Zaini Abdullah
| Zaini Abdullah | |
|---|---|
| Governor of Aceh | |
|
Assumed office 25 June 2012 |
|
| Preceded by |
Irwandi Yusuf (Governor) Tarmizi Abdul Karim (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
24 April 1940 Pidie, Aceh |
| Political party | Aceh Party |
| Profession | Medical doctor |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
Zaini Abdullah, a medical doctor by profession, is a former separatist activist of the Free Aceh Movement (or GAM, Gerakan Aceh Merdeka) in Indonesia who was elected as the governor of the province of Aceh in the 2012 election for the five-year period 2012-2017. Elected with 56% of the vote, Zaini Abdullah is the second governor directly chosen by the electors of Aceh since the granting of restricted autonomy to the area by the Indonesian government in 2005. His predecessor Irwandi Yusuf, who was elected in 2006 for the period 2007-2012, was the first governor chosen in the province by direct elections.
Zaini Abdullah was sworn into office as governor in a ceremony held in conjunction with a plenary session of the Aceh Provincial Legislative Assembly (DPRA or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Aceh) in Banda Aceh 25 June 2012. The ceremony and other official arrangements were, however, marred by a personal assault on the former governor, Irwandi Yusuf, by supporters of the new governor and by a grenade attack earlier in the day at the house of a local GAM leader.
Zaini Abdullah was born in Beureunun in the Pidie District (Kabupaten Pidie) in Aceh in 1940. His father, Tengku H. Abdullah Hanafiah, was a supporter of Daud Bereueh, a prominent leader in Aceh during the 1950s and 1960s and into the 1970s. Zaini Abdullah's schooling years were spent in Aceh and North Sumatra:
He later practised as a medical specialist in Aceh and North Sumatra in various areas:
In 1976, when the GAM declared their open opposition to Jakarta central government policies in Aceh, Zaini Abdullah joined with the GAM and became a close adviser to Hasan di Tiro, the founder of the GAM. In 1981, Zaini followed Hasan di Tiro to live in Sweden, travelling through Medan and Singapore. In Sweden he studied at Uppsala University for a medical degree and between 1990-1995 practised as a doctor. Later, in 2002 when negotiations over the insurgency in Aceh were arranged in Tokyo, he was a member of the GAM delegation to the discussions. During the next few years, as a member of GAM delegations he took part in other meetings to discuss a peace agreement in Aceh.
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