Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03COLOMBO132
2003-01-23 11:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

Amid bickering, President approves PM's

Tags:  PGOV PINR CE 
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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 000132 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, INR/NESA; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01-23-03
TAGS: PGOV PINR CE
SUBJECT: Amid bickering, President approves PM's
selection of new ministers of non-cabinet rank

Refs: (A) Colombo 90; (B) 01 Colombo 2240

(U) Classified by Charge d'Affaires Lewis Amselem.
Reasons 1.5 (b,d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000132

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, INR/NESA; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01-23-03
TAGS: PGOV PINR CE
SUBJECT: Amid bickering, President approves PM's
selection of new ministers of non-cabinet rank

Refs: (A) Colombo 90; (B) 01 Colombo 2240

(U) Classified by Charge d'Affaires Lewis Amselem.
Reasons 1.5 (b,d).


1. (C) President Kumaratunga has approved Prime
Minister Wickremesinghe's selection of seven new
ministers of non-cabinet rank and one new deputy
minister (see list contained in Para 5). The January 21
notice of approval came weeks after the PM's nomination
of the eight. The nub of the dispute was the office of
the president's complaint that some of the portfolios
being distributed were redundant, as they were already
the responsibility of other government offices. In
turn, the government accused the president of delaying
her decision in order to annoy the PM, thus adding to
cohabitation stresses. In the end, according to
contacts, the president -- feeling she had proved her
point -- decided to throw in the towel and approve the
PM's list.


2. (SBU) At this point, according to our count, the
government now has 31 ministers of non-cabinet rank and
10 deputy ministers. Ministers of cabinet rank number

27. (Note: These numbers are constantly fluctuating,
with the PM moving some ministers into his cabinet,
while other ministers change portfolios.)
(Note: Mission has little new information about the
possible cabinet reshuffle first mentioned in Ref A.)


3. (C) Of the new ministers, the following names stand
out:

-- Keheliya Rambukwella, new Minister of Science and
Technology, is considered an outstanding politician.
Rambukwella, 45, is from Kandy in central Sri Lanka and
is considered very close to the Prime Minister. He is
taking a portfolio previously held by Milinda Moragoda,
a senior minister who is increasingly focusing on the
peace process.

-- Hemakumara Nanayakkara, new Minister of Agricultural
Research, is also considered an excellent vote-getter.
From Galle in the south, he is considered close to the
PM. He received a B.Sc in agriculture from California
St. (Fresno). He is 49.

-- Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, new Minister of Foreign
Employment and Welfare, is from Matara District in the
south. A banker by profession, he is well-travelled and
considered highly intelligent. Abeywardena, 48, is said
to be particularly close to Karu Jayasuriya, the deputy
leader of the United National Party (UNP),and Minister
of Power and Energy.


4. (C) COMMENT: For sure, this was not as intense a
cohabitation dust-up as some in the past. That said,
the number of ministers in past governments has become a
political football of sorts in Sri Lanka. At this time,
the UNP government seems inoculated to some extent
against charges that it is bloated in terms of
ministers. Based on our count, the total of those with
ministerial rank in the UNP government is now 68. While
the UNP total is getting up there, it still is less than
the previous People's Alliance (PA) regime, which had a
ministerial-rank retinue of over 70 (40-plus of cabinet
rank). (Note: In late 2001, the PA slimmed down its
numbers somewhat after reaching a short-lived accord
with the radical JVP party.) If the UNP keeps adding
ministers, the matter will eventually become a political
issue, however. END COMMENT.


5. (U) A list of the new ministers of non-cabinet rank
and the new deputy minister follows:

Begin text:

-- Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene, Foreign Employment,
Welfare Minister

-- Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Tourism Development Minister
-- D.M. Bandaranaike, Paddy Cultivation Development
Minister
-- Lucky Jayawardena, Deeds for Lands Minister

-- Hemakumara Nanayakkara, Agricultural Research
Minister

-- Keheliya Rambukwella, Science and Technology Minister

-- Sarathchandra Rajakaruna, Disaster Management
Minister

-- Jayasundara Wijekoon, Deputy Minister for Commerce
and Consumer Affairs

End text.


6. (U) Minimize considered.

AMSELEM