US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1958

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001958 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, INR/NESA; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958:    DECL: 11-12-13 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, PHUM, MV, Maldives 
SUBJECT:  Maldivian President Gayoom inaugurated for 
sixth term; He calls for reforms and reshuffles cabinet 
 
Refs:  (A) White House Washington DC DTG 071859Z Nov 03 
-      (B) Colombo 1819, and previous (All Notal) 
 
(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  On November 11, Maldivian President 
Gayoom was inaugurated to his sixth term in office.  In 
a brief speech given at the ceremony, Gayoom called for 
increased democratization and announced that he was 
creating a "human rights commission."  He did not refer 
to the September unrest that shook the country.  Later 
that day, Gayoom swore in his new, slightly reshuffled 
cabinet.  In his speech, Gayoom appeared to be signaling 
that he understands that there needs to be political 
change in the Maldives, but he was very vague on his 
precise plans.  END SUMMARY. 
 
===================== 
Gayoom's Inauguration 
===================== 
 
2.  (SBU) On November 11, Maldivian President Maumoon 
Abdul Gayoom, who has been in power since 1978, was 
inaugurated to his sixth term in office.  The ceremony 
took place in Male', the capital of the Maldives, at the 
People's Majlis (Parliament) building.  In the elegant, 
wood-lined parliamentary chamber, all 50 members of the 
Majlis were in attendance, as were other top officials 
of the Maldivian government (GoRM), including about a 
dozen, colorfully clad jurists (furry red hats, white 
robes) from the government's Supreme Council of Islamic 
Affairs.  Off to one corner, sat members of Gayoom's 
extensive family.  High-level foreign dignitaries were 
also present, including Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal 
Krishna Advani.  Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tyronne 
Fernando was also there, looking very preoccupied (no 
doubt worried about the situation in Colombo).  In light 
of the ongoing cohabitation tensions in Sri Lanka, the 
Colombo-based diplomatic corps that was present was 
mostly mid-level, with polchief representing the U.S. 
 
3.  (U) On November 10, polchief had provided the MFA a 
copy of President Bush's letter of congratulations to 
President Gayoom (see Ref A).  The GoRM was very 
appreciative. 
 
======================== 
Speech calls for Reforms 
======================== 
 
4.  (SBU) After he was sworn in over a copy of the 
Koran, Gayoom gave a brief speech in Dhivehi, the local 
language.  An English-language translation of the speech 
was later provided to the diplomatic corps.  The speech 
was vaguely linked to the GoRM's "Maldives Vision 2020," 
a long-term economic/social planning document that was 
developed several years ago by the government.  In a 
noteworthy new focus for the Maldivian government, 
however, the key sections of the speech dealt mainly 
with political reform issues.  Outlining five key areas 
that are part of an overall "action plan," Gayoom 
stated, in part: 
 
"The first area of focus deals with the strengthening of 
democratic institutions and the processes of 
government...The second key area of action involves 
placing emphasis on establishing a government that 
listens and works with the people, and to introduce 
institutional mechanisms to facilitate these 
processes...The third principal area of action will 
focus on streamlining and reducing the size of the 
public service, on increasing productivity, and 
promoting the values of service, honesty, and integrity, 
especially in relation to public property and 
finance...The fourth area of action aims at instituting 
modern management practices and re-orienting government 
departments to be more result-oriented...The fifth area 
of action will focus on strengthening the role of the 
family in society and on promoting greater participation 
of all sectors of the society in nation-building." 
5.  (C) While sketching out plans in these five areas, 
however, Gayoom did so in only the most general way.  No 
detail whatsoever was given on how to activate the 
People's Majlis, for example, although it basically acts 
as a rubber stamp for the president's decisions without 
much debate.  The lone exception to Gayoom's general 
approach was his announcement that he was creating a 
"national commission on human rights."  Gayoom did not 
elaborate on who would serve on the commission and 
exactly when it would be formed.  By way of a brief 
explanation, he did say that the commission would 
"safeguard the civil liberties enshrined in the 
Constitution of the Maldives, and protect and promote 
human rights in the country." 
6.  (SBU) The speech did not contain any direct 
reference to the September 2003 unrest that rocked Male' 
following a police firing at a prison on another island 
(see Ref B). 
 
================= 
Cabinet Reshuffle 
================= 
 
7.  (C) Late November 11 and per Maldivian custom on 
presidential inauguration day, Gayoom swore in his new 
cabinet.  Despite some rumors that there might be large- 
scale changes, it was only slightly reshuffled, with 
many names remaining the same.  Foreign Minister 
Fathulla Jameel, for example, was kept in that slot, 
which he has now held for almost 25 years.  Abdulla 
Hameed, a close relative of Gayoom's, was also kept on 
as Speaker of the People's Majlis and Minister of Atolls 
Development.  In addition, Gayoom remained as commander- 
in-chief of the military and the police, the Minister of 
Defense and National Security, and Minister of Finance 
and the Treasury.  There were some noteworthy changes, 
though, including: 
 
-- Home Ministry:  The new home minister is Ismail 
Shafeeu, who had formerly been education minister. 
Shafeeu has served as home minister in past cabinets. 
 
-- Planning Ministry:  The new planning minister is 
Hamdoon Hameed, who had previously been deputy in the 
ministry.  He replaces Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, who was 
dropped from the cabinet. 
 
-- Attorney General:  The new attorney general is Hassan 
Saeed.  Saeed had been a high court judge.  He replaces 
Mohammed Munavvar, who was dropped from the cabinet. 
Munavvar reputedly may be offered another governmental 
position, perhaps an embassy.  Both Saeed and Munavvar 
hail from Addu Atoll, the Maldives' southernmost group 
of islands (see Ref B). 
 
-- Education Ministry:  Dr. Maumood Shaugee replaces 
Ismail Shafeeu as education minister.  Shaugee, who was 
educated in Canada, had been the deputy in the ministry. 
 
======= 
COMMENT 
======= 
 
8.  (C) Although he did not mention the September 
unrest, the unprecedented nature of what happened at 
that time was clearly the key background to Gayoom's 
speech.  In outlining his "action" items, he appeared to 
be signaling that he understands that there needs to be 
political change in the Maldives so that the government 
becomes more inclusive and responsive to public demands. 
Given the almost purposeful vagueness of the speech, 
however, it is not clear how serious he really is in 
implementing these overall objectives.  On the positive 
side of the ledger, a number of contacts remarked to 
polchief during the course of the trip that Gayoom and 
his supporters have appeared more interested in 
soliciting views from outside of leadership circles in 
the past several weeks.  That said, although some 
technocrats were given slots in the reshuffle, the 
cabinet remains filled with cronies and close relatives 
of Gayoom's.  If further political turbulence down the 
line is going to be averted, Gayoom clearly needs to 
apply himself to adding meat to his general principles. 
END COMMENT. 
 
9.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD