Abdulla Shahid

Abdulla Shahid (Maldivian: ޢަބްދުﷲ ޝާހިދު) was elected Speaker of the People’s Majlis, of the Maldives on 28 May 2009, the seventeenth holder of the position.^[3] He won 42 votes out of 75 votes. Shahid played a key role in the Maldives’ transition to democracy in 2008. ^[4] Abdulla Shahid is a member of MDP and is the parliament member for Henveiru Uthuru.

Prior to his role as an MP, Abdulla Shahid served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1984,eventually becoming Director. In this capacity he also headed the International Organizations and Conferences Department, representing the Maldives at meetings and international gatherings including the United Nations, the Commonwealth, Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of Islamic Conference.

In 2000 he was elected as the Representative of the Vaavu Atoll constituency and served two terms as the Atoll’s Member. Shahid served in the Special Majlis (July 2004-Aug 2008) which drafted the new Constitution of the Maldives. In May 2009, in the first multi-party parliamentary elections of the Maldives, Shahid won the Keyodhoo Constituency.

Shahid previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 23 August 2007 to 11 November 2008^[3] in the presidency of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. He had been appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in 2005.

On 15 April Shahid resigned from the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party.^[2] On 18 April 2013 he announced on Twitter that he had signed for MDP.^{[5] [6]}

Shahid holds a bachelor's degree in Social Science (Politics) from the Canberra College of Advanced Education, and a master's degree in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.^[6]

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