MALDIVES REPORTS PROGRESS ON NEW CONSTITUTION AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000947 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS MCC FOR D NASSIRY AND E BURKE E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE SUBJECT: MALDIVES REPORTS PROGRESS ON NEW CONSTITUTION AND REFERENDUM ON FORM OF GOVERNMENT; SHUFFLES KEY MINISTERS REF: A. COLOMBO 703 ¶B. COLOMBO 629 ¶C. COLOMBO 289 Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d). ¶1. (C) Summary. Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed called on Ambassador and DCM on June 29 to report positive progress on political reform. Shaheed and opposition contacts tell us that most of the draft of the new constitution is complete and that the Special Majlis, the committee drafting the new text since 2004, is on track to finish by November 30. The Special Majlis has decided to hold a public referendum, most likely by late August, on whether Maldives will have a presidential or parliamentary system of government. Shaheed said the Government would like to have international observers at the polls for the August referendum. Shaheed highlighted other positive initiatives being pursued by the Government, including a Maldives Foundation to bring international attention to Maldives and efforts to work with a U.S. university to open a campus in Maldives. Shaheed confirmed that President Gayoom has shifted four of his cabinet ministers to new portfolios. He said former Home Affairs Minister Thasmeen Ali requested a new assignment because of recent problems within the prison system. Local press and opposition party contacts have said Gayoom was forced to move Thasmeen, a powerful business magnate and popular politician, to a more influential and less controversial ministry to keep him in the Cabinet. End summary. Progress on a New Constitution and Referendum -------------- ¶2. (C) Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed called on Ambassador and DCM on June 29 to report positive progress on political reform. Shaheed and opposition contacts tell us that most of the draft of the new constitution is complete and that the Special Majlis, the committee drafting the new text since 2004, is on track to finish by November 30. The Special Majlis decided last month to increase its sessions to four times per week rather than two to further speed things along. The committee also has decided to hold a public referendum, most likely in late August, on whether Maldives will have a presidential or parliamentary system of government. Shaheed ;acknowledged the referendum will be very significant since the opposition will cast it as a referendum on President Gayoom himself. Eager for Election Observers -------------- ¶3. (C) Shaheed told Ambassador and DCM that the Government would like to have international observers at the polls for the August referendum. With over 200 inhabited islands, observers at all stations would be unlikely, he said, but random visits would help uncover any irregularities. Ambassador encouraged Shaheed to engage soon with international monitoring groups regarding the August referendum and the upcoming general election to be held sometime before October 2008. Shaheed confirmed that party representatives would be allowed to observe polling stations, but within certain limits that will be made public. Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) leaders told DCM on June 19 that election observers would be helpful, but stressed that reforms of the existing election law are also necessary to ensure transparency. Government Outreach Efforts - Possible Link with U.S. University -------------- COLOMBO 00000947 002 OF 002 ¶4. (C) Shaheed highlighted other positive initiatives being pursued by the Government, including a Maldives Foundation. This foundation would have an international board of governors and would work to enhance dialogue on Maldivian issues among academics, think tanks, and others. The organization would promote awareness of Maldives within the international community and encourage international engagement. Shaheed noted the Government is also pursuing an arrangement with Lynn University in Florida to open a campus in Maldives by September 2008. This would be an important step toward establishing a local university in Maldives, he said. President Shuffles His Deck -------------- ¶5. (C) President Maumoon Gayoom on June 24 announced four changes in his cabinet of ministers, the first cabinet changes since July 2005. No ministers were removed, but four shifted to new positions. Home Affairs Minister Thasmeen Ali moved to the Ministry of Atolls Development, Fisheries Minister Abdullah Kamal Deen moved to Home Affairs, Atolls Development Minister Waheed Deen moved to Youth and Sports, and Youth and Sports Minister Hussain Hilmy moved to Fisheries and Agriculture. The Government has said little about these changes publicly, but indicated these moves were made to revitalize the ministries. ¶6. (C) Foreign Minister Shaheed told Ambassador and DCM that Thasmeen requested a new assignment. He said Thasmeen is a presidential hopeful and did not want his reputation tainted over recent problems within the prison system. (Note: Prisoners have engaged in hunger strikes to protest custodial violence, and Police Commissioner Adam Zahir has been accused of human rights abuses by successive human rights commissioners. End Note.) In exchange for promotion to the Atolls Ministry, Shaheed said, Thasmeen agreed to support "all of the current government's policies." Shaheed added that the Education Minister position remains vacant, but will soon be filled. ¶7. (C) Local press and opposition party contacts have said Gayoom was forced to move Thasmeen, a powerful business magnate and popular Baa atoll politician, to the Atolls ministry to keep him in the Cabinet. Local press reports say Thasmeen threatened to leave the government if Gayoom did not replace Police Commissioner Zahir. Thasmeen's replacement in the Home Ministry is a Gayoom loyalist, who presumably will not make the same demands. Opposition contacts tell us they expect additional changes in the cabinet lineup before Maldivian National Day on July 26, including the appointment of some of the President's younger family members who are eager to enter government service. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: News of progress on the Constitution, the planning for the referendum, and the Government's willingness to invite election observers are all encouraging after months of stagnation in the reform process. The Cabinet reshuffle appears to have been politically motivated, but may in fact serve to revitalize a few ministries. However, if critics are correct, the new loyalist Home Minister may be less responsive to domestic and international concern about police violations of human rights. BLAKE