maldives—involving former Vice-President Ahmed Adeeb; Ghassan Maumoon and Faris Maumoon, who are the nephews of President Abdulla Yameen and former President Abdul Gayoom’s sons.[23]
References
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External links
- Abdulla Yameen sworn in as new Maldivian president at The Times of India
- Yameen sworn in as president of the Maldives at BBC
- Maldivian president Abdulla Yameen inaugurated after Mohamed Nasheed's shock defeat at ABC News (Australia)
- Abdullah Yameen topples favorite in Maldives election at Deutsche Welle
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by | President of the Maldives 2013–present |
Incumbent |
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- Pages with reference errors
- Use British English from November 2013
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- Articles containing Dhivehi-language text
- Pages with broken file links
- 1959 births
- American University of Beirut alumni
- Claremont Graduate University alumni
- Living people
- Government ministers of the Maldives
- Members of the People's Majlis
- People from Malé
- Presidents of the Maldives
- Progressive Party of Maldives politicians
- Maldivian Muslims