Maldives election: Gayoom's 30-yr tenure terminated
A Gayoom lost power to former political prisoner in democratic polls.
By PTI |
MALE: After a record 30 years as the undisputed ruler of the Maldives, Mr Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on Wednesday lost power to a former political prisoner in the first democratic presidential polls in the island nation. Mr Mohammed ���Anni��� Nasheed of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) had won 54.25% of the votes cast in Tuesday���s presidential run-off as against 45.75% by 71-year-old Gayoom, election officials said.
Conceding defeat to Mr Nasheed, a prominent face of the pro-democracy protests in the country who has been in and out of jail, the long-time president said ���I congratulate Anni���.
���I thank the people of the Maldives for allowing me to serve them for 30 years,��� Mr Gayoom, who has ruled the picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago since 1978, told Voice of Maldives radio station. Mr Nasheed indicated he was willing to bury the hatchet and that his priority was a smooth transition of power. ���I want a peaceful transition.
I want my supporters to be calm,��� he told reporters as hundreds of opposition activists poured into streets to celebrate the victory.
Mr Nasheed said Mr Gayoom���s political career did not end with this election and that he would like to promote pluralism in Maldivian society and not be ���vindictive���.
The 41-year-old opposition leader, a maritime engineer by profession, is expected to assume office in the second week of November after he is officially declared elected by the election commission.
effective till 2004. Mr Gayoom had won the six previous presidential elections but never before faced an opponent. Under international pressure and growing pro-democracy protests, Mr Gayoom launched a democratic reform programme four years ago, lifting ban on political parties and promising to hold the nation���s first multi-party presidential
election.
Mr Gayoom won the first round of presidential polls earlier this month, but could not secure the stipulated 50% needed for outright victory. While Gayoom polled 40.1% of votes in the first round, Mr Nasheed secured 25.1%. But interestingly, opposition candidates who failed to make it to the second round threw their weight behind Mr
Nasheed, ensuring his victory in the run-off.
About 2.09 lakh people were eligible to vote in the polls and the turnout was estimated at over 75%.
He returned to the country on April 30, 2005, after Mr Gayoom permitted political parties to be formed for first time. Mr Gayoom has run the Maldives, a liberal Sunni Muslim nation of 3 lakh people, unchallenged since 1978, before unprecedented street riots broke out in 2003 when a prisoner was killed in custody. He was then persuaded by international human rights groups and the EU to allow more freedom.
There have been at least three coup attempts against Mr Gayoom and he survived a bid on his life early this year while mingling with a crowd on Hoarafushi in the north of Maldives. The man, who tried to attack the president with a knife, was overpowered and Mr Gayoom escaped without any injury.
In November 1998, India���s help was sought to crush a coup against the ruler. Indian troops landed in the island and successfully put down the coup.
Conceding defeat to Mr Nasheed, a prominent face of the pro-democracy protests in the country who has been in and out of jail, the long-time president said ���I congratulate Anni���.
���I thank the people of the Maldives for allowing me to serve them for 30 years,��� Mr Gayoom, who has ruled the picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago since 1978, told Voice of Maldives radio station. Mr Nasheed indicated he was willing to bury the hatchet and that his priority was a smooth transition of power. ���I want a peaceful transition.
I want my supporters to be calm,��� he told reporters as hundreds of opposition activists poured into streets to celebrate the victory.
Mr Nasheed said Mr Gayoom���s political career did not end with this election and that he would like to promote pluralism in Maldivian society and not be ���vindictive���.
The 41-year-old opposition leader, a maritime engineer by profession, is expected to assume office in the second week of November after he is officially declared elected by the election commission.
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The victory of Mr Nasheed marks a watershed in the history of Maldives where a ban on opposition parties was effective till 2004. Mr Gayoom had won the six previous presidential elections but never before faced an opponent. Under international pressure and growing pro-democracy protests, Mr Gayoom launched a democratic reform programme four years ago, lifting ban on political parties and promising to hold the nation���s first multi-party presidential
election.
Mr Gayoom won the first round of presidential polls earlier this month, but could not secure the stipulated 50% needed for outright victory. While Gayoom polled 40.1% of votes in the first round, Mr Nasheed secured 25.1%. But interestingly, opposition candidates who failed to make it to the second round threw their weight behind Mr
Nasheed, ensuring his victory in the run-off.
About 2.09 lakh people were eligible to vote in the polls and the turnout was estimated at over 75%.
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Mr Nasheed, who spent six years in jail in Maldives and was described by Amnesty International as a ���prisoner of conscience,��� was granted political asylum by the UK in 2004.He returned to the country on April 30, 2005, after Mr Gayoom permitted political parties to be formed for first time. Mr Gayoom has run the Maldives, a liberal Sunni Muslim nation of 3 lakh people, unchallenged since 1978, before unprecedented street riots broke out in 2003 when a prisoner was killed in custody. He was then persuaded by international human rights groups and the EU to allow more freedom.
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President Gayoom has nevertheless been credited with catapulting Maldives, which became independent from British on July 26, 1965, to a higher economic growth and making the country one of the wealthiest in South Asia.There have been at least three coup attempts against Mr Gayoom and he survived a bid on his life early this year while mingling with a crowd on Hoarafushi in the north of Maldives. The man, who tried to attack the president with a knife, was overpowered and Mr Gayoom escaped without any injury.
In November 1998, India���s help was sought to crush a coup against the ruler. Indian troops landed in the island and successfully put down the coup.
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