US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO939

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000939 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OFFICIAL INFORMAL 
 
FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 06/08/14 
TAGS: AMGT, CE, MV, Political Parties 
SUBJECT:  OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 081 (06/08/04) 
 
 
Classified by DCM James F. Entwistle for reasons 1.5 (b) 
and (d). 
CONTENTS:  PARLIAMENT AS USUAL, AGAIN 
-          LEADING BUDDHIST MONK DIES 
  -            REAGAN CONDOLENCE BOOK 
 
PARLIAMENT AS USUAL, AGAIN 
-------------------------- 
 
1. (C) FYI.  On June 8, Parliament met for the third time 
since the April elections and chaos reigned again.  Details 
are still unclear, but Buddhist monks MPs in the JHU party 
came to blows with MPs from the President's United People's 
Freedom Alliance (UPFA) regarding the validity of replacing 
one of the JHU monk MP.  The incident occurred amid other 
reports that the UPFA was attempting to win over additional 
MPs to gain a majority in the 225-member Parliament.  There 
is no indication, at present, that the UPFA gained their 
majority.  (POL) 
 
LEADING BUDDHIST MONK DIES 
-------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) FYI.  The Most Venerable Rambukwella Vipassi 
Mahanayake Thera, one of Sri Lanka's most senior Buddhist 
monks, passed away on June 7.  As chief monk of the Malwatte 
Sect of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Venerable Vipassi Mahanayake 
Thera was a leading voice in Sri Lankan society.  He was 
well respected for his moderate views in the peace process, 
religious, and cultural issues, and politicians and civil 
society across the spectrum sought his opinion.  The 
Mahanayake Thera's replacement will be chosen through an 
election by fellow monks and there is no clear successor at 
the moment.  The deputy Mahanayake, another moderate figure 
in Sri Lankan Buddhism, will be the acting chief of the 
Malwatte Temple in the interim.  (POL) 
 
REAGAN CONDOLENCE BOOK 
---------------------- 
 
3. (U)  Our condolence book was open for signature this 
morning, with Foreign Minister Kadirgamar the first to 
come in.  (DCM) 
LUNSTEAD