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The Most Famous

POLITICIANS from Maldives

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This page contains a list of the greatest Maldivan Politicians. The pantheon dataset contains 15,577 Politicians, 6 of which were born in Maldives. This makes Maldives the birth place of the 169th most number of Politicians behind Oman and Namibia.

Top 6

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Maldivan Politicians of all time. This list of famous Maldivan Politicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

Photo of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

1. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (1937 - )

With an HPI of 65.77, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is the most famous Maldivan Politician.  His biography has been translated into 39 different languages on wikipedia.

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (Arabic: مأمون عبد القيوم; Dhivehi: މައުމޫން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް; born 29 December 1937) is an Islamic Scholar and a Maldivian 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. He holds the nations highest award, "The Most Honourable Order of Distinguished Rule of Ghaazee", presented to him in 2013. Maumoon was the longest-serving president in Asia.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.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.

Photo of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

2. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (1962 - )

With an HPI of 52.80, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih is the 2nd most famous Maldivan Politician.  His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (Dhivehi: އިބްރާހީމް މުޙައްމަދު ޞާލިޙް; born 1 March 1962), commonly known as Ibu (Dhivehi: އިބޫ), is a Maldivian politician who served as president of the Maldives from 2018 to 2023. Solih was first elected to the People's Majlis in 1994, then aged 32 as the MP from his home atoll of Faadhippolhu. He played a leading role in the formation of the Maldivian Democratic Party and the Maldives political reform fovement from 2003 until 2008, which led to the country adopting a new modern constitution and the establishment of a multi-party democracy for the first time in its history. Solih was also a senior member of parliament and the Special Majlis which wrote the country's constitution. Solih was elected president of Maldives on 23 September 2018 following the 2018 presidential election.

Photo of Ibrahim Nasir

3. Ibrahim Nasir (1926 - 2008)

With an HPI of 50.31, Ibrahim Nasir is the 3rd most famous Maldivan Politician.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Al Ameer Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan (Arabic: إبراهيم ناصر; Dhivehi: އިބްރާހިމް ނާޞިރު ރަންނަބަނޑޭރި ކިލޭގެފާނު), KCMG, NGIV (Nishan Ghaazeege 'Izzatheri Veriya, Dhivehi: ނިޝާން ޣާޒީގެ ޢިއްޒަތްތެރި ވެރިޔާ) commonly known as Ibrahim Nasir (2 September 1926 – 22 November 2008), was a Maldivian politician adhering to the non-aligned ideology and staunch anti-imperialist. Nasir served as the Prime Minister of the Maldives from 1957 to 1968 under the monarchy, and later the first President of the Second Republic of Maldives from 1968 to 1978. Nasir served two terms (one term consisting of 5 years), then he decided to retire, even though the People's Majlis voted him in for a third term. Nasir is remembered as an independence hero for guiding the Maldives to independence from the British Empire, he is also credited for establishing the tourism industry in the Maldives, as well as rapidly modernizing and developing the country and economy.

Photo of Mohammed Waheed Hassan

4. Mohammed Waheed Hassan (1953 - )

With an HPI of 50.24, Mohammed Waheed Hassan is the 4th most famous Maldivan Politician.  His biography has been translated into 34 different languages.

Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik (Dhivehi: ޑރ. މުޙައްމަދު ވަޙީދު ޙަސަން މަނިކު; born 3 January 1953) is a Maldivian politician who served as president of the Maldives from 7 February 2012 to 17 November 2013, having succeeded to the office following the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed, under whom he served as vice president. He had previously worked as a news anchor, a United Nations official with UNICEF, UNDP and UNESCO, and a member of the Maldivian Parliament. He assumed the office of president on 7 February 2012, following the resignation of the incumbent, Mohamed Nasheed. Initially, Nasheed claimed that a coup d'état had occurred, however these claims were proved to be false by an independent report from the Commission of National Inquiry. Nasheed initially accepted this report "with reservations", but later refuted it in its entirety. His short tenure in office is regarded as one of the most turbulent periods in Maldivian history. Waheed was subjected to racial abuse during his presidency and was branded a traitor by the supporters of his former ally Mohamed Nasheed. Waheed was defeated in the 2013 election, having received only a little over 5% of the vote. The results of that election were later annulled, however, Waheed chose not to stand for re-election. Waheed is the oldest person to have been sworn into the office of President, having been sworn in at the age of 59.

