Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07COLOMBO281
2007-02-14 10:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
UNP WITHDRAWS FROM APRC BUT PLEDGES TO SUPPORT
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C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000281
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/INS, USPACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV CE
SUBJECT: UNP WITHDRAWS FROM APRC BUT PLEDGES TO SUPPORT
CREDIBLE DEVOLUTION PLAN
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000281
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/INS, USPACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV CE
SUBJECT: UNP WITHDRAWS FROM APRC BUT PLEDGES TO SUPPORT
CREDIBLE DEVOLUTION PLAN
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Upon receipt of press reports that the opposition
UNP party planned to abandon the all-parties committee
process, Ambassador called UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to
express concern and reaffirm the crucial role the UNP has to
play in working with the government to develop a strong and
credible devolution proposal.
2. (C) Wickremesinghe confirmed the UNP will not attend
APRC meetings because such meetings came under the purview
of the now defunct Memorandum of Understanding between the
SLFP and UNP. However, Wickremesinghe reassured Ambassador
that the UNP will continue to work quietly with APRC Chairman
Tissa Vitarana to shape a credible devolution proposal. He
also said that the UNP would support a SLFP devolution
proposal in Parliament provided falls within the framework of
the UNP paper submitted by the UNP representative to the
APRC, Mr. KN Chokse, and meets Tamil and Muslim demands.
Ambassador thanked Wickremesinghe for this reassurance and
urged him to make his position clear and thereby refute
perceptions that the UNP no longer planned to support a
credible devolution proposal. Wickremesinghe said he would
do so.
BLAKE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/INS, USPACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV CE
SUBJECT: UNP WITHDRAWS FROM APRC BUT PLEDGES TO SUPPORT
CREDIBLE DEVOLUTION PLAN
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Upon receipt of press reports that the opposition
UNP party planned to abandon the all-parties committee
process, Ambassador called UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to
express concern and reaffirm the crucial role the UNP has to
play in working with the government to develop a strong and
credible devolution proposal.
2. (C) Wickremesinghe confirmed the UNP will not attend
APRC meetings because such meetings came under the purview
of the now defunct Memorandum of Understanding between the
SLFP and UNP. However, Wickremesinghe reassured Ambassador
that the UNP will continue to work quietly with APRC Chairman
Tissa Vitarana to shape a credible devolution proposal. He
also said that the UNP would support a SLFP devolution
proposal in Parliament provided falls within the framework of
the UNP paper submitted by the UNP representative to the
APRC, Mr. KN Chokse, and meets Tamil and Muslim demands.
Ambassador thanked Wickremesinghe for this reassurance and
urged him to make his position clear and thereby refute
perceptions that the UNP no longer planned to support a
credible devolution proposal. Wickremesinghe said he would
do so.
BLAKE