US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO563

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000563 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
OFFICIAL INFORMAL 
 
FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  N/A 
TAGS: AMGT, CE, MV, Political Parties, Elections 
SUBJECT:  OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 050 (03/30/04) 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
CONTENTS: CAMPAIGN NUGGETS 
-         CODEL DREIER 
 
CAMPAIGN NUGGETS 
---------------- 
 
1.  (SBU) FYI.  Here are the latest nuggets of news: 
 
-- As noted in Colombo 557, campaigning for the April 2 
election is set to end at midnight tonight (March 30). 
The PM is speaking at a number of rallies before 
attending the UNP's final rally of the campaign in 
Colombo tonight.  President Kumaratunga is also 
scheduled to attend at least one rally today.  The TNA 
also has its final rally in Jaffna late today. 
 
-- In a sudden move, the Election Commissioner took over 
state-run media late March 29 for the rest of the 
election timeframe.  He is taking the action to ensure 
that the media is on the up-and-up and neutral from now 
on until April 2.  As you know, state-run media had been 
in the hands of President Kumaratunga and has been 
skewing things in the UPFA's favor. 
 
-- Killing of Tamil Candidate:  A TNA candidate for 
Parliament was shot and killed in Batticaloa town late 
March 29.  His assistant was also reportedly killed.  No 
one has been arrested in the crime.  For the reasons 
reviewed in Colombo 557 regarding recent shootings, the 
LTTE is suspected of carrying out the killing (the TNA 
candidate was reportedly pro-Karuna).  This is the 
fourth killing this campaign (fifth if the report re the 
assistant is accurate), three of them have been linked 
to the Tigers. 
 
-- Earlier today, DCM, RSO, and Pol briefed Mission's 
ten teams (officers and FSNs) going out for informal 
election observation later this week.  PAFFREL (the 
local USAID-funded election monitoring NGO) and NDI also 
briefed the teams.  The teams are going all over 
(Jaffna, Vavuniya, Galle, Hambantota, Nuwara Eliya, 
Anuradhapura, etc.).  The OTI offices in Trincomalee and 
Ampara will also be calling in information on what is 
happening in the always-volatile east on election day. 
(POL) 
 
CODEL DREIER 
------------ 
 
2.  (U) You will see an e-mail with attachments that we 
are sending out to Col. Shupp, Codel Dreier's 
coordinator, today.  We would appreciate it if you would 
call him to make sure that he has it.  (His numbers are: 
office:  202-225-7807 or cell 703-244-1928.)  The e-mail 
and attachments should also be shared with someone on 
Dreier's staff as well (by either the desk or H).  One 
key point:  Mission is requesting clearance for the 
Codel aircraft to use Ratmalana military airport 
(instead of Bandanaraike international airport), which 
is closer to Colombo and also a much easier place to 
handle military aircraft (all our milair comes into 
Ratmalana, most recently 13th Air Force commander MG 
Larsen).  The flight crew apparently is concerned that 
Ratmalana isn't "all weather," which is technically true 
but not significant (Mission personnel have landed at 
Ratmalana, from where commercial flights to Jaffna are 
also staged, in all kinds of weather.)  We would 
appreciate it if you would emphasize our points and that 
our judgment should be trusted on this.  Thanks.  (POL) 
 
LUNSTEAD