Nov 2 holiday declared, four-day weekend ahead

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has declared November 2 as a government holiday, on occasion of Victory Day (November 3).

With November 3 falling on a Monday, declaring November 2 as a holiday creates a four-day weekend. 

The President's Office said that this decision has been made so as to grant an uninterrupted holiday period. 

Victory Day marks the thwarted 1988 coup attempt, when Maldivian insurgents, backed by Tamil fighters from the PLOTE, tried to overthrow then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's government. 

The coup attempt resulted in the deaths of 19 Maldivian martyrs, including 11 civilians and 8 soldiers. Many others sustained various degrees of injuries.