Photo of Abdulla Yameen

5. Abdulla Yameen (1959 - )

With an HPI of 45.52, Abdulla Yameen is the 5th most famous Maldivan Politician.  His biography has been translated into 47 different languages.

Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom (Dhivehi: ޢަބްދުﷲ ޔާމީން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް; born 21 May 1959) is a Maldivian politician who served as president of the Maldives from 2013 to 2018. Yameen was elected president in the 2013 presidential election as the candidate of the Progressive Party (PPM), defeating Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leader and former president Mohamed Nasheed in the second round of the re-run, after the initial election was annulled. He was the second democratically elected president of the Republic of the Maldives. Yameen's presidential tenure oversaw a number of infrastructure development projects, such as airports and healthcare facilities, most of which were financed through loans from the Chinese government. His presidency was rife with allegations of human rights infringements and corruption. He left office on 17 November 2018 following his defeat in the 2018 presidential election to Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.Following his departure from office, Yameen was charged with corruption and money laundering in connection to the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation scandal, and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Photo of Mohamed Nasheed

6. Mohamed Nasheed (1967 - )

With an HPI of 45.39, Mohamed Nasheed is the 6th most famous Maldivan Politician.  His biography has been translated into 45 different languages.

Mohamed Nasheed GCSK (Dhivehi: މުހައްމަދު ނަޝީދު; born 17 May 1967), also known as Anni (Dhivehi: އަންނި), is a Maldivian politician and activist who served as president of the Maldives from 2008 until his resignation in 2012. A founding member of the Maldivian Democratic Party, he subsequently served as the 19th speaker of the People's Majlis from May 2019 until his resignation in November 2023. He is the first democratically elected president of the Maldives and the only president to resign from office. He is currently a member of The Democrats.Born in Malé, Nasheed was educated overseas before returning to the Maldives and becoming involved in political activism. He was first elected to Parliament in 1999 but was later forced to leave office, and was arrested and imprisoned several times during his early career. His arrest in 2005 prompted civil unrest. In the first round of the 2008 presidential election, he won 25% of the votes and later defeated incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had governed the Maldives as president for 30 continuous years. As President, Nasheed played a role in drawing international attention to the threat of climate change to the Maldives. On 7 February 2012, Nasheed resigned amidst a political crisis. Protests by the opposition had begun after Nasheed ordered the arrest of the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed, which were later joined by police forces who refused to carry out the order. Nasheed characterised the circumstances of his resignation as a coup d'état, and that he was forced out of office. His successor, Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, disputed this, saying the process was constitutional, and created a Commission of National Inquiry to investigate. The Commission of National Inquiry, overseen by the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations, reported that there was no evidence to support Nasheed's version of events.Nasheed unsuccessfully ran for the presidency again in 2013. In March 2015, Nasheed was convicted under the Anti-Terrorism Act of Maldives for ordering the Criminal Court Judge's arrest while president, and was sentenced to 13 years at Maafushi Prison. Amnesty International described the conviction as "politically motivated", and the United States Department of State expressed concern at "apparent lack of appropriate criminal procedures during the trial". In 2016, he was given asylum in the United Kingdom, where he had gone for medical treatment. In November 2018, the Supreme Court of the Maldives overturned his conviction. Nasheed renounced his plans to contest the 2018 presidential election, citing legal obstacles and criticising the Election Commission's decision to reject his victory in a party primary poll. After his childhood best friend, relative, and party's candidate Ibrahim Solih won the election, Nasheed returned to the Maldives, and won the seat for Machangolhi Medhu Dhaairaa constituency in parliamentary elections the following year, subsequently taking office as Speaker of Parliament. On 6 May 2021, an assassination attempt was carried out against Nasheed near his home while he was getting into his car. He sustained serious injuries after an IED bomb that was stuffed with bearing balls as shrapnel was detonated near his home. He was treated in an intensive care unit in Germany, after undergoing multiple emergency surgeries. Maldivian authorities suspect it to be a terrorist attack by religious extremists. Three suspects were arrested.

Pantheon has 6 people classified as politicians born between 1926 and 1967. Of these 6, 5 (83.33%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living politicians include Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, and Mohammed Waheed Hassan. The most famous deceased politicians include Ibrahim Nasir.

Living Politicians

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Deceased Politicians

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