SRI LANKA: TWO SACKED MINISTERS CRITICIZE

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000292 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/INS MCC FOR S GROFF, D NASSIRY, E BURKE AND F REID E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PTER CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TWO SACKED MINISTERS CRITICIZE PRESIDENT, THIRD REGAINS HIS MINISTRY WITH PERKS REF: COLOMBO 263 Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROBERT O. BLAKE, JR. FOR REASONS 1.4(b) and ( d) ¶1. (U) Recently dismissed ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathy Suriyarachchi (reftel) strongly criticized President Mahinda Rajapaksa at press conference they held at the Parliament building on February 15. Ex-Foreign Minister Samaraweera said he would not accept any ministerial post under the current government because he refuses to justify human rights abuses to the international community. He added that he was dismissed for speaking frankly about presidential abuse of power in cabinet meetings. He accused Rajapaksa and his brothers of running a "dictatorial, fascist regime." He said he would send a letter to the president outlining ten recommendations, including limiting the cabinet to 35 members, upholding the MoU with the opposition United National Party (UNP),and eradicating corruption in government. Samaraweera also alleged that a small group of people close to Rajapaksa were "conspiring to remove the President from government." ¶2. (U) In the meantime, the third of the dismissed ministers, Anura Bandaranaike, met with President Rajapaksa on the morning of February 14. According to a contact within the presidential secretariat, Bandaranaike will resume his portfolio as Minister of National Heritage, which will be elevated to a cabinet post. Bandaranaike will also have additional responsibilities as "advisor to the President on international affairs." He has committed to working with the president to minimize the rift in the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP),our contact said. Bandaranaike is due to be re-sworn in as a minister on February 19. ¶3. (C) Samaraweera called the Ambassador on February 15 requesting an appointment. Ambassador offered a time next week to allow a little time to pass and tempers to cool. Samraweera said he was very concerned for his security, which the GSL had withdrawn. He noted that he had brought in two constables from his electorate to protect himself. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: It comes as little surprise that Samaraweera, a straightforward and outspoken critic of the president even during his time as a minister, used a press opportunity to vilify the man, once a close political ally, who dismissed him from his job. Samaraweera's allegation that a conspiratorial group is trying to remove the president from office comes as a bolt out of the blue. We suspect it is related to the President's recent statement that he was the object of an assassination plot, but we will need to delve into it further. Bandaranaike seems content with the greater prestige and perks of a cabinet berth, as well as the opportunity to travel abroad at government expense. He will be particularly relieved that his security detail has returned. Rajapaksa seems to have tamped down the intra-party revolt for the time being. While Samaraweera retains the loyalty of his core supporters, it does not appear he will be a serious threat to the Rajapaksa administration for the present, with Anura back in the Cabinet. BLAKE