Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02COLOMBO2329
2002-12-19 10:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

Normally placid Maldivian political scene seems

Tags:  PGOV PTER PHUM SOCI MV 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 002329 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, AND S/CT; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12-19-12
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM SOCI MV
SUBJECT: Normally placid Maldivian political scene seems
to be stirring a bit as presidential election year looms

Refs: (A) Colombo 2323

- (B) Colombo 1113, and previous

(U) Classified by Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b,d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 002329

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, AND S/CT; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12-19-12
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM SOCI MALDIVES'>MV
SUBJECT: Normally placid Maldivian political scene seems
to be stirring a bit as presidential election year looms

Refs: (A) Colombo 2323

- (B) Colombo 1113, and previous

(U) Classified by Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The normally placid Maldivian
political situation is stirring a bit with the approach
of the 2003 presidential election. In December 16-17
meetings in Male, polchief was told that President
Gayoom is expected to run and win the election. That
said, there is some dissonance emerging, particularly
from younger Maldivians seeking greater
political/economic opportunities. Islamic extremism
remains a government concern and the Attorney General
reviewed with polchief the status of key cases. The
Gayoom government appears strong at this time, but there
is a certain lack of flexibility that might lead to
problems for the regime down the road. END SUMMARY.

==========================
Presidential Election Year
==========================


2. (C) Polchief visited the MALDIVES, December 16-17.
(Note: Ref A contains a review of key bilateral issues
discussed with GoRM officials during the visit.) The
normally placid Maldivian political situation seemed to
be stirring a bit with the approach of 2003, a
presidential election year. Explaining the presidential
selection system, Maldivian contacts confirmed that the
50-member Majlis (parliament) will select a candidate
for the next five-year term from a list of nominations
at some point in June-July 2003. (Note: The MALDIVES
has no political parties and candidates essentially
nominate themselves.) There will then be a popular
referendum later in the year in which Maldivian citizens
can say yes or no to the Majlis-approved candidate. In
practice, this candidate has never had any problems
gaining massive support in the referendum.

===============================
Gayoom seems Set to Run and Win
===============================


3. (C) According to contacts, President Maumoon Abdul
Gayoom has not yet decided whether he will be a

candidate in 2003. Polchief was told that there was
little suspense over the question and that everyone
assumed that he would be a candidate, just as he was in
the previous five elections. (Note: Gayoom has been in
power since 1978.) There is also little doubt that
Gayoom would win should he seek re-election. M.
Khankub, the Acting Indian High Commissioner, told
polchief that Gayoom maintained strong support in a
Majlis stocked with family members and close friends.
While the Majlis did contain elements that were not
particularly friendly to Gayoom, Khankub said he had no
doubt that the Majlis would select Gayoom as the
official candidate for the referendum if he asked it to.
Contacts invariably agreed with Khanbub's assessment,
noting that Gayoom faced no one of stature who could
reasonably be expected to challenge him.

========================
Some Dissonance Emerging
========================


4. (C) Although Gayoom's political position seems
strong at this time, there are some glimmers of dissent
emerging. Some of the dissent is from younger family
members of officials who are part of the government's
inner circle. An article in a weekly magazine called
"Monday Times" recently called into question whether
Gayoom should run for president again, for example. The
article noted that Gayoom had been in power for almost
25 years and that it might be time for flesh blood.
(Note: After printing this article, the "Monday Times"
has not been published and is effectively defunct. See
the Attorney General's comments below re this matter.)
According to Khankub and others, Mohammed Bushry, the
editor of "Monday Times," has long made it a practice to
go around Male criticizing the government. Because
Bushry is the son-in-law of Mohammed Zahir Hussain, the
Minister of Youth and Sports, his voice has special
resonance. Another influential person vocalizing gentle
criticism of the government is Shaheen Hameed, a lawyer
who is a son of the Majlis Speaker and a nephew of
President Gayoom. Hameed is said to want the government
to open up and allow more democratization.

