Maldives ousts Asia’s longest serving ruler
November 4th, 2008 - by Nazia Vasi
Off the Southeastern coast of India, nestled amongst azure lagoons and coral atolls, the Maldives, recently witnessed their greatest political change in decades. Asia’s longest-serving ruler, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom conceded defeat to his rival, 41-year-old Mohamed Nasheed in the island nation’s first presidential election.
Nasheed, who was imprisoned more than a dozen times by the quasi dictator Gayoom, won 54 percent of the votes, wiping out Gayoom’s 30 year regin on the archipelago nation. In his acceptance speech later, Nasheed, also dubbed by his party as the “Mandela of the Maldives”, told the Independent: “I wish to assure the public and the international community that the transition to democracy in the Maldives will be smooth and uninterrupted in governance. We would want to introduce greater democracy. More freedoms. Freedom of expression.”
Wounds in in the Maldives, a country known for its luxury beach resorts and honeymoon hideaways run deep. Problems Nasheed will need to tackle soon include the threat of civil unrest, the release of political prisoners, enacting a swathe of promised reforms, combating drug abuse and endemic corruption.
According to the AFP, Nasheed has also promised to improve health care and communication to remote islands, to privatize state enterprises and to turn the 62-million-dollar presidential palace into the country’s first university.
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