Ibrahim Nasir

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Ibrahim Nasir

2nd President
In office 1968 – 1978
Preceded by	Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi
Succeeded by	Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

Born	1926

Ibrahim Nasir Rannabandeyri Kilegefan, KCMG, NGIV (born 1926) is a Maldivian statesman who served as his country's Prime Minister under Sultan Muhammad Fareed Didi (from 1957 to 1968 ) and succeeded him to become the first President of the Second Republic from 1968 to 1978. He is currently living in Singapore, where he is a citizen.

1 Genealogy
2 Political career
3 Criticism
4 Succession

[edit] Genealogy

President Nasir belongs to royal family of previous Maldivian sultans. President Ibrahim Nasir is the son of Aishath Didi daughter of Moosa Didi son of Dhadimagu Ganduvaru Maryam Didi daughter of Husain Didi son of Al-Nabeel Karayye Hassan Didi son of Prince Ibrahim (Abdulla) Faamuladheyri Kilegefan son of Sultan Muhammad Ghiyasuddin son of Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar II son of Sultan Muzaffar Muhammad Imaduddin II of Dhiyamigili dynasty.

[edit] Political career

President Nasir is widely credited with modernizing the long-isolated and nearly unknown Maldives and opening them up to the rest of the world. His foremost work include that of bringing Maldives to the U N even with the opposition of some nations that felt awkward at including a nation of such a small size. He laid the foundations of the nation by modernizing the fisheries industry with mechanized vessels and starting the tourism industry. Even today the nation is dependent on these two industries as a primary source of income for the nation.

He is credited with many other improvements some of which include :

Introducing an English-based modern curriculum to government run schools
Bringing television and radio to the country with formation of Television Maldives and Radio Maldives for broadcasting radio signals nationwide
He abolished Vaaru, a tax on the people living on islands outside Malé
He abolished many other taxes on various imports to the country, some of which have been since re-instated
He brought about the independence of Maldives from being a protectorate of the British Empire

[edit] Criticism

President Nasir was criticized for his authoritarian methods and repression of political activity during his career. Most notably he has been criticized for his iron-fisted methods in handling an insurrection by the people of Thinadhoo, Addu and Huvadu Atolls, who formed a breakaway government - United Suvadives Republic - with closer ties to the British, for a brief period of time.

[edit] Succession

President Ibrahim Nasir was succeeded by President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who was then Minister of Transport and former permanent representative of the Maldives to the U N.