=================
The "Youth Bulge"
=================


5. (C) More broadly, the government faces a challenge
in dealing with the MALDIVES' "youth bulge." Minh Pham
(Amcit--pls protect),resident coordinator of the UN
office in Male, told polchief that there were signs that
the GoRM was facing real problems assimilating the over
55 percent of Maldivians who were 20 years or younger.
While the Maldivian economy has grown steadily, there is
still a great deal of underemployment and some
unemployment. High school students focus too much on
liberal arts-related -- as opposed to vocational --
subjects, and they find their expectations dashed when
they cannot get the type of job they feel qualified for.
University graduates often experience the same
frustration when they return to the country.
(Note: The MALDIVES does not have a university itself,
so Maldivian students have to travel overseas.)


6. (C) Pham and other contacts agreed that many younger
Maldivians also wanted the country's semi-autocratic
political system to open up and allow real democracy,
including political parties. There was a growing chorus
of complaints that political and economic power was
concentrated in too few hands, leading to widespread
corruption. Pham commented that the GoRM was aware that
it had to work harder to earn the support of youth.
(Note: Pham is right that the GoRM is aware of the
problem: Many GoRM officials have mentioned to us that
the government has to do more for the younger
generation.)

===============================
Concern about Islamic Extremism
===============================


7. (C) Islamic extremism also remains a government
concern. Most contacts downplayed the seriousness of
any such extremism in the MALDIVES, stressing that the
government would act to prevent the formation of an
Islamist movement or cells in decisive fashion. In a
December 16 meeting, Attorney General Mohamed Munnavvar
reviewed with polchief the status of the following two
legal cases involving allegations of religious-based
extremism:

-- Munavvar confirmed that Mohammed Zaki, Ahammaadhee
(one name only),and Ibrahim Luthfee, all Maldivian
nationals, had been convicted of subversion in July and
sentenced to terms ranging from 15 to 25 years in
prison. According to GoRM information, the three worked
together in a business involving computers, and traveled
back-and-forth between Malaysia and the MALDIVES. The
objective of the group, according to Munavvar, was to
undermine President Gayoom's government and replace it
with some sort of Islamist regime.

-- Munavvar also confirmed that Ibrahim Fareed, a Muslim
cleric from Male was under arrest. Fareed would be
tried soon on charges of disturbing "religious harmony."
Munavvar thought that Fareed would probably be convicted
and sentenced to four years imprisonment. He said
Fareed's offense involved repeated sermons in which he
asserted that the government was not following Islamic
law. It was not clear whether Fareed had international
connections, but he had studied in Qatar. (Note: With
the MALDIVES lacking higher education facilities, the
government remains worried that too many students travel
to the Middle East, Pakistan, and Malaysia to attend
religious schools. The GoRM believes these students may
pick up extremist thinking at such schools.)


8. (C) Polchief also asked Munnavvar about the closure
of the "Monday Times" magazine. He denied that the
magazine had been banned, but he admitted that the
government had urged its publisher not to print it any
longer. Munnavar noted that the magazine was
consistently anti-government in tone, and that it was
often hostile to the U.S. (Note: In another matter
involving the media, polchief was told by sources that
"Sandhaanu," an anti-GoRM, anti-U.S. website, was
impossible to access in the MALDIVES. The government
had acted to block access to the site, according to
these sources.)

=======
COMMENT
=======


9. (C) There is little doubt that the Gayoom regime
remains strong. Gayoom, his family, and his allies hold
virtually all of the top government jobs, and they also
control most of the lucrative commercial enterprises.
Despite some bubbling up of dissent, Gayoom also remains
personally popular, with many Maldivians appreciating
the moderate direction he has steered the country in the
past 24 years. There remains a certain lack of
flexibility that might lead to problems for the regime
down the road, however. A brittle response to the so
far gentle requests for further democratization could
provoke opposition, for example. A failure to provide
opportunities that meet the rising expectations of the
younger generation could also spark problems. It is
possible that some of these issues could come to a head
in the coming election year, but, unless he mishandles
the situation, Gayoom's grip on power seems solid into
the foreseeable future. END COMMENT.


10. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS