Political Career
Prior to being appointed Foreign Minister, Shaheed served as the first ever Chief Government Spokesperson of Maldives, a ministerial position within the President's Secretariat.
In July 2005, Shaheed used his position as Government Spokesperson to reject the condemnation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the Chief Justice of the Maldives. The Opposition MDP accused him of being the chief "spin doctor" for President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom while independent human rights NGOs such as Hama Jamiyya hail him as a champion of human rights.
He is one of the co-founders of New Maldives, a group within the former regime who spearheaded the drive to make the Maldives a modern liberal democracy. Shaheed is also the founder of the Open Society Association dedicated to the promotion of human rights, tolerance and democracy.
Although a very high profile sponsor of the DRP, he was defeated in his bid to win the Vice Presidency of the Party in April 2006.
Read more about this topic: Ahmed Shaheed
Famous quotes related to political career:
“It is my settled opinion, after some years as a political correspondent, that no one is attracted to a political career in the first place unless he is socially or emotionally crippled.”
—Auberon Waugh (b. 1939)