Ahmed Faris Maumoon (born 31 March 1971), commonly known as Faris, is a Maldivian politician who served as Minister of State for Economic Development from November 2013 to June 2015. He was also elected as a Member of Parliament (

People's Majlis The People's Majlis ( dv, ރައްޔިތުންގެ މަޖިލިސް; ''Rayyithunge Majilis'') is the unicameral legislative body of Maldives. The Majlis has the authority to enact, amend and revise laws, as outlined in the Constitution of t ...

) from June 2015 to May 2019 for Dhiggaru constituency. Faris is now an active member and President of the

Maldives Reform Movement The Maldives Reform Movement ( dv, މޯލްޑިވްސް ރިފޯމް މޫވްމެންޓް ) is a political party in the Maldives officially founded on 20 November 2019. The Elections Commission authorized the formation on 2 October 2019. The p ...

(MRM), a political party established in 2019 by his father and former president,

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (; dv, މައުމޫން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް; born 29 December 1937) is a Maldivian politician and an Islamic scholar who served as the President of Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Trans ...

Personal

He is one of four siblings, the others being

Dunya Maumoon Dunya Maumoon (born 20 March 1970) is a former Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013–2016) of the Government of Maldives. Personal life Dunya Maumoon was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives from 2013- 2016. She is he eldest daughter o ...

, Yumna Maumoon, and Ghassan Maumoon, Faris was born and raised in

Malé Malé (, ; dv, މާލެ) is the capital and most populous city of the Maldives. With a population of 252,768 and an area of , it is also one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The city is geographically located at the southern ...

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

. He is the son of former president,

and former first lady,

Nasreena Ibrahim Nasreena Ibrahim is a Maldivian public figure, former First Lady of the Maldives from 1978 until 2008, and the wife of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom. Nasreena is one of the founding members of the Society for Health Education (SHE), ...

Education

Following his GCE O Levels from

Majeediyya School Majeediyya School (Dhivehi: މަޖީދިއްޔާ ސުކޫލް ) is the first Maldivian government school, located in Malé, Maldives. It was a single gender school that used to teach only boys students to the secondary level of education until ...

in Malé, Faris sat for his GCE A levels in England. Since then, he has completed his BA (Hons) in Combined Social Sciences from the

University of Durham Durham University (legally the University of Durham) is a collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university in Durham, England, Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charte ...

, England and completed his MA in International Relations from the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...

in Australia.

Politics

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP)

In 2005, Faris was one of the first 50 signatories requesting the formation of

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party ( dv, ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުންގެ ޕާޓީ, , DRP) is a political party of the Maldives. On 2 June 2005, the nation’s 50-member parliament voted unanimously to allow and operate political parties in Maldi ...

(DRP), which went on to be one of the first few political parties to be registered in Maldives. In 2008, with then President

running for the presidential elections, Faris stepped in as DRP's campaign manager.

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM)

Following disputes about the party's political direction, President Gayoom left DRP to establish the

Progressive Party of Maldives The Progressive Party of Maldives ( dv, ޕްރޮގްރެސިވް ޕާރޓީ އޮފް މޯލްޑިވްސް), also known by its PPM, is an Islamist political party in Maldives with a total membership of 37,093 as of 11 July 2021. The stated goal ...

(PPM) in October 2011. Faris, also having left DRP, contributed as the founder of PPM and served as chair of the working group in setting up the party, and was elected Interim Council Member and was elected Council Member.

Trial and arrest

Faris was one of the many unlawfully detained political opposition members during former President

Yameen Abdul Gayoom Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom ( dv, ޢަބްދުﷲ ޔާމީން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް; born 21 May 1959) is a Maldivian politician who was President of the Maldives from 2013 to 2018. He left office on 17 November 2018 following his ...

’s term. He was arrested and detained for six months, without a trial, for alleged bribery of Members of Parliament. This was amidst calls for reform, resignation, and a motion of no-confidence, initiated and led by Faris, against former Speaker of the Parliament, Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed from the joint coalition of opposition parties. Faris led a breakaway segment of 14 MPs from PPM, effectively taking away the government's parliamentary majority. Held without trial for several months, Faris was also recognized as a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International. Faris, along with Former President Gayoom,

Qasim Ibrahim Qasim Ibrahim (born February 10, 1951), also known as Buruma Qasim is a Maldivian politician, business magnate and philanthropist. As the chairman and founder of the Villa Group, he is one of the country's wealthiest businessmen. Ibrahim ra ...

and Sheikh Imran Abdulla – opposition leaders that were unduly imprisoned before the 2018 Presidential election, were released after the Presidential Elections was succeeded by current the President,

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ( dv, އިބްރާހީމް މުޙައްމަދު ޞާލިޙް; ar, إبراهيم محمد صالح; born 1 March 1962), better known as Ibu (އިބޫ), is a Maldivian politician and the president of the Maldives since 17 ...

of the

Maldivian Democratic Party The Maldivian Democratic Party ( dv, ދިވެހި ރައްޔިތުންގެ ޑިމޮކްރެޓިކް ޕާޓީ, ''Dhivehi Rayyithunge Dimocretic Pati''; MDP) is the first political party formed in the Republic of Maldives with a total membership ...

(MDP).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Faris Maumoon, Ahmed Maldivian politicians 1971 births Living people Alumni of Durham University University of New South Wales alumni Candidates for President of the Maldives