US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1704

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001704 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, MV, Maldives 
SUBJECT: MALDIVES:  SPECIAL MAJLIS RECONVENES 
 
REF: A. COLOMBO 1686 
     B. COLOMBO 1516 
 
Classified By: AMB. JEFFREY J. LUNSTEAD.  REASON:  1.4 (B,D). 
 
1.  (SBU)  The Special Majlis, originally formed for the 
purpose of considering constitutional reforms, met October 12 
for the first time since July when some Members walked out in 
a dispute over the election of a Speaker.  According to Dr. 
Ahmed Shaheed, Chief Government Spokesman, of 109 Special 
Majlis MPs, 98 attended the three-hour session, including 
four who were released from detention after the Government 
lifted the State of Emergency on October 10 (Ref A).  (Note: 
Seven MPs remain in detention.  The remaining 4 MPs were out 
of the country on travel, according to Shaheed.  End note.) 
The next meeting is scheduled for October 14. 
 
2.  (SBU)  According to Shaheed, debate during the October 12 
session centered on whether election of the Speaker should 
take place by open vote or secret ballot.  Both sides 
displayed "a more accommodating spirit" on this issue than 
during the stormy July session, he said.  Some of the MPs who 
had walked out to protest the absence of a secret ballot 
during the previous sitting declared that they would not do 
so this time, while others said if they did walk out, they 
would return "after a few hours" and not boycott the entire 
session.  The protesting MPs' apparent change of heart will 
help move reforms forward, Shaheed said, describing the July 
walk-out as "a delaying tactic . . . designed to frustrate 
the process."  Two of the four former detainees addressed the 
October 12 Majlis session, he noted, one of whom rose to 
express his continued support of a secret ballot.  A motion 
has been tabled to vote on the method of electing the 
Speaker, which will be taken up during the October 14 
session.  Once a Speaker is elected, Shaheed said, the 
Special Majlis will be able to turn its attention toward 
proposals for constitutional reform, adding that he expects 
that President Gayoom's proposed draft "will carry the day" 
(Ref A). 
 
3.  (SBU)  Shaheed attributed Gayoom's decision to lift the 
State of Emergency to the Ambassador's October 6-7 visit. 
Unlike the disastrous September 6 visit by EU Chiefs of 
Mission, he said, whose approach set the Government on its 
"back foot," the more positive tone adopted during the 
Ambassador's visit produced "more positive outcomes."  He 
indicated that he had understood from the Attorney General 
that at least some of the detainees had already seen a lawyer 
but said he would verify that claim. 
 
4.  (C)  Comment:  While the Government obviously wants to 
portray the reconvening of the Special Majlis as proof that 
reform efforts are back on track, the continued detention 
without charge of some of its most prominent pro-reform 
Members will cast a pall over the proceedings.  The election 
of a Speaker (detainee Ibrahim Gasim, once considered a prime 
contender for the post of Speaker, is clearly out of the 
running) will be a significant test for this fledgling 
institution.   The selection of a candidate not hand-picked 
by the President--and thus not bound to ensure that only 
Gayoom's approved proposals "will carry the day"--would be an 
important development along the path to reform. 
 
 
LUNSTEAD