Zaini Abdullah

Who is Zaini Abdullah?

Zaini Abdullah, a medical doctor by profession, is a former separatist activist of the Free Aceh Movement 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 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.