Former Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed has praised former president Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayyoom for his commitment and the perseverance displayed despite multiple challenges faced during his tenure as president.
Dr. Jameel, who was President Yameen's running mate during the 2013 presidential election, and his first Vice President in a tweet posted Saturday said President Yameen faced and endured several challenges during his time as president, including pressure from both international parties and the opposition. Posting a picture of Yameen taking his presidential oath, Jameel said Yameen's efforts and commitment were commendable and worthy of praise.
President Yameen was elected as the president in 2013 through a coalition. However, the coalition broke up soon after, and all political leaders were subsequently jailed. Due to internal conflicts within his party PPM, his half brother former president Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom also left the party and joined the opposition, and the ruling-party lost its parliament majority.
After the Supreme Court issued an order to release all jailed political leaders, the former president announced a state of emergency, and arrested two judges. The Supreme Court order was later repealed.
In addition to political challenges, the biggest political scandal in the country's history also played out during President Yameen's rule. Orchestrated by his most trusted aide and Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor, the scandal in which millions in state funds were stolen shook the country. During the same period, Adeeb attempted to assassinate the former president by installing an explosive device on the presidential speedboat. However, president Yameen survived the attack unscathed.
After President Yameen suffered a disappointing defeat in the 2018 presidential elections, Yameen was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to five years in jail. Also fined by the government for an amount of US$ 5 million, the jailed president last week appealed at the High Court to release him on bail. However, the court denied the request.
