US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO790

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000790 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR D, INR/R/MR, I/RW, I/REC; PA 
SA/INS (FOR JWALLER); SA/PD (FOR LJIRWIN, LSCENSNY, 
REINCKENS); SSA/PAB 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OPRC, KMDR, OIIP, CE, Political Parties 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA PLAY:  COHABITATION CRISIS RETURNS 
 
 
1. Sri Lanka's chronic cohabitation problems resurfaced on 
Friday (5/9) when President Kumaratunga announced her 
intention to remove the Development Lotteries Board from 
the Ministry of Economic Reforms and put it under 
presidential purview.  Media reaction was quick.  Some 
Saturday (5/10) headlines were straightforward: 
"Development Lottery Board taken over by the President," 
DIVAINA (independent Sinhala daily) reported.  "President 
takes over Development Lotteries Board" said the DAILY NEWS 
(government-own English daily).  But by Saturday other 
headlines had assumed that cohabitation, not lottery 
boards, was the subject.  For example, the front page of 
Saturday's DAILY MIRROR (independent English daily) said: 
"President, PM clash head-on." 
 
2. On Sunday (5/11) the imbroglio spilled into nasty 
headlines.  "Ready to fight if solution is not welcome" 
said SUNDAY LANKADEEPA (independent Sinhala weekender), 
quoting the Prime Minister.  "Serious violation of 
cohabitation," said SUNDAY DIVAINA (independent Sinhala 
weekender) quoting Milinda Moragoda, the Minister from whom 
the lottery was being taken.  "President's action beginning 
of a plot," SUNDAY THINKAKURAL (independent Tamil 
weekender) suspected.  And "country plunged into crisis" 
headlined the SUNDAY LEADER (independent English 
weekender).  Clearly, another - and a badly timed - round 
of cohabitation problems had arrived. 
 
3. Predictably, Sunday editorials pounced on the story. 
Some blamed the President, others the Prime Minister.  All 
were of a single mind, however:  not this, not now; 
negotiations with the LTTE are more important that 
cohabitation bickering.  Items: 
 
- the DAILY MIRROR (independent English daily) turned 
metaphorical under the headline" Stop descent to further 
degeneration":  "When a house is on fire, if the members of 
the household begin a brawl inside, instead of making a 
collective effort to put out the fire, what is immediately 
called into question is the state of their sanity.  It is a 
question of similar nature that has arisen in the public 
mind over what the political leaders of this country are 
doing today.  After we witnessed a flurry of diplomatic 
activity engaged in by our foreign godfathers in a bid to 
bring the recalcitrant LTTE back to the conference table, 
we are now treated to a dramatic domestic battle over 
ministry takeovers." 
 
- Under the headline "Negotiation and agreement is what we 
need," DINAMINA (independent Sinhala daily) said: 
"political parties may have political differences . but for 
the sake of peace there should be co-habitation, not a 
crisis." 
 
- DIVAINA (independent Sinhala daily) called it "a 
political crisis ... totally uncalled for," noting that 
when "the international community and its aid teams look at 
the peace process, they see political comedy instead." 
 
- "Don't let unwanted crises topple the country," headlined 
LANKADEEPA (independent Sinhala daily).  "This may effect 
the aid conference," create "a conducive environment for 
the Tigers," and damage the peace effort.  "Please 
negotiate and solve problems without taking power hungry 
approaches:  that is our earnest request to both parties." 
 
- Under the headline "Tit for tat?" the SUNDAY ISLAND 
(independent English weekender) wrote:  "both sides have to 
be roundly condemned about the games they are playing at a 
time when the country needs more statesmanship and less 
pettiness in the conduct of national business." 
 
- Said the SUNDAY OBSERVER (government-owned English 
weekender):  "A return to the old practices of intense 
rivalry over the resources and powers of the Sri Lankan 
state will serve only to undermine the political impetus 
towards an ending of the war.  Neither party can afford to 
return, at this juncture, to the politics of contest of 
over the `spoils' of State.  The focus of the entire 
nation, especially of the political leadership, must remain 
fixed on the critical issue of the time. 
 
- The independent Tamil daily, Virakesari, called it a 
"political crisis" that must be avoided.  "... all should 
join hands in finding a lasting solution rather than any 
infighting over petty issues....  This is the wish of the 
people." 
 
Wills