Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03COLOMBO1665
2003-09-25 10:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

Maldives: President Gayoom wins first phase

Tags:  PGOV PINS PHUM PINR 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 COLOMBO 001665 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, INR/NESA
NSC FOR E. MILLARD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09-25-13
TAGS: PGOV PINS PHUM PINR MV
SUBJECT: Maldives: President Gayoom wins first phase
of presidential selection process

Refs: Colombo 1660, and previous

(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b, d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001665

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, INR/NESA
NSC FOR E. MILLARD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09-25-13
TAGS: PGOV PINS PHUM PINR MV
SUBJECT: Maldives: President Gayoom wins first phase
of presidential selection process

Refs: Colombo 1660, and previous

(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b, d).


1. (U) Maldivian President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom won the
first phase of the country's presidential selection
process on September 25. Gayoom took all 50 votes in
the People's Majlis (Parliament). The three other
candidates, Abdul Ghafoor Hussain, Mohammed Shareef, and
Nazeer Ahmed Jamaal, failed to pick up any support. One
candidate, Ibrahim Noori, was disqualified before the
Majlis vote because he could not prove that his
ancestors were Maldivian. Of the candidates, Gayoom was
the only one who was well-known.


2. (U) With his victory, Gayoom now becomes the Majlis'
official candidate for president. In the next and final
phase of the process, Gayoom will face a "yes/no"
national referendum on his candidacy. This referendum
is slated to take place in the next two to three weeks.
If he is successful, his inauguration would take place
in November. Gayoom has won previous presidential
referendums with over 90 percent of the vote.


3. (C) COMMENT: The Majlis vote was not unexpected and
Gayoom, who has been in power since 1978, seems on
course to win his sixth five-year term as president.
The one caveat in this otherwise rosy picture for Gayoom
is the sudden popping up of visible anti-government
sentiment in the country, as exhibited in graphic form
during the September 20 rioting in the capital Male (see
Reftels). Even assuming a free-and-fair referendum (as
those in the past appear to have been),anti-government
elements probably do not have enough support to defeat
Gayoom. They could, however, cause further problems on
the street for Gayoom's regime with unpredictable
consequences. END COMMENT.


4. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD