20 Facts About Qasim Ibrahim

Qasim Ibrahim competed for presidential elections of 2023; and lost.

In 1969, Qasim Ibrahim began work as a clerk at the government hospital in Male.

Qasim Ibrahim worked temporarily for Crescent, a government trading organization.

In 1974, Qasim Ibrahim joined an outlet of the Maldivian government's BoduStore, now known as the State Trading Organization.

Qasim Ibrahim later expanded his business with a small loan of US$2,000 from State Bank of India, which is still his primary banker.

Qasim Ibrahim has funded many infrastructure projects in several islands across the archipelago, most notably in constructing new harbors, schools and mosques.

Qasim Ibrahim is currently working on setting up a fully-operational General Hospital on Maamigili Island, which will feature the first dedicated cancer treatment facility in the country.

Qasim Ibrahim was first elected as a Member of the Maldivian Parliament in 1989.

Qasim Ibrahim resigned from his posts as the Minister of Finance and Treasury and as the Deputy Leader of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party on 10 July 2008 to run in the first multi-party presidential elections in October 2008 as the candidate for the Jumhooree Party.

Qasim Ibrahim joined the MDP-led coalition in the second round of the elections and helped Mohamed Nasheed secure a historic victory and bring an end to the thirty-year rule of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.

Qasim Ibrahim initially joined President Nasheed's government as Minister for Home Affairs but resigned 20 days later, citing his dislike of President Nasheed's privatization policies.

Qasim Ibrahim became vocally opposed to Nasheed's government and was accused of having funded the anti-Nasheed protests that began in early 2012 that ultimately led to Nasheed's resignation after pressure from police and the army on 7 February 2012.

In 2023, Qasim Ibrahim was selected as the presidential primary for the Jumhooree Party to contest for the 2023 Maldivian presidential election.

At the election day, Qasim Ibrahim received 5460 votes and didn't qualify for the runoff election.

In 2024, Qasim Ibrahim was the only member from his party to get a spot in the 2024 Maldivian parliamentary election.

Qasim Ibrahim has been imprisoned for political reasons both during Gayoom's regime as well as Nasheed's brief reign.

Qasim Ibrahim was arrested in 2009 on suspicion that he was bribing MPs to vote against the government of President Nasheed.

Qasim Ibrahim is currently representing the Maamigili Constituency in the Maldives Parliament.

Qasim Ibrahim was arrested for speaking against the government on rally held by the Maldives United Opposition.

Qasim Ibrahim's comment was among a number of preliminary observations on the Maldives' judiciary and wider legal system following an eight-day fact-finding mission.