Q&A: Fisheries minister takes questions on Maldives crisis

“The Maldives Independent hasn’t been functioning independently,” he says. Every ruling party has, over the years, accused the Maldives Independent of anti-government bias. But this correspondent was the only one waiting outside his chambers. The apparent diffidence didn’t come at the cost of his willingness to engage.

He later eased up as he offered a cup of coffee, and spoke candidly about the Maldives United Opposition, talk of the transition of government, rifts within the ruling party and how President Abdulla Yameen keeps his cabinet together: by sending the message, ‘Whatever you do, you can’t get away with this.’

Shainee is one of the few from the original cabinet of ministers, appointed shortly after the Progressive Party of the Maldives won the presidential elections in 2013. A member of the Maldives Development Alliance, a ruling coalition partner, he is also the government’s representative for the all-party talks, held by the Commonwealth to help mend bridges with the opposition, which has made public its intentions to oust Yameen.