Fifty Years and Five Presidents
November 13/2018

After the signing, the Independence treaty in July 26th 1965, Prime Minister Ibrahim Nasir was idolized as the Father of Independence. Upon the death of Sultan Fareed Didi in 1968, the Maldives went under another referendum to choose between a Republic & Constitutional Monarchy, and indeed with Ibrahim Nasir in mind, they voted for a republic. Thus, in November 11th 1965, President Ibrahim Nasir of Velaanage, took the oath as the First President of the Second Republic of Maldives.

Celebrated as the Republic Day, Maldives has been ruling as a Republic state witnessing 5 presidents in the Golden Jubilee period. After 10-year decade rule of Ibrahim Nasir, he abdicated in-favour of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom the longest reigning president of the Maldives; ruling for 3 decades from 1978 to 2008. After another referendum in 2007, the people chose to elect the next president through a democratic election. In 2008, President Mohamed Nasheed took the oath as the first democratic president of the Maldives.

In 2012, President Nasheed was overthrown after a public coup, with Vice President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik taking oath as President upon Nasheed’s resignation. After ruling for one year until an impromptu Presidential Election in 2013, President Yameen Abdul Gayoom (half-brother of President Maumoon) took the oath on November 17th, 2013 after re-elections were held which raised public controversy; breaking the 45-year tradition of taking oath on 11th November.

Celebrating the 50th year since Ibrahim Nasir swore as the first President of the second republic, President-elect, his excellency Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will swear on November 17th 2018 after winning the 2018 Presidential Elections, as the Fifth President of the Second Republic & the Sixth President of Maldives overall.