Irfaan Ali: Difference between revisions

{{short description|President of Guyana since 2020 (born 1980)}}

| name = Mohamed Irfaan Ali

| image = Irfaan Ali, 2023in 2020.jpg

| caption = Ali in 20232020

*[[University of the West IndiesSalford]] ([[DoctorMaster of PhilosophyLaws|PhDLLM]])}}

| birth_place = [[Leonora, Guyana|Leonora]], [[Essequibo Islands-West Demerara]], [[Guyana]]

| children = 12

'''Mohamed Irfaan Ali''' (born 25 April 1980)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://op.gov.gy/index.php/presidents-biography/ |title=President's Biography |website=Office of the President of Guyana|access-date=24 October 2020}}</ref> is a [[Guyanese people|Guyanese]] politician serving as the tenth and current [[president of Guyana]] since 2020. A member of the [[People's Progressive Party/Civic|People’s Progressive Party/Civic]] (PPP/C), he previously served as the minister of Housing and Water from 2009 to 2015. He is the first [[Muslims|Muslim]] to hold office, and is the secondthird Muslim head of state in the [[Americas]] after [[Noor Hassanali]] of [[Trinidad and Tobago]] and [[Carlos Menem|Carlos Saul Menem]] of [[Argentina]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=CaribbeanMuslims.Com|date=3 August 2020|title=President Irfaan Ali Sworn in as Guyana's new leader|url=https://www.caribbeanmuslims.com/president-irfaan-ali-sworn-in-as-guyanas-new-leader/.|access-date=27 February 2021|website=Caribbean Muslims|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=TrakkerNews|date=4 August 2012|title=UWI honours former President Noor Hassanali|url=https://www.caribbeantrakker.com/uwi-honours-former-president-noor-hassanali/|access-date=27 February 2021|website=TrakkerNews- News all Day, Everyday.|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Yahya-Sakur|first1=Nafeeza|last2=Kurmanaev|first2=Anatoly|date=10 September 2020|title=Killings Reignite Racial Tensions in Guyana|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/world/americas/killings-guyana-racial-tension.html|access-date=27 February 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2 August 2020|title=As Guyana Gets First Practicing Muslim President, OAS Urges Weakness In Country's Electoral System To Be Addressed|url=https://www.newsamericasnow.com/caribbean-news-guyana-finally-gets-new-government/|access-date=6 August 2020|website=Americas News Network}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=12 August 2020|title=#BTColumn - Of Muslims and social justice|url=https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/08/12/btcolumn-of-muslims-and-social-justice/|access-date=27 February 2021|website=Barbados Today|language=en-US}}</ref>

Ali was born to an [[Indo-Guyanese]] [[Muslim]] family in [[Leonora, Guyana|Leonora]], a village in the [[Essequibo Islands-West Demerara|West Coast DemararaDemerara]] region of [[Guyana]]. The child of two educators and one of two sons, Ali also spent many of his formative years on the island of [[Leguan Island|Leguan]]. He is a former student of the Leonora Nursery and Primary schools and Cornelia Ida Primary. Ali completed his secondary education at [[St. Stanislaus College (Guyana)|St. Stanislaus College]] in [[Georgetown, Guyana|Georgetown]], Guyana.<ref name="stabroeknews.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2019/10/24/news/guyana/irfaan-ali-awarded-doctorate-of-philosophy-in-urban-and-regional-planning/ |title=Irfaan Ali awarded Doctorate of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Planning|newspaper=Stabroek News|date=13 January 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://op.gov.gy/index.php/presidents-biography/ | title=Biography of His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali – President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces – Office of the President }}</ref>

HeAli holds a doctorate in Urban and Regional Planning from the [[University of the West Indies]].<ref>{{cite news|urlname=https://www."stabroeknews.com"/2019/10/24/news/guyana/irfaan-ali-awarded-doctorate-of-philosophy-in-urban-and-regional-planning/ |title=Irfaan Ali awarded Doctorate of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Planning|newspaper=Stabroek News|date=13 January 2023}}</ref> In 2003, he completed his Mastermaster's Degreedegree in Human Resource Planning Development from the National Institute of Labour Economics, affiliated with the [[Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University]], New Delhi. In 2023, the Universityuniversity awarded him an Honorary Doctorate.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2023/01/13/news/guyana/president-accorded-honorary-doctorate-from-indian-university | title=President accorded honorary doctorate from Indian university |newspaper=Stabroel News| date=13 January 2023 }}</ref> He also has a [[Master of Arts]] degree in manpower planning, a post-graduate diploma in international business, and a post-graduate certificate in finance from [[Anglia Ruskin University]], a [[Master of Law]] degree in international commercial law from the [[University of Salford]] and a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree with honours in business management from the [[University of Sunderland]].<ref>https://op.gov.gy/index.php/presidents-biography/</ref>

