Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03COLOMBO1819
2003-10-20 10:52:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

Maldivian President wins another five-year

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PINS 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 02 COLOMBO 001819 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10-20-13
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS SOCI MV
SUBJECT: Maldivian President wins another five-year
term in office

Refs: Colombo 1718, and previous

(U) Classified by Bruce Lohof, Acting Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b,d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001819

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10-20-13
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS SOCI MV
SUBJECT: Maldivian President wins another five-year
term in office

Refs: Colombo 1718, and previous

(U) Classified by Bruce Lohof, Acting Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Maldivian President Gayoom handily won
reelection for a sixth term in a national referendum
held on October 17. In other local political
developments, the government continues to investigate
the causes of the rare outbreak of unrest last month.
Although he won the referendum in a predictably easy
manner, Gayoom's sixth term may be a challenging one
given the recent bubbling up of discontent. END
SUMMARY.


2. (U) GAYOOM WINS AGAIN: Maldivian President Maumoon
Abdul Gayoom easily won re-election to another five-year
term in a national referendum held on October 17 (he has
been in power since 1978). According to official figures
released on October 20, the final count in the "yes/no"
referendum was 90.28 percent in favor of Gayoom, with
9.72 percent against. Gayoom's victory in the
referendum follows his selection by the People's Majlis
(Parliament) in September as the country's lone
presidential candidate. His inauguration for a sixth
term is set to take place in early November.


3. (SBU) By way of context, Gayoom's margin of victory
was slightly lower than the 1998 election in which he
won 90.9 percent of the vote. In his previous elections
(1993, 1988, 1983, 1978),he also won sizable majorities
in the presidential referendums. Interestingly, given
the recent unrest there (see below),Gayoom suffered a
nearly 12 percent drop in "yes" votes in the capital of
Male'. Voter turnout was reported at 77 percent,
marginally higher than the 76.7 percent reported in the
1998 election. Over 113,000 people voted (out of a
total population of roughly 270,000).


4. (SBU) GOVERNMENT PROBE INTO UNREST: In other local
political developments, the government continues to
investigate the causes of the rare outbreak of unrest
last month in Male' which was sparked by a police firing
at a prison on a nearby island (see Reftels). A
Presidential Commission set up to investigate the
September 19 prison disturbance gave a press briefing on
October 16 reviewing its work thus far (there is another
Commission investigating the September 20 riots on
Male'). In the briefing, Abdul Sattar Moosa Didi, the
head of the Commission, provided details on the death of
an inmate at the prison, which set off a riot by the
prisoners, and led to the police firing that left three
other prisoners dead and several wounded. On the basis
of Didi's comments, the Commission seems to have
tentatively concluded that the inmate in question died
of unspecified mistreatment by prison guards. Didi
noted, for example, that Adam Mohamed, formerly a
National Security Service captain at the prison, had
been correctly held responsible for the incident and
cashiered from police service. Based on what Mission
understands, up to twelve NSS personnel, including
Mohamed, have been fired for their role in the prison
disturbance. Didi wrapped up by noting that the
Commission's investigation would continue.


5. (C) RSO recently visited Male', and in comments
providing further insight into the unrest, was told by
Controller of Immigration and Emigration Ali Hussain
Didi that Maldivians had been stunned by the police
firings at the prison. Given their long-standing
cultural aversion to violence, some Maldivians had had a
sharp, intense reaction to the NSS' use of force against
the prisoners and had taken to the streets in protest.
Didi said he thought the worst was over now, with most
Maldivians accepting the government's claims that it was
earnestly trying to get to the bottom of what happened.


6. (C) COMMENT: Despite the recent unrest, Gayoom was
widely expected to win the referendum and the results
are already being paraded by the government as evidence
of the depth of his public support. As to the free and
fair nature of the process itself, we do not think the
process was "fair" given that only one candidate is
allowed to seek a popular mandate and no political
parties are allowed. Conversely, the process -- when
taken on its own merits -- seems to have been "free"
enough in that we have not heard any substantiated
reports of ballot stuffing or pressure on voters. Given
the recent bubbling up of discontent, our guess is that
Gayoom's sixth term may be a challenging one as he deals
with growing pressure from the public for a more open
political system. END COMMENT.


7. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD

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