This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001470 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E.MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/03/2014 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MV
SUBJECT: MALDIVES:  GAYOOM TRIES FOR BUSINESS AS USUAL 
WHILE THE BUSINESS OF ARRESTING MPS CONTINUES 
 
REF: COLOMBO 1427 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Charge' d'Affaires James F. Entwistle.  Reason 1.4(b,d). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  Maldivian President Gayoom shuffled members 
of his Cabinet September 1 as he divested himself of two 
long-held ministerial portfolios:  defense and finance.  As 
planned, the police also separated from the National Security 
Service on September 1, becoming a "civilian force." 
Seventy-eight people, including four arrested August 25-26, 
remain detained without charge in the wake of the August 
12-13 protests on Male'.  The government plans during the 
week of September 5 to examine continuing necessity for the 
State of Emergency.  While Gayoom and the government appear 
to be conducting business as usual, the continuing detentions 
and arrests, especially of respected Maldivians, clearly show 
that all is not copasetic on the islands.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C) CABINET CHANGES:  On September 1, President Maumoon 
Abdul Gayoom announced changes in his Cabinet and other 
leadership positions in the government.  Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, 
Presidential Communications Director, described the 
reassignments to poloff on September 1 as changes long 
planned by President Gayoom.  Gayoom had wanted to make 
changes even last November during his inauguration, Shaheed 
stated, but felt that addressing reform issues was a high 
priority.  With the reforms underway, Shaheed claimed, the 
"stage was set for other changes," and Shaheed indicated that 
more changes would be forthcoming. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Following is a list of the senior-level personnel 
changes that President Gayoom made on September 1: 
 
-- Hameed Zakariyya, long-time MFA Director General for 
International Affairs, has been appointed as Foreign 
Secretary.  Zakariyya fills the vacancy left by Shaheed 
 
SIPDIS 
himself when he went from Permanent Secretary to Presidential 
Communications Director earlier this year. 
 
-- Anbaree Abdul Sattar was appointed as Ambassador.  He had 
been the Minister of State for Defense and National Security 
-- the working head of the ministry, under Gayoom, who had 
held the ministerial portfolio.  Shaheed predicted that 
Sattar will likely become the new High Commissioner to India. 
 The government publicly announced its intent September 2 to 
open a High Commissioner in India, but did not name Sattar or 
specify a time frame for the establishment of the Mission. 
 
-- Ismail Shafeeu became Minister of Defense and National 
Security, a portfolio formerly held by the President. 
Shafeeu was formerly Minister of Home Affairs and 
Environment.  (Note:  As Environment Minister, Shafeeu was 
knowledgable and concerned about the impact of global warming 
and other issues on Maldives.) 
 
-- Mohamed Jaleel became Minister of Finance and Treasury. 
He was formerly Minister of State for Finance under President 
Gayoom, who had held the ministerial portfolio himself. 
(Note:  As Finance Minister, Jaleel seemed savvy and 
comfortable with international organizations.  He was focused 
on what course of action was best for Maldives' development.) 
 
-- Umar Zahir became the Minister of Home Affairs, which now 
includes the newly separate civilian police force.  He had 
formerly been Minister of Construction. 
 
-- The ministries of Construction and Environment have been 
combined.  Although deputy ministers have been assigned to 
each portfolio, no overall minister has been named, as of yet. 
 
¶4.  (C) POLICE AND SECURITY SERVICE SEPARATE:  In an 
anticipated move announced last February by the President, 
the police force separated from the National Security Service 
(NSS) on September 1.  Prior, both forces had been within the 
Defense Ministry.  With the separation, the police have 
become a "civilian force" under the Home Affairs Ministry, as 
described by Shaheed.  Brigadier Adam Zahir, the former NSS 
Chief of Police retains the same role, now as Commissioner of 
Police.  During an August 25-27 trip to Maldives, DATT met 
with several senior officers in the NSS who expressed their 
concern about the separation and the resulting uncertainty 
over roles and missions between the two forces (see DAO 
Septel). 
 
¶5.  (C) UPDATE ON PROTEST-RELATED EVENTS:  On September 1, 
Dr. Shaheed also provided poloff with an update on the 
detainees being held since the August 12-13 protests on 
Male'.  Shaheed said that 78 people were currently in 
detention, including additional 4 members of the Special 
Majlis who had been arrested the previous (August 25-26) 
weekend.  To date, 122 detainees had been released, Shaheed 
stated.  He also confirmed that no charges have been filed 
against any of those being held, as the police are still 
continuing their investigations.  Regarding the four recently 
arrested Special Majlis MPs, Shaheed stated that they were 
known associates of Special Majlis MP Gasim Ibrahim -- the 
likely pro-reform candidate for Speaker -- and that it was 
expected that that more people would be "required for 
questioning." 
 
¶6.  (C) Regarding the State of Emergency, Shaheed said that 
the government would likely review the declaration, in effect 
since August 13, early next week to evaluate the feasibility 
of revoking it.  Shaheed described its longevity in "days and 
weeks instead of months."  (Note:  The State of Emergency is 
automatically in place for three months once issued and can 
be lifted only if the President rescinds it, according to the 
Constitution.  If the State of Emergency is lifted, it will 
likely mean a restoration of fundamental rights, including 
access to a lawyer while in detention.  End Note.) 
 
¶7.  (C) Gayoom continues to send envoys to major bilateral 
partners around the world to brief the foreign governments on 
the August 12-13 events and current situation.  In addition 
to Ambassador Latheef, sent as envoy to the U.S., other 
government officials have gone to the UK, Germany, Italy, Sri 
Lanka, India, Pakistan, and Japan.  Poloff at the British 
High Commission noted that the three EU countries provide the 
highest percentage of tourism to Maldives, adding that Gayoom 
had sent his tourism minister as envoy to the EU.  In a 
follow up to the EU delegation that visited Maldives on 
August 23, Heads of Mission from the Sri Lanka-based British 
High Commission and Dutch Embassy, as well as the EU 
representative from the mission in India, plan a follow-up 
delegation to Maldives on September 6.  (An Embassy team led 
by DCM will be in Male' September 19-20 to open the annual 
U.S. trade fair; the Ambassador plans to meet with Gayoom 
later in September.) 
 
¶8.  (C) COMMENT:  Gayoom is clearly worried about the 
international focus on Maldives in the wake of the August 
12-13 protests, as evidenced by the parade of envoys visiting 
foreign capitals.  Throughout the events, Gayoom and his 
government have publicly dismissed the notion that 
demonstration participants were truly pro-reform activitists, 
instead choosing to characterize those implicated as a 
disruption to the reform process.  Gayoom's recent Cabinet 
shuffle appears to be an attempt to convince Maldivians and 
the international community that business is continuing as 
usual and his reform process is on track.  Given that 
approximately 10 members of the Special Majlis -- the body 
convened solely to address constitutional reforms -- are in 
prison, it is difficult to accept that all is copasetic on 
the islands.  Although Gayoom clearly recognizes the need for 
reform, after 26 years as President, he likely has specific 
ideas about the tenor and shape of those changes.  As events 
over the past twelve months demonstrate, his conception of 
reform seems to differ at times from other Maldivians', and 
he may be finding the process harder and harder to control. 
Nonetheless, it is in our interest that Gayoom's reform 
efforts succeed and that he be encouraged to continue down 
the right path.  END SUMMARY. 
 
ENTWISTLE