SRI LANKA: CABINET RESHUFFLE IMMINENT; PRESIDENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000046 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PTER CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: CABINET RESHUFFLE IMMINENT; PRESIDENT MAY APPOINT OPPOSITION MEMBERS Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROBERT O. BLAKE, JR. FOR REASONS 1.4(b) and ( d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: President Rajapaksa told media representatives on January 9 that he will reshuffle his cabinet. A source in the presidential secretariat told pol FSN Rajapaksa may offer ministerial posts to opposition United National Party (UNP) members while allowing them to retain their present party affiliation. Our contact said UNP stalwart Milinda Moragoda may gain the post of Foreign Minister, leaving current Minister Samaraweera with only the ports and civil aviation portfolio. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe reportedly signed the MoU with the governing Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) largely in order to prevent party "cross-overs," but it seems Rajapaksa plans to co-opt UNP members, regardless of whether they formally switch parties. UNP sources reported Rajapaksa is due to meet with Wickremesinghe January 11, so it appears the president has waited to discuss the make-up of his new cabinet with the opposition leader before announcing his final decision. The Ambassador will see Wickremesinghe as well on January 11 to get his report. End summary. ¶2. (C) On January 9, in regular monthly meeting with news media, President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced an imminent cabinet reshuffle. A number of opposition United National Party (UNP) members have been angling for some time for ministerial posts. It appears likely Rajapaksa will accommodate UNP constitutional scholar G.L. Peiris and party heavyweight Milinda Moragoda, both of whom would be willing to switch party allegiances, UNP contacts told us. UNP members also speculated that parliamentarians Navin Dissanayake, Gamini Lokuge, Mano Wijeratne, and Hemakumara Nannayakara would accept ministerial posts, though they would be unlikely to change parties. A source in the president's secretariat told pol FSN that Rajapaksa is considering SIPDIS offering UNP members cabinet posts while permitting them to retain their current party affiliation. ¶3. (C) Our contact in the president's office also said Rajapaksa may appoint Moragoda to replace current Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who would then retain only the ministry for ports and civil aviation. The president is also considering Rohitha Bogollagama, currently the Industries Minister, for the Foreign Minister post. The MFA may be renamed the Ministry of External Affairs, the source said. He added that current Peace Secretariat head Palitha Kohona will likely be named Foreign Secretary with the backing of most ministers, Samaraweera's objections notwithstanding. ¶4. (C) UNP contacts reported that the president plans to meet UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe January 11 and will likely discuss the make-up of his new cabinet. In a discussion with pol FSN, senior UNP official Karu Jayasuriya assessed that Rajapaksa is trying to garner majority support in parliament, which means courting the UNP, the second largest political party. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Until now, the Foreign Secretary position has always gone to a career diplomat. Samaraweera sought to maintain this practice, recommending that current Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India Romesh Jayasinghe get the job. Rajapaksa is breaking with tradition to select a political appointee. We will report septel on Samaraweera's rift with Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa's willingness to discuss his plans with Wickremesinghe is a positive sign cooperation between the two major parties might continue. However, to date, the MoU has yielded no solid results, other than UNP parliamentary support for the president's budget. When Wickremesinghe signed an MoU with the governing Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP),many analysts believed he did so in large part to stop UNP members jumping ship to join the government. Now, it seems, Rajapaksa may co-opt opposition members whether or not they formally switch political parties. However, if the president actually names Moragoda, formerly Wickremesinghe's COLOMBO 00000046 002 OF 002 closest ally, Foreign Minister, this may well complicate UNP cooperation with the SLFP on the peace process. The Ambassador will meet with Wickremesinghe on January 11 to hear his perspective. BLAKE