Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COLOMBO341
2008-04-02 09:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
SRI LANKA: MAIN OPPOSITION AND MUSLIM CONGRESS
how-toVZCZCXRO1020 OO RUEHBI DE RUEHLM #0341 0930937 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 020937Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7958 INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0814 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 7807 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 5990 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 4333 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1937 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 4332 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3428 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 8414 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 5891 RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 0601 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2692 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000341
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: MAIN OPPOSITION AND MUSLIM CONGRESS
JOIN FORCES FOR EASTERN ELECTIONS; HAKEEM RESIGNS AS MP;
POLL DATE POSSIBLY DELAYED
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 000341
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: MAIN OPPOSITION AND MUSLIM CONGRESS
JOIN FORCES FOR EASTERN ELECTIONS; HAKEEM RESIGNS AS MP;
POLL DATE POSSIBLY DELAYED
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (U) On April 1, the Opposition Leader Ranil
Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) and Rauff
Hakeem's Sri Lankan Muslim Congress agreed to contest the
Eastern Provincial Council elections jointly in all three
eastern districts - Ampara, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa.
SLMC General Secretary Hasan Ali said the SLMC would field 9
candidates in each district and the UNP would field the rest.
The UNP reportedly has agreed to field several Muslim
candidates. Local press reported that both parties had
agreed to run under the UNP's elephant symbol and would
decide on a candidate for the Chief Minister post after the
elections. SLMC Batticaloa strongman MLAM Hisbullah and
Batticaloa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Mohamed Tausiq, however,
have crossed over to the government's United People's Freedom
Alliance (UPFA). Hisbullah said he joined the UPFA at the
request of Muslim religious leaders, and implied that he
would be the government's candidate for Chief Minister.
2. (C) On April 2, Sri Lankan media reported that Hakeem
and three other SLMC members of parliament have resigned from
their seats to run in the provincial council elections in the
East. Indian Deputy High Commissioner Manickam confirmed the
story and told Ambassador that Hakeem will run for the Chief
Ministership. Manickam said Hakeem had a good chance of
winning and speculated that this development would likely
prompt the government to delay the elections. British High
Commissioner Hayes reported that Presidential Chief of Staff
Lalith Weeratunga told him on April 1 that the elections had
already been postponed from May 10 to May 24.
3. (C) COMMENT: Hakeem, Sri Lanka's most prominent Muslim
leader, has now come full circle, having moved from the
opposition benches to government minister, now to become the
government's chief political rival in the East. We concur
with Manickam that Hakeem poses a serious threat to the
government's game plan. It will be interesting to see what
reason the GSL advances if it chooses to delay the election.
The government has maintained consistently that security
arrangements were adequate. At this point, a postponement on
security grounds would be an embarrassment, raising questions
among the public as to whether the government is only
committed to the sort of free and fair elections it knows it
can win.
BLAKE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: MAIN OPPOSITION AND MUSLIM CONGRESS
JOIN FORCES FOR EASTERN ELECTIONS; HAKEEM RESIGNS AS MP;
POLL DATE POSSIBLY DELAYED
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (U) On April 1, the Opposition Leader Ranil
Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) and Rauff
Hakeem's Sri Lankan Muslim Congress agreed to contest the
Eastern Provincial Council elections jointly in all three
eastern districts - Ampara, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa.
SLMC General Secretary Hasan Ali said the SLMC would field 9
candidates in each district and the UNP would field the rest.
The UNP reportedly has agreed to field several Muslim
candidates. Local press reported that both parties had
agreed to run under the UNP's elephant symbol and would
decide on a candidate for the Chief Minister post after the
elections. SLMC Batticaloa strongman MLAM Hisbullah and
Batticaloa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Mohamed Tausiq, however,
have crossed over to the government's United People's Freedom
Alliance (UPFA). Hisbullah said he joined the UPFA at the
request of Muslim religious leaders, and implied that he
would be the government's candidate for Chief Minister.
2. (C) On April 2, Sri Lankan media reported that Hakeem
and three other SLMC members of parliament have resigned from
their seats to run in the provincial council elections in the
East. Indian Deputy High Commissioner Manickam confirmed the
story and told Ambassador that Hakeem will run for the Chief
Ministership. Manickam said Hakeem had a good chance of
winning and speculated that this development would likely
prompt the government to delay the elections. British High
Commissioner Hayes reported that Presidential Chief of Staff
Lalith Weeratunga told him on April 1 that the elections had
already been postponed from May 10 to May 24.
3. (C) COMMENT: Hakeem, Sri Lanka's most prominent Muslim
leader, has now come full circle, having moved from the
opposition benches to government minister, now to become the
government's chief political rival in the East. We concur
with Manickam that Hakeem poses a serious threat to the
government's game plan. It will be interesting to see what
reason the GSL advances if it chooses to delay the election.
The government has maintained consistently that security
arrangements were adequate. At this point, a postponement on
security grounds would be an embarrassment, raising questions
among the public as to whether the government is only
committed to the sort of free and fair elections it knows it
can win.
BLAKE