US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO132

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000132 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, INR/NESA; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01-23-03 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, CE, Political Parties 
SUBJECT:  Amid bickering, President approves PM's 
selection of new ministers of non-cabinet rank 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo 90; (B) 01 Colombo 2240 
 
(U) Classified by Charge d'Affaires Lewis Amselem. 
Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) President Kumaratunga has approved Prime 
Minister Wickremesinghe's selection of seven new 
ministers of non-cabinet rank and one new deputy 
minister (see list contained in Para 5).  The January 21 
notice of approval came weeks after the PM's nomination 
of the eight.  The nub of the dispute was the office of 
the president's complaint that some of the portfolios 
being distributed were redundant, as they were already 
the responsibility of other government offices.  In 
turn, the government accused the president of delaying 
her decision in order to annoy the PM, thus adding to 
cohabitation stresses.  In the end, according to 
contacts, the president -- feeling she had proved her 
point --  decided to throw in the towel and approve the 
PM's list. 
 
2. (SBU) At this point, according to our count, the 
government now has 31 ministers of non-cabinet rank and 
10 deputy ministers.  Ministers of cabinet rank number 
27.  (Note:  These numbers are constantly fluctuating, 
with the PM moving some ministers into his cabinet, 
while other ministers change portfolios.) 
(Note:  Mission has little new information about the 
possible cabinet reshuffle first mentioned in Ref A.) 
 
3. (C) Of the new ministers, the following names stand 
out: 
 
-- Keheliya Rambukwella, new Minister of Science and 
Technology, is considered an outstanding politician. 
Rambukwella, 45, is from Kandy in central Sri Lanka and 
is considered very close to the Prime Minister.  He is 
taking a portfolio previously held by Milinda Moragoda, 
a senior minister who is increasingly focusing on the 
peace process. 
 
-- Hemakumara Nanayakkara, new Minister of Agricultural 
Research, is also considered an excellent vote-getter. 
From Galle in the south, he is considered close to the 
PM.  He received a B.Sc in agriculture from California 
St. (Fresno).  He is 49. 
 
-- Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, new Minister of Foreign 
Employment and Welfare, is from Matara District in the 
south.  A banker by profession, he is well-travelled and 
considered highly intelligent.  Abeywardena, 48, is said 
to be particularly close to Karu Jayasuriya, the deputy 
leader of the United National Party (UNP), and Minister 
of Power and Energy. 
 
4.  (C) COMMENT:  For sure, this was not as intense a 
cohabitation dust-up as some in the past.  That said, 
the number of ministers in past governments has become a 
political football of sorts in Sri Lanka.  At this time, 
the UNP government seems inoculated to some extent 
against charges that it is bloated in terms of 
ministers.  Based on our count, the total of those with 
ministerial rank in the UNP government is now 68.  While 
the UNP total is getting up there, it still is less than 
the previous People's Alliance (PA) regime, which had a 
ministerial-rank retinue of over 70 (40-plus of cabinet 
rank).  (Note:  In late 2001, the PA slimmed down its 
numbers somewhat after reaching a short-lived accord 
with the radical JVP party.)  If the UNP keeps adding 
ministers, the matter will eventually become a political 
issue, however.  END COMMENT. 
 
5.  (U) A list of the new ministers of non-cabinet rank 
and the new deputy minister follows: 
 
Begin text: 
 
-- Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene, Foreign Employment, 
Welfare Minister 
 
-- Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Tourism Development Minister 
-- D.M. Bandaranaike, Paddy Cultivation Development 
Minister 
-- Lucky Jayawardena, Deeds for Lands Minister 
 
-- Hemakumara Nanayakkara, Agricultural Research 
Minister 
 
-- Keheliya Rambukwella, Science and Technology Minister 
 
-- Sarathchandra Rajakaruna, Disaster Management 
Minister 
 
-- Jayasundara Wijekoon, Deputy Minister for Commerce 
and Consumer Affairs 
 
End text. 
 
6. (U) Minimize considered. 
 
AMSELEM