Irfaan Ali was the presidential candidate of the [[People's Progressive Party/Civic|People's Progressive Party]] (PPP/C) for the 2 March [[2020 Guyanese general election|2020 general and regional elections in Guyana]].<ref>[https://www.stabroeknews.com/2019/news/guyana/01/19/irfaan-ali-is-ppp-c-presidential-candidate/ "Irfaan Ali is PPP/C presidential candidate"], ''Stabroek News'', 19 January 2019.</ref> He was selected as the [[2019 Guyanese general election|presidential candidate]] for the People's Progressive Party/Civic on 19 January 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.inewsguyana.com/irfaan-ali-proposes-plan-to-improve-guyanese-lives|title=Irfaan Ali proposes plan to improve Guyanese lives {{!}} INews Guyana|date=24 June 2019|work=iNews Guyana|access-date=26 June 2019}}</ref> His selection came at a time after Ali had been charged with 19 counts of conspiracy and fraud by Guyana's Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU).<ref name="fraud charges">{{Cite web|date=29 November 2018|title=Irfaan Ali on 19 fraud charges over Pradoville Two|url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2018/11/29/news/guyana/irfaan-ali-on-19-fraud-charges-over-pradoville-two/|access-date=15 June 2020|website=Stabroek News|language=en-US}}</ref> Ali's lawyers questioned the legality of these charges, and claimed that they were political in nature and "trumped up".<ref name="fraud charges" /> At the time when Ali was running for president, the charges had never been brought to a full court hearing.

Immediately following his selection, Ali was accused of academic fraud, with opponents claiming that when Ali was in his early 20s, he had misrepresented one of his qualifications.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2019/01/13/documents-indicate-irfaan-ali-obtained-masters-three-years-before-his-first-degree-watchers-accuse-him-of-academic-fraud/|title=Irfaan Ali accused of academic fraud|date=13 January 2019|website=Kaieteur News|language=en-US|access-date=30 July 2019}}</ref> Ali was also indicted on 19 charges of other fraud for allegedly defrauding the state of over $174M between 2011 and 2015, allegedly conspiring with persons unknown to "greatly undersell" 19 plots of state lands at Plantation Sparendaam and Goedverwagting in [[Demerara-Mahaica]] to current or former government officials.<ref name="kaieteurnewsonline.com">{{Cite web|date=26 October 2019|title=Irfaan Ali 19 charges trial further postponed|url=https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2019/10/26/irfaan-ali-19-charges-trial-further-postponed/|access-date=7 August 2020|website=Kaieteur News|language=en-US}}</ref>

The trial on the matters was postponed several times. He was granted self bail on the charges. The lands, which were sold for $39.8M, are valued at $212.4M, according to the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU).<ref>{{Cite web|datename=26 October 2019|title=Irfaan Ali 19 charges trial further postponed|url=https://www."kaieteurnewsonline.com"/2019/10/26/irfaan-ali-19-charges-trial-further-postponed/|access-date=7 August 2020|website=Kaieteur News|language=en-US}}</ref> On 14 August, the charges were dismissed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.inewsguyana.com/trumped-up-charges-dismissed-against-president-ali/|title='Trumped up' charges dismissed against President Ali|website=iNews Guyana|date=14 August 2020|access-date=23 August 2020}}</ref>

In his 2020 campaign for the presidency, Ali ran on a mainly economic platform, citing declining growth and increased joblessness under the Granger administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=PPPC Manifesto 2020 elections|url=https://newsroom.gy/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/pdfresizer.com-pdf-resize.pdf}}</ref> Ali committed to creating 50,000 new jobs over five years.<ref>{{Cite web|title=PPPC Manifesto Elections 2020|url=https://newsroom.gy/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/pdfresizer.com-pdf-resize.pdf}}</ref> He has emphasized the need for transparency and adherence to globally-recognised standards for Guyana's [[Petroleum exploration in Guyana|nascent oil sector]], which is expected to transform Guyana's development. Ali is committed to establishing a [[sovereign wealth fund]] “protected"protected against political interference”interference", and to strengthen Guyana's ability to uphold the [[Santiago Principles]] and the global requirements of the [[Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative]].

In September 2020, in a joint statement with the [[United States]] [[United States Secretary of State|secretary of state]] [[Mike Pompeo]], Ali said the two countries would begin joint maritime patrols aimed at drug interdiction near Guyana's [[GuayanaGuyana–Venezuela Esequibaterritorial dispute|disputed border]] with [[Crisis in Venezuela|crisis-stricken Venezuela]].<ref name="Jointmaritime" >[https://www.stabroeknews.com/2020/09/18/news/guyana/joint-guyana-us-maritime-air-patrols-could-begin-as-early-as-monday/ Joint Guyana-US maritime, air patrols could begin as early as Monday]. 18 September 2020. ''Stabroek News''. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref> The agreement came as U.S. oil major [[Exxon Mobil Corp]], as part of a consortium with [[Hess Corp]], ramped up crude output from Guyana's massive offshore [[Petroleum industry in Guyana|Stabroek block]], a large portion of which is in waters claimed by Venezuela.<ref name="Jointmaritime" /> Pompeo and Ali added that "greater security, greater capacity to understand your border space, what's happening inside your Exclusive Economic Zone - those are all things that give Guyana sovereignty."<ref>Cohen, Luc (18 September 2020), [https://www.marinelink.com/news/us-guyana-launch-joint-maritime-patrols-481805 US, Guyana to Launch Joint Maritime Patrols Near Venezuela]. . ''MarineLink''. Retrieved 19 September 2020.</ref>