Killed, exiled or deposed
15 Nov 2015, 9:00 AM
There were only two ways to dethrone a Maldivian ruler, according to historian and linguist Naseema Mohamed. “One is death, natural or assassination, and the other by a coup d’état.”
For many Maldivians, the September 28 explosion on President Abdulla Yameen’s speedboat, which the government insists is an assassination attempt plotted by Vice President Ahmed Adeeb, was reminiscent of the palace intrigue of old. Adeeb has since been detained and impeached, and is likely to be prosecuted and jailed. The incident also follows the jailing of former President Mohamed Nasheed on a terrorism charge.
With Naseema’s guidance, I have summarized below the stories of four rulers, three kings and a president, in the hopes that we are soon able to break the cycle of assassinations, jailing and banishments.
Sultan overboard
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