Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07COLOMBO188
2007-01-31 12:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
SRI LANKA: RULING PARTY LURES 8 MORE CROSSOVERS
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C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000188
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: RULING PARTY LURES 8 MORE CROSSOVERS
REF: A. COLOMBO 0175
B. COLOMBO 0170
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000188
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: RULING PARTY LURES 8 MORE CROSSOVERS
REF: A. COLOMBO 0175
B. COLOMBO 0170
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) Eight out of nine Members of Parliament (MPs) from
the Buddhist monk-based Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) announced
on January 31 that they have joined the Government. JHU MP
Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thero resigned to allow the party's
Policy Formulator, Champika Ranawaka, to become an MP.
Ranawaka, the first layman JHU MP, will be sworn in as the
Minister of Environment on February 1. Ranawaka is not known
to have any experience in envronmental issues. The ninth JHU
MP, Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, will function as an
independent member in the Parliament but will continue to
vote with the Government, according to the JHU's
Administrative Secretary.
2. (C) The official "crossover" of these MPs does not affect
the party's numbers in Parliament, since the JHU MPs were
already voting with the Government. It does, however, make
the Government's slim majority in parliament somewhat more
stable. The JHU was one party that local observers thought
might threaten to withdraw support, leaving the Government
with a majority of only one. Non-Cabinet Minister of Justice
Dilan Perera told POL FSN that the JHU crossovers give the
Government a stronger majority, making it harder for the
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to make trouble.
3. (C) Other Buddhist activists are critical of the JHU's
move to join the Government. One Embassy contact argued that
it will be difficult for the JHU to push the GSL to "protect
Buddhism" if they are working from within the Government.
The JHU also may find it difficult now to demand the removal
of the Norwegians as facilitators.
4. (C) COMMENT: Founded in 2004 by a group of Buddhist
monks, the JHU is a Sinhalese chauvinist party. It is on the
opposite side from the US on most issues. The party
attempted to pass a constitutional amendment declaring
Buddhism the State religion, and it does not believe in
powersharing as a solution to the conflict. Its official
partnership with the Government does not bode well for the
peace process. However, if being part of the Government
appeases the JHU, it may spend less time criticizing the
Government. The Government may have calculated that bringing
in the JHU would be a reassuring gesture to its conservative
constituency in the South following the crossover of the
United National Party MPs.
BLAKE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: RULING PARTY LURES 8 MORE CROSSOVERS
REF: A. COLOMBO 0175
B. COLOMBO 0170
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) Eight out of nine Members of Parliament (MPs) from
the Buddhist monk-based Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) announced
on January 31 that they have joined the Government. JHU MP
Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thero resigned to allow the party's
Policy Formulator, Champika Ranawaka, to become an MP.
Ranawaka, the first layman JHU MP, will be sworn in as the
Minister of Environment on February 1. Ranawaka is not known
to have any experience in envronmental issues. The ninth JHU
MP, Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, will function as an
independent member in the Parliament but will continue to
vote with the Government, according to the JHU's
Administrative Secretary.
2. (C) The official "crossover" of these MPs does not affect
the party's numbers in Parliament, since the JHU MPs were
already voting with the Government. It does, however, make
the Government's slim majority in parliament somewhat more
stable. The JHU was one party that local observers thought
might threaten to withdraw support, leaving the Government
with a majority of only one. Non-Cabinet Minister of Justice
Dilan Perera told POL FSN that the JHU crossovers give the
Government a stronger majority, making it harder for the
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to make trouble.
3. (C) Other Buddhist activists are critical of the JHU's
move to join the Government. One Embassy contact argued that
it will be difficult for the JHU to push the GSL to "protect
Buddhism" if they are working from within the Government.
The JHU also may find it difficult now to demand the removal
of the Norwegians as facilitators.
4. (C) COMMENT: Founded in 2004 by a group of Buddhist
monks, the JHU is a Sinhalese chauvinist party. It is on the
opposite side from the US on most issues. The party
attempted to pass a constitutional amendment declaring
Buddhism the State religion, and it does not believe in
powersharing as a solution to the conflict. Its official
partnership with the Government does not bode well for the
peace process. However, if being part of the Government
appeases the JHU, it may spend less time criticizing the
Government. The Government may have calculated that bringing
in the JHU would be a reassuring gesture to its conservative
constituency in the South following the crossover of the
United National Party MPs.
BLAKE