Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04COLOMBO234
2004-02-11 10:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 021 (02/11/04)

Tags:  AMGT CE MV 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000234

SIPDIS

OFFICIAL INFORMAL

FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/14
TAGS: AMGT CE MV
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 021 (02/11/04)

Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reasons 1.5
(b) and (d).

CONTENTS: PRESIDENT SACKS NON-CABINET MINISTERS

PRESIDENT SACKS NON-CABINET MINISTERS
--------------

(C) We heard word late today that President Kumaratunga
has ordered that 27 non-cabinet ministers and 12 deputy
ministers be sacked with immediate effect. This follows
reports flagged in our recent cables that she was intent
on the streamlining of the PM's ministerial cohort
(apparently in order to curb the UNP government's
influence and ability to provide largesse during the
election campaign timeframe). (Those sacked, by the
way, lose their all-important official cars.) As of
COB, it remains unclear how the UNP plans to react to
the President's order. Our understanding is that the
President has the right to do this (the PM hinted as
much during his February 9 meeting with Ambassador
Lunstead -- see Colombo 226). We are checking, but
think that the secretaries (chief civil servants) will
take over the functioning of the affected ministries
until a new government is formed after the April 2
election. The dep. minister slots will apparently
remain unfilled until then. We will report more on this
breaking story via front-channel tomorrow. By the way,
the 34-member cabinet, including the PM himself, remains
in place (at least for now). (POL)

LUNSTEAD