Maumoon Abdul Gayoom : Ask Biography

Personal data

Date of birth

29 December 1927(age 87)

Place of birth

Malé, Maldives

Political party

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (2008 � 2011)
Independent (1978 � 2008)

Spouse

Nasreena Ibrahim

Children

Dunya Maumoon
Yumna Maumoon
Farish Maumoon
Ghassan Maumoon

Religion

Nil

3rd President of the Maldives

In office

11 November 1978 - 11 November 2008

Succeeded by

Mohamed Nasheed

Preceded by

Ibrahim Nasir

Leader of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party

In office

21 July 2005 - 25 January 2010

Succeeded by

Ahmed Thasmeen Ali

Preceded by

Office established

Home | Office Holder | Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ( ) (born December 29, 1937) was President of the Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Transport, he was nominated as President by the Majlis (Parliament) of the Maldives and succeeded Ibrahim Nasir on November 11, 1978. He eventually became the longest-ruling head of government in Asia. After 30 years in office, Gayoom was defeated in the October 2008 presidential election and was succeeded by the opposition leader, Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldivian Democratic Party on November 11, 2008 � exactly 30 years to the day he first came to power. Gayoom also served as the leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party from 2005 to 2010. Remaining as the opposition leader from November 2008 onwards, in January 2010 Gayoom retired from active politics and was bestowed with the title of "Zaeem" (Honorary Leader) by the third congress of the DRP. Gayoom's tenure was marked by allegations of autocratic rule, human rights abuses and corruption, charges that he denies.