Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NEWDELHI154
2009-01-23 13:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
PRIME MINISTER TO UNDERGO BY-PASS SURGERY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000154
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR S STAFF, P, SCA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR IN
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER TO UNDERGO BY-PASS SURGERY
Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000154
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR S STAFF, P, SCA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR IN
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER TO UNDERGO BY-PASS SURGERY
Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
1. (SBU) Media sources and government officials confirmed
that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will undergo heart by-pass
surgery tomorrow as one or more of his arteries have
blockages. He was admitted to hospital tonight. Minister of
State for External Affairs confirmed this to DCM and MEA
Joint Secretary Gaitri Kumar and Congress Party leader
Digvijay Singh confirmed this to PolCouns today.
2. (C) Our contacts in the Prime Minister's Office tell us
that a team of doctors from Mumbai flew to Delhi today to
conduct a pre-operation assessment. The procedure is
expected to last two-three hours followed by 24 hours in the
ICU and a four-week recuperation period. Dr. K.S. Reddy, a
cardiologist from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
who has been the PM's personal physician, will head the
medical team responsible for the operation. The medical team
is likely to recommend that the Prime Minister excuse himself
from election campaigning this March-May.
3. (C) MEA's Kumar told PolCouns Foreign Minister Pranab
Mukherjee has already assumed the responsibilities of the
Prime Minister and will remain acting Prime Minister until
such time as Manmohan Singh is well enough to resume his
duties. MEA's Sharma told DCM that the GOI has cancelled all
high level visits to India scheduled for the coming weeks.
Mukherjee has served as acting Prime Minister on previous
occasions during this government's tenure when the PM was out
of the country.
4. (C) Comment: Embassy notes that there are no
constitutionally mandated rules of succession in India in the
event of a Prime Minister's death in office. The
constitution merely requires that the majority party in
parliament select a leader and notify the President of the
selection. Three Prime Ministers have died in office in
India in the past -- Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri
and Indira Gandhi. The succession process followed after
their deaths offers some precedence for what is likely to
happen. In each instance, the Congress Party chose the
senior most cabinet minister as acting Prime Minister while
the party leadership met/negotiated to select a new Prime
Minister. The time taken for this process varied from a day
or two (when Rajiv Gandhi was selected to succeed his mother)
to more than a month (when Indira Gandhi was chosen to
succeed Lal Bahadur Shastri.) The Prime Minister's health
issues open up the debate once again of who will be Prime
Minister if the Congress Party returns to power after the
election. Mukherjee and Defense Minister Anthony are obvious
candidates should Manmohan Singh not be up for the job.
Rahul Gandhi's chances will increase if the Congress does
better than expected in the April-May elections.
WHITE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR S STAFF, P, SCA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR IN
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER TO UNDERGO BY-PASS SURGERY
Classified By: Political Counselor Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B, D)
1. (SBU) Media sources and government officials confirmed
that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will undergo heart by-pass
surgery tomorrow as one or more of his arteries have
blockages. He was admitted to hospital tonight. Minister of
State for External Affairs confirmed this to DCM and MEA
Joint Secretary Gaitri Kumar and Congress Party leader
Digvijay Singh confirmed this to PolCouns today.
2. (C) Our contacts in the Prime Minister's Office tell us
that a team of doctors from Mumbai flew to Delhi today to
conduct a pre-operation assessment. The procedure is
expected to last two-three hours followed by 24 hours in the
ICU and a four-week recuperation period. Dr. K.S. Reddy, a
cardiologist from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
who has been the PM's personal physician, will head the
medical team responsible for the operation. The medical team
is likely to recommend that the Prime Minister excuse himself
from election campaigning this March-May.
3. (C) MEA's Kumar told PolCouns Foreign Minister Pranab
Mukherjee has already assumed the responsibilities of the
Prime Minister and will remain acting Prime Minister until
such time as Manmohan Singh is well enough to resume his
duties. MEA's Sharma told DCM that the GOI has cancelled all
high level visits to India scheduled for the coming weeks.
Mukherjee has served as acting Prime Minister on previous
occasions during this government's tenure when the PM was out
of the country.
4. (C) Comment: Embassy notes that there are no
constitutionally mandated rules of succession in India in the
event of a Prime Minister's death in office. The
constitution merely requires that the majority party in
parliament select a leader and notify the President of the
selection. Three Prime Ministers have died in office in
India in the past -- Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri
and Indira Gandhi. The succession process followed after
their deaths offers some precedence for what is likely to
happen. In each instance, the Congress Party chose the
senior most cabinet minister as acting Prime Minister while
the party leadership met/negotiated to select a new Prime
Minister. The time taken for this process varied from a day
or two (when Rajiv Gandhi was selected to succeed his mother)
to more than a month (when Indira Gandhi was chosen to
succeed Lal Bahadur Shastri.) The Prime Minister's health
issues open up the debate once again of who will be Prime
Minister if the Congress Party returns to power after the
election. Mukherjee and Defense Minister Anthony are obvious
candidates should Manmohan Singh not be up for the job.
Rahul Gandhi's chances will increase if the Congress does
better than expected in the April-May elections.
WHITE