Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COLOMBO1106
2008-12-04 11:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
MALDIVES: HOME MINISTER QASIM IBRAHIM RESIGNS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001106
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV ELAB MV
SUBJECT: MALDIVES: HOME MINISTER QASIM IBRAHIM RESIGNS
REF: A. COLOMBO 1022
B. COLOMBO 1006
C. COLOMBO 1076
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES JAMES R. MOORE REASONS:
1.4(b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001106
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV ELAB MV
SUBJECT: MALDIVES: HOME MINISTER QASIM IBRAHIM RESIGNS
REF: A. COLOMBO 1022
B. COLOMBO 1006
C. COLOMBO 1076
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES JAMES R. MOORE REASONS:
1.4(b,d).
1. (U) SUMMARY: Home Minister Qasim Ibrahim has resigned
following a police brutality scandal at a five-star resort.
Qasim's Republican Party has not decided on its continued
participation in the MDP-led government. Upcoming
Parliamentary elections in February will determine the extent
to which President Nasheed will have to rely on coalition
parties to rule. End Summary
2. (U) Home Minister Qasim Ibrahim resigned on December 3
following a police brutality scandal at a five-star resort.
On November 30, under orders from the Home Minister, police
in riot gear broke up a strike by employees demanding higher
pay at the five-star One and Only Reethi Rah resort. Resort
staff and labor leaders were quoted in the press accusing the
police of beatings and excessive force. The scandal was
unwelcome news for the new government led by former
opposition figures, many of whom had been the victims of
police brutality in the past. Qasim acknowledged that he
ordered the police to break up the protest, but in his public
statement announcing the resignation he cited the new
government's failure to fund improvements in the country's
prisons as the reason he was leaving the Ministry. To our
knowledge there have been no discussions over who might
replace him.
3. (C) Qasim, one of the wealthiest men in the Maldives and a
former Finance Minister, heads the Republican Coalition made
up of the Republican Party, the Adhaalath Party and the
Maldives National Congress. Following his defeat in the
first round of the Presidential elections, he pledged his
support to the MDP candidate and eventual victor Mohammed
Nasheed. In return, the Republican Coalition was granted
four of the 14 ministries in the new government's cabinet.
The Republican Party met on the night of December 3 to
discuss their continued participation in the MDP-led
coalition government. According to Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs Ahmed Naseem, a key MDP figure, no decision
was taken on their future cooperation with the MDP. Naseem
reported that he had been in touch with leaders in the
religious Adhaalath Party and they were not in favor of
leaving the government. Naseem indicated it was still too
early to assess what Qasim's departure would mean for
continued MDP-Republican party cooperation.
4. (C) COMMENT: The cabinet is a "loose coalition" of former
opposition parties that has initially struggled to gel (ref
B). Qasim's departure is an unwelcome distraction for the
new government as it struggles to solve a serious budget
shortfall (ref C). However, the MDP and Republican Party had
agreed to contest the coming Parliamentary elections in
February separately. While near term MDP-Republican Party
cooperation is in jeopardy, President Nasheed's long-term
need to depend on coalition partners will be determined by
the results in February.
Moore
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV ELAB MV
SUBJECT: MALDIVES: HOME MINISTER QASIM IBRAHIM RESIGNS
REF: A. COLOMBO 1022
B. COLOMBO 1006
C. COLOMBO 1076
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES JAMES R. MOORE REASONS:
1.4(b,d).
1. (U) SUMMARY: Home Minister Qasim Ibrahim has resigned
following a police brutality scandal at a five-star resort.
Qasim's Republican Party has not decided on its continued
participation in the MDP-led government. Upcoming
Parliamentary elections in February will determine the extent
to which President Nasheed will have to rely on coalition
parties to rule. End Summary
2. (U) Home Minister Qasim Ibrahim resigned on December 3
following a police brutality scandal at a five-star resort.
On November 30, under orders from the Home Minister, police
in riot gear broke up a strike by employees demanding higher
pay at the five-star One and Only Reethi Rah resort. Resort
staff and labor leaders were quoted in the press accusing the
police of beatings and excessive force. The scandal was
unwelcome news for the new government led by former
opposition figures, many of whom had been the victims of
police brutality in the past. Qasim acknowledged that he
ordered the police to break up the protest, but in his public
statement announcing the resignation he cited the new
government's failure to fund improvements in the country's
prisons as the reason he was leaving the Ministry. To our
knowledge there have been no discussions over who might
replace him.
3. (C) Qasim, one of the wealthiest men in the Maldives and a
former Finance Minister, heads the Republican Coalition made
up of the Republican Party, the Adhaalath Party and the
Maldives National Congress. Following his defeat in the
first round of the Presidential elections, he pledged his
support to the MDP candidate and eventual victor Mohammed
Nasheed. In return, the Republican Coalition was granted
four of the 14 ministries in the new government's cabinet.
The Republican Party met on the night of December 3 to
discuss their continued participation in the MDP-led
coalition government. According to Minister of State for
Foreign Affairs Ahmed Naseem, a key MDP figure, no decision
was taken on their future cooperation with the MDP. Naseem
reported that he had been in touch with leaders in the
religious Adhaalath Party and they were not in favor of
leaving the government. Naseem indicated it was still too
early to assess what Qasim's departure would mean for
continued MDP-Republican party cooperation.
4. (C) COMMENT: The cabinet is a "loose coalition" of former
opposition parties that has initially struggled to gel (ref
B). Qasim's departure is an unwelcome distraction for the
new government as it struggles to solve a serious budget
shortfall (ref C). However, the MDP and Republican Party had
agreed to contest the coming Parliamentary elections in
February separately. While near term MDP-Republican Party
cooperation is in jeopardy, President Nasheed's long-term
need to depend on coalition partners will be determined by
the results in February.
Moore