Aría Nikiwundi

*This is a Velkanian name. The last name is a family name, but this person should be referred to by the given name* Aría*.*

**Aría Nikiwundi** (born 12 December 1971) is a Velkanian politician and lawyer who has served as Minister of Justice since 2012. A Liberal-Democrat, Aría has additionally served as a member of the Stádlink since 2008. She is the first black Velkanian and the first Velkanian of Tarshan descent to serve in a cabinet, and the first Velkanian woman of Tarshan descent to be elected to the Stádlink.

Aría was born in Naríthjábæk to a Velkanian mother and a father from Bolinware. After graduating from Naríthjábæk Academy in 1991, Aría moved to Halina to attend the University of North Fasina, graduating with a degree in politics in 1994. After graduating, Aría remained in North Fasina and worked Daisy's Fund, a non-governmental organization advocating for the advancement of women's rights in Mursania. In 1995, she returned to the Velkanian Isles and enrolled in the University of Velkania as a law student, graduating in 2001. She later received a master's degree in family law from the University of Velkania in 2006. After working in family law for a number of years, Aría was elected to the Stádlink for the Liberal-Democrats in the 2008 election, representing the Capital Region constituency. Positioning herself with the left-wing faction of the Liberal-Democrats, Aría was later appointed Minister of Justice by Síf María Vílhelmsdætr for her first cabinet in 2012, remaining in this capacity in her second cabinet as well in 2016.

A popular and widely recognizable figure throughout the Velkanian Isles, Aría has the highest approval rating of all government ministers as of 2019. She has been cited as a potential future Prime Minister or Liberal-Democrat party leader.

## Early life and education

Aría was born on 12 December 1971 in Naríthjábæk to parents Hamko Nikiwundi (1931–2010) and Anna Haudur Nikulásdætr (born 1940). Her father is Bolinwarean and taught nuclear physics at the University of Naríthjábæk at the time of her birth, while her mother is a Velkanian psychiatric nurse. Aría is the youngest of three children and only daughter; her elder brothers include Mattías, born  (1966-05-14) 14 May 1966 (age 57), and Viktor, born  (1968-09-29) 29 September 1968 (age 55). Aría's parents separated when she was seven years old and later divorced; her father moved to North Fasina to teach at the University of North Fasina, while Aría and her brothers were raised by their mother.

### Education and law career

Aría began her education in 1978, attending a local public primary school in Naríthjábæk. As a child, Aría was the victim of racist bullying from her peers, and recalls frequently asking her mother to allow her to stay home from school to hide from the taunts. Nevertheless, she was a high-achieving student who also played football for a youth league. Aría graduated from primary school in 1988, afterwards enrolling in Naríthjábæk Academy to study a general academic program. While a high school student, Aría became interested in politics and greatly admired Brigitta Magnúsdætr. She graduated from high school in 1991, later moving to North Fasina to live with her father and study politics at the University of North Fasina. Aría enjoyed living with her father, but did not feel always safe residing in North Fasina and desired to return to the Velkanian Isles. She graduated from university in 1994, and worked at the non-governmental organization Daisy's Fund for one year.

In 1995, Aría returned to the Velkanian Isles and enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Velkania. She graduated with her law degree in 2001, and began working at a Naríthjábæk-based law firm, specializing in family law. She received her master's degree in family law from the University of Velkania in 2006.

## Political career

### Political beginnings

Aría first became invested in politics in 1990, during the 1990 snap election that led to the victory of Brigitta Magnúsdætr. Despite supporting Brigitta, Aría was a registered independent. After Katrín Björk Maríusdætr became Prime Minister in 1993, Aría registered as a Liberal-Democrat, beginning to feel disillusioned with Social Democratic politics. Aría first began to seek an active role in participating in politics in 2005, becoming dissatisfied with Davíd Pétursson and the Conservatives.

In 2008, Aría applied to stand as a candidate in the 2008 election in the Capital Region constituency of the Stádlink. She went on to be elected, becoming the first woman of Tarshan origin to serve as a member of the Stádlink. Aría has been reelected in 2012 and 2016.

### Minister of Justice

After the Liberal-Democrats won the 2012 election and Síf María Vílhelmsdætr secured a coalition agreement with the Green-Agrarian Party, it was announced by Síf María that she would be nominating Aría for the position of Minister of Justice in her first cabinet. Ragnhildur IV formally appointed Aría as Minister of Justice on 1 December 2012, becoming the first black Velkanian and first Velkanian of Tarshan origin to serve as a cabinet minister. The party won a majority of seats in the 2016 election, leading to the dissolution of the coalition government in favor of a single-party government of the Liberal-Democrats. Síf María chose Aría to remain in her capacity as Minister of Justice in her second cabinet.

## Personal life

Aría began a relationship with Velkanian Fors lawyer Christian Larsson in 1998. They later became engaged in 2001, and married the following year. Aría and Christian have two sons together: Michael, born  (2003-12-26) 26 December 2003 (age 20), and Karl-Henrik, born  (2005-03-01) 1 March 2005 (age 18). The family resides in Raufardur, and is primarily Forsish-speaking; in addition to Forsish, Aría speaks fluent Helvarian, English, and her native Fargonian and Velkanian.