SRI LANKA: CABINET RESHUFFLE AND SACKING OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000324 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS MCC FOR S GROFF, D NASSIRY, E BURKE AND F REID E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: CABINET RESHUFFLE AND SACKING OF MINISTERS CONTINUE TO REVERBERATE REF: A) COLOMBO 292 B)COLOMBO 263 C) COLOMBO 230 D) COLOMBO 186 E) COLOMBO 170 Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d). ¶1. (C) Summary. The effects of the President Rajapaksa's strategy of luring crossovers and reshuffling the Cabinet are still rumbling through both of Sri Lanka's main political parties. Senior Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Vice President D.M. Jayaratne held talks on February 21 in an attempt to resolve the conflict between the President and ousted ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi. Last week, Samaraweera sent a 17 page letter to the President (with copies to the media) defending himself against allegations from the President and leveling his own accusations of Government corruption and nepotism. The United National Party (UNP) leadership on February 7 sent a letter to its Members of Parliament who joined the Government suspending them from the party and the UNP working committee. However, on February 19, the District Court granted temporary injunction against the suspensions. End Summary. Ruling Party Works to Resolve Its Rift -------------- ¶2. (C) Senior SLFP Vice President (and Plantation Industries Minister) D.M.Jayaratne held talks on February 21 at Parliament in an attempt to resolve the conflict between President Rajapaksa and ousted ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi. Jayaratne, who has previously acted as mediator in internal SLFP conflicts, said he wanted to safeguard the unity of the party and prevent the rift from sending the wrong signals to other party members. He promised Samaraweera and Sooriyarachchi that he would present their views to the President. The two ministers planned to speak out on February 22 in parliament, but were denied a time slot. They NOW plan to address a public rally on February 24. Both Ministers appeared before the Human Rights Commission on February 22 to complain that their lives are in danger following the withdrawal of their security personnel (ref B). A third sacked minister, Anura Bandaranaike, re-took his oath on February 22 as the Minister of National Heritage (ref A). ¶3. (C) On February 15, Samaraweera sent to President Rajapaksa (and leaked to the media) a 17-page letter defending himself against allegations of corruption and ties to the LTTE ("Tamil Tigers"). He also leveled serious accusations of Government corruption and nepotism. Samaraweera laid out 10 proposals for the President to implement before he would consider cooperating with him again. They included limiting the Cabinet to 35 members, reducing the President's brothers' interference in Cabinet affairs, the President giving up some of the ministerial portfolios he has retained for himself, protecting human rights and media freedom, maintaining friendly relations with India and the international community, developing a political solution to the ethnic conflict, and addressing corruption. UNP Attempts to Clean House -------------- ¶4. (C) The UNP leadership sent a letter on February 7 to the UNP MPs who joined the Government, demanding an explanation of their actions and informing them of their suspension from the party and the UNP working committee. The group of crossover MPs sought a ruling from the District Court of Colombo against their suspension. On February 19, the District Court granted them a temporary injunction until March 5. Ample precedent shows that it is unlikely that the UNP will be able make the expulsion of its dissident MPs stick, as our UNP contacts concede. The defection of so much COLOMBO 00000324 002 OF 002 top UNP talent has shaken the principal opposition party to its core. While the UNP is committed to working in favor of a negotiated solution, party leader Wickremesinghe is also under pressure from the UNP grassroots to mount a more robust opposition to the Rajapaksa government. Wickremesinghe has responded by becoming much more vocal in parliament. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: The effects of the President's strategy of luring crossovers and reshuffling the Cabinet are still roiling both of Sri Lanka's largest political parties. Attempts to bridge the rift between Samaraweera and the Rajapaksas have not been made easier by Samaraweera's unvarnished criticisms of the President. The charges of manipulation and corruption will be hard to forget, regardless of what the President may offer Samaraweera as an incentive to return to the fold. Speculation is also rampant that Rajapaksa may try to capitalize on his current popularity with the Sinhalese Buddhist majority by calling for early elections. In that case, his party, the SLFP, might expect to gain seats at the expense of both the UNP and the Sinhalese left-wing nationalist JVP, but would still likely fall short of a majority. The recent UNP "crossovers" to the government have much to fear under this scenario: they would not be able to run as UNP candidates, and would face a very tough battle to retain their seats. On the other hand, if the UNP vote base remains intact, it would offer a significant opportunity for the UNP to rejuvenate its ranks by moving ambitious younger politicians up the ladder. BLAKE