M. N. Abdul Majeed

Mohamed Najeeb Abdul Majeed (Tamil: நஜீப் அப்துல் மஜீத்; born 1 January 1957) is a Sri Lankan politician, former Member of Parliament and former Chief Minister of Eastern Province.

Hon. M. N. Abdul Majeed MP
நஜீப் அப்துல் மஜீத்
2nd Chief Minister of Eastern Province
In office 18 September 2012 – 6 February 2015
Preceded by	S. Chandrakanthan
Succeeded by	Ahamed Nazeer Zainulabdeen
Member of the Eastern Provincial Council for Trincomalee District
Incumbent
Assumed office 2012
Minister of Co-operatives
In office 2007–2010
Deputy Minister of Post & Telecommunications
In office 2000–2001
Member of the Sri Lanka Parliament for Trincomalee District
In office 2004–2010
In office 1994–2001
Personal details
Born	1 January 1957
Political party	Sri Lanka Freedom Party
Other political affiliations	United People's Freedom Alliance
Relations	A. L. Abdul Majeed
Alma mater	Kinniya Central College Zahira College, Gampola St. John's Academy, Jaffna

Early life and family

Majeed was born on 1 January 1957.[1] He was the son of A. L. Abdul Majeed was Member of Parliament for Mutur from 1960 to 1977 and Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting.[1] He was educated at Kinniya Central College, Zahira College, Gampola and St. John's Academy, Jaffna.[1]

Majeed then moved to Colombo and became a junior executive at a shipping company.[1] His father was assassinated on 14 November 1987, allegedly by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.[2] Majeed returned to Kinniya to take on his father's political mantle.

Political career

Majeed contested the 1989 parliamentary election as one of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's candidates in Trincomalee District but failed to get elected.[1] In 1993 he became chairman of Kinniya Divisional Council.[1] Majeed joined the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in 1994 and contested the 1994 parliamentary election as one of its candidates in Trincomalee District. He was elected to Parliament as the sole SLMC representative from Trincomalee District.[3] The SLMC contested the 2000 parliamentary election as part of the People's Alliance (PA) in Trincomalee District. Majeed was re-elected, this time as a People's Alliance candidate.[4] He was appointed Deputy Minister of Post and Telecommunications.[1]

The alliance between the SLMC and PA crumbled in 2001 and the SLMC joined the opposition United National Front. Majeed contested the 2001 parliamentary election as one of the UNF's candidates in Trincomalee District but failed to get re-elected.[1] The SLMC contested the 2004 parliamentary election on its own in Trincomalee District. Majeed re-entered Parliament as the sole SLMC representative from Trincomalee District.[5] Then the SLMC suffered a series of rebellions and splits and on 30 May 2004 Majeed was expelled from the SLMC.[6] In October 2004 Majeed was appointed Minister for Trincomalee District Rehabilitation and Development.[7] Majeed then joined two parties formed by former SLMC members, firstly the National Congress led by A. L. M. Athaullah and then the All Ceylon Muslim Congress led by Rishad Bathiudeen.[1] In 2007 he re-joined the SLFP.[1] Majeed was appointed Non-Cabinet Minister of Co-operatives in January 2007.[8]

Majeed contested the 2010 parliamentary election as one of the United People's Freedom Alliance's candidates in Trincomalee District but failed to get re-elected after coming third amongst the UPFA candidates.[9] He was then appointed Presidential Coordinator for the Trincomalee District and SLFP organiser for Mutur Electoral Division.[1]

Majeed contested the 2012 provincial council election as one of the UPFA's candidates in Trincomalee District and was elected to the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC).[10] The UPFA became the largest group on the EPC but didn't have a majority. After some horse trading an agreement was reached between the UPFA and SLMC which allowed the UPFA to form an administration with the support of the SLMC.[11] Under the agreement between the UPFA and SLMC a UPFA nominee would serve as Chief Minister for two and half years after a which a SLMC nominee would become Chief Minister.[12] Majeed was appointed Chief Minister by Governor Mohan Wijewickrama and was sworn in on 18 September 2012 in Colombo in front of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.[13]

References

1. Jeyaraj, D. B. S. (22 September 2012). "NAJEEB ABDUL MAJEED MAKES HISTORY AS THE FIRST MUSLIM CM OF SRI LANKA". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
2. Ferdinando, Shamindra (21 January 2008). "Political killings: from S.W.R.D to DM". The Island.
3. "Result of Parliamentary General Election 1994" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2010.
4. "General Election 2000 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 August 2010.
5. "General Election 2004 Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2010.
6. "SLMC high command sacks three parliamentarians". TamilNet. 30 May 2004. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
7. "Dissident SLMC MPs sworn in as ministers". TamilNet. 30 October 2004.
8. "New Cabinet of Ministers sworn in". Current Affairs. Government of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 28 June 2010.
9. "Parliamentary General Election – 2010 Trincomalee Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2010.
10. "Preferences" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 April 2014.
11. Ferdinando, Shamindra (18 September 2012). "President bags East with Hakeem's help". The Island.
12. Bandara, Kelum (20 September 2012). "PC polls: SLMC to share Chief Minister Post in East". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
13. "Majeed sworn in as Eastern CM". Daily Mirror. 18 September 2012. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2012.