Abdulla Yameen, sworn in today as the second democratically elected president of the Maldives, is the half-brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, an autocrat who ruled the scenic island nation with an iron hand for 30 years.
Yameen, 54, is a four-time member of the People's Majlis (Maldivian Parliament) and was the presidential candidate of the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM), which was formed after the Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) was split following an acrimonious falling out between Gayoom and his anointed successor, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali.
Yamaeen won the presidential poll narrowly by garnering 51.60 percent of the votes in Saturday's runoff. His rival and former president Mohamed Nasheed got 48.61 percent of votes.
Yameen was born in Male on May 21, 1959. His father is Abdul Qayyoom Ibrahim, a former Attorney General. His elder brother Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom served as President of the Maldives between 1978 and 2008 and is considered a dictator by rights groups and opponents.
After completing his school education in the Maldives, Yameen studied in the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and got a Bachelors' degree in Business Administration. He later did his post-graduation in public policy from the Claremont Graduate University in California.
Yameen and his wife have three children.
Yameen had previously headed both the State Electric Company (STELCO) and the State Trading Organisation (STO) under Gayoom's administration.
Yameen first entered parliament in 1993. He was serving his fourth term as a member of the Majlis from Mulaku constituency.
Yameen won the PPM's primaries in March 2013 with 63 per cent of the vote, defeating former policeman and firebrand political activist Umar Naseer.
Yameen - together with rival presidential candidate Gasim Ibrahim - were briefly arrested during Mohamed Nasheed's presidency in June 2010 on charges of bribery and attempting to topple the government. Some MPs accused the pair of conspiring to pay off fellow parliamentarians to obtain the two-thirds majority in the chamber necessary to impeach the president.
Yameen's running mate, Mohamed Jameel, had served as Justice Minister and also as the Home Minister under Waheed, until he was dismissed from cabinet after defecting from the DQP to the PPM.
Yameen's victory is likely to end more than a year of political turmoil since 46-year-old Nasheed resigned under duress in February 2012 in a controversial transfer of power.
After his victory, Yameen said that he will prefer to live in his own home and collect half the presidential salary.
Yameen said his campaign pledged are fresh in his memory and added that the coming two years will be tough, but he will accomplish most goals by the start of the third year.
