Having survived at least three coup bids, Gayoom has consolidated his hold on the tiny atoll nation of 250,000 Sunni Muslims by allowing others to stand against him, but stopped short of introducing multi-party democracy.

Gayoom, 65, came to power in 1978 and opened the economy, bringing about a level of economic prosperity for his people.

The country now enjoys the highest per capita income in South Asia of 2,280 US dollars, more than three times that of most South Asian nations.

But, when it comes to political expression, the country is in a league of its own.

Gayoom loyalist and health minister Ahmed Abdullah has argued that the political system was most beneficial to the country to give it stability and keep away "unnecessary" trouble.

Abdullah said in an interview last week that Gayoom's re-election could give "stability and continuity" for both the Maldivians as well as its neighbours.

Gayoom, an Islamic scholar from the Al-Azhar University in Cairo and a student of Cairo's American University, has also studied law and philosophy.

"Indeed, President Gayoom, the politician and national leader, is every bit as much an intellectual as he is an able practitioner in government," says his official website.

"President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom is, in both origin and style, very much a man of the people."

However, dissidents and Amnesty International have launched scathing attacks on him for his style of "repression" and linked Saturday's unprecedented civil unrest in the capital to simmering political tensions.

"People were waiting for a moment like this," a Maldivian resident said by telephone, adding the violence had an undertone of displeasure with the administration of Gayoom, who could now rule till 2008.

Gayoom, a father of four, is known abroad for his activism against global warming which threatens to wipe his country off the map as sea levels rise.

But what is threatening him immediately is the rising tension in the capital, the highly congested 1.6 kilometre (one-mile) long island which is home to 80,000 people.

Saturday's violence erupted following the killing of a convict in riots at the infamous Maafushi prison, located on another island some 45 minutes away from Male by speedboat. By Monday three prisoners were dead.

Rampaging mobs set fire to vehicles, stoned public buildings and police stations and smashed state property -- scenes never seen before in the country.

A visibly shaken Gayoom went on national television and announced tough action against any member of his National Security Service (NSS) for wrong doing in the prison riots. He has since arrested 11 NSS men while a probe is still under way.

The violence was unrelated to the election announcement, but diplomats said rioters' attacks on the elections office and parliament were significant and danger signs for Gayoom as he prepares to take another term.

Until Saturday, the biggest threat to his rule had come in November 1988 when a disgruntled Maldivian businessman led Sri Lankan Tamil mercenaries to oust him.

But the mercenaries fled hearing that neighbouring India and Sri Lanka were ready to send troops to rescue Gayoom.

There were two other failed coup attempts in 1990 and 1993.

SPACE.WIRE