Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COLOMBO250
2008-03-12 03:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

MALDIVES: CONSTITUTION NEAR COMPLETION; COUNTRY

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM MV 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
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RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000250 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS AND SCA/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MV
SUBJECT: MALDIVES: CONSTITUTION NEAR COMPLETION; COUNTRY
PREPARES FOR ELECTIONS

REF: COLOMBO 0137

Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000250

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS AND SCA/RA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MV
SUBJECT: MALDIVES: CONSTITUTION NEAR COMPLETION; COUNTRY
PREPARES FOR ELECTIONS

REF: COLOMBO 0137

Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On February 20, visiting Staffdel from the
House Foreign Affairs Committee and Poloff called on
Maldivian government officials to discuss the political
reform process and upcoming multi-party elections. Staffdel
consisted of Professional Staff Member Manpreet Anand, Senior
PSM Hans Hogrefe, and Deputy Chief Counsel Kristin Wells.
The GORM remains optimistic that the new constitution and
accompanying legislation will be complete in time to allow
preparations for elections in August or September 2008.
However, the government and opposition continue to debate the
need for transitional arrangements to manage the country
during the run-up to the election. Government and opposition
contacts alike defended the inclusion of a constitutional
requirement that all Maldivians be Muslim. As the election
draws closer, opposition leaders continue to jockey over who
should become the common candidate to challenge the incumbent
Gayoom for the Presidency. Staffdel also heard concerns
raised by government officials on the rise of extremism,
especially with increased money and influence from the Middle
East and Pakistan coming to the Maldives. End Summary.

Government Acknowledges Reform Challenges...
--------------


2. (C) In a meeting with visiting Staffdel, Deputy Foreign
Minister Dunya Maumoon underscored the need for electoral
reform, and noted that parliament would consider a package of
election-related bills once it reconvened on February 28.
She noted that the UN electoral assessment team would come in
April to conduct a "fact-finding" tour. She expressed
disappointment with recent indications that the EU might not
participate in monitoring Maldives' election. Despite the
obvious challenges, Maumoon said the GORM was hopeful that
elections could be held in August or September 2008. She
said there was much consensus on the draft constitution, and
she was confident that the President would be able to ratify
it quickly. (Note: According to Maumoon, the President has

3 months to ratify the text once it is approved by the
People's Majlis, or parliament.)


3. (C) Attorney General Azima Shakoor admitted some concern
about getting all of the needed implementing legislation in
place. She noted that establishment of the Judicial Services
Committee, and subsequent creation of an independent Supreme
Court, were important for ensuring a free and fair election.
She was "somewhat uncomfortable" with the draft constitution
and feared that the completion schedule would not allow
enough time for necessary research and debate. Nonetheless,
she said she would work with the drafting committee closely
so that once the People's Majlis passed the bill, the
government could quickly ratify it. She noted that she did
not want to be in the position of having to send it back for
re-drafting. Her staff, she said, had already gone through
the draft constitution and made a list of "inconsistencies"
that she planned to address with the drafting committee.


4. (C) Legal Reform Minister Mohamed Nasheed acknowledged
that the government is working on 87 reform bills, 60 of
which are directly related to the new constitution. He said
Maldives lacks some of the expertise needed to draft these
bills, but is getting some help from the UN and the British
Commonwealth. He asserted that the electoral reform bills
could easily be passed in time for the election. He was
confident about the pace of reform, he said, because the
government and opposition are "friends, relatives, and
colleagues with the same goal: free and fair elections on
time."

Religious Freedom a Non-Starter
--------------


5. (C) Government and opposition contacts consistently
argued that Maldivians did not want freedom of religion in
Maldives. Deputy Foreign Minister Maumoon told Staffdel that

COLOMBO 00000250 002 OF 003


the majority of the country supports remaining 100 percent
Muslim. Attorney General Shakoor noted that the new
Maldivian constitution would include a bill of rights, but
would not include religious freedom. She said Maldivians see
Islam as a "unifying force" and a part of their national
identity. She added that no Maldivian wants to see other
religions being practiced publicly in Maldives.
Representatives of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party
and Social Liberal Party emphasized that all political
parties in Maldives support Islam as the only religion.
Former Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed admitted that a
constitutional requirement that Maldivians be Muslim was
problematic, but noted that, for now, the opposition can not
advocate religious freedom without being labeled as "zionist"
and losing significant support. He said that politicians
will be forced to address the issue when Maldivians begin to
lose citizenship over the issue and demand change. (Note:
Reftel reports that the Foreign Minister understands the
importance of this issue and has pledged to work with the
Majlis to amend the requirement.)

Debate over Transitional Arrangements Continues
-------------- --------------


6. (C) In meetings in Colombo on February 28 and 29,
opposition MDP members shared concerns with Ambassador and
PolOffs about the ongoing debate over the section of the
draft constitution on transitional arrangements. The MDP
fears that President Gayoom would not allow a free and fair
election. Instead, they say he and representatives from each
political party should form a governing committee to lead the
country from the time the new constitution is passed until
after the election. They also have advocated an interim
parliament made up of the constitutional assembly, the
Special Majlis, minus the 16 members appointed by the
President and any government ministers. The government's
counter-proposal would have the Peoples' Majlis continue as
the parliament, but without the appointed members or
ministers.


7. (SBU) The government's Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party (DRP),
unhappy with the first draft of the constitutional chapter on
transitional arrangements, issued a statement on March 2
claiming that the chapter was produced in an undemocratic
manner. The DRP further alleged that drafting committee
chairman Ibrahim Ismail's "integrity and sincerity to the
democratic reform process is questionable." Ibrahim countered
that the DRP's accusations were baseless and that the draft
was based on consultation with Information Minister Nasheed,
head of the DRP Parliamentary Group Aneesa Ahmed, and
Attorney General Shakoor.

Opposition Leaders Divided Over Who Should Run
-------------- -


8. (C) In the meantime, opposition leaders continue to
jockey over who should challenge Gayoom for the Presidency.
MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed (Anni) resigned from his post
on February 21 to campaign for his party's presidential
nomination. MDP parliamentarian Mariya Didi told poloff that
MDP President Munnavar still intends to run as well. She
also noted that Reeko Moosa, an MP from Laamu Atoll, was
seeking the nomination. A primary will be held on April 25
to determine the official MDP presidential candidate. A
party election to select a new Chairperson will be held on
the same day. Didi is rumored to be the favorite to replace
Anni.


9. (C) COMMENT: Despite the current snag over the
transitional arrangements, progress on the constitution and
election preparations seems to be moving forward. Both the
government and opposition appear genuinely committed to the
reform process. There is some concern within the government
that things are moving so quickly that mistakes could be made
or problems overlooked. The absence of religious freedom in
the constitution may well be one of those things. An equally
valid concern, shared by the Staffdel, is that the reform
process is moving too quickly for average Maldivians to

COLOMBO 00000250 003 OF 003


process and understand the changes taking place.
Misunderstandings about the new roles and responsibilities of
the government and the people under the new constitution have
the potential to get in the way of a smooth transition.
Moreover, if the reform process does not yield a Presidential
election in 2008 that the Maldivian public perceives as
broadly reflecting its will, the resulting frustration may
feed into growing Islamic extremism. Maldives is likely to
accept gratefully any offers of international monitors to
help oversee the election. Post would be pleased to help
facilitate a U.S. observer mission if funding is available.
We will continue to encourage Maldives to accept
international assistance in the run-up to the election.


10. (U) Staffdel Anand cleared this cable.
BLAKE