US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1121

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001121 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OFFICIAL INFORMAL 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O.  12958:  DECL: 06-26-13 
TAGS: AMGT, CE, MV 
SUBJECT:  OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 96  (06-26-03) 
 
Classified by Donald A. Camp, Charge d'Affaires, 
Reasons:  1.5 (b,d) 
 
CONTENTS:  MALDIVES' GRADUATION FROM LDC STATUS 
-          DRAFT PROPOSAL TO TIGERS WITHIN TWO WEEKS 
-          PRESIDENT KUMARATUNGA IN THE PRESS 
-          REQUEST RE FMF REAPPORTIONMENT 
-          MFA UPSET RE CLOSING OF LOCAL IRAQI MISSION 
 
MALDIVES' GRADUATION FROM LDC STATUS 
------------------------------------ 
1.  (U) Today we received an advance copy of a 
letter(faxed to desk) from Fathulla Jameel, Minister of 
Foreign Affairs, to Secretary Powell, seeking US support 
for the deferment of the Maldives' graduation from LDC 
status at the July ECOSOC meeting.  Previously, we 
supported the Maldives maintaining LDC status, and it 
required considerable coordination in WDC.  Please raise 
this issue with the relevant offices (EB, IO) and some 
potential supporters (S.Donnelly and AmbDes.Lunsted) to 
begin formulating the US position.  This is a key issue 
for the Maldives, a firm friend that asks little of the 
US.  Charge' Camp hopes to visit July 13 and this will 
surely be a prime topic on their agenda.  (ECON) 
 
DRAFT PROPOSAL TO TIGERS WITHIN TWO WEEKS 
----------------------------------------- 
2.  (C) News reports are giving wide play to a comment by 
key government advisor G.L. Peiris during his June 26 
weekly press briefing re a draft proposal for an interim 
administration.  Peiris is reported to have said that the 
GSL would be submitting to the Tigers a draft interim 
administration proposal for the north and east within two 
weeks.  These comments are not unexpected, just the 
latest in ongoing attempts by the GSL to woo the Tigers 
into resuming talks.  Further, during Charge's June 26 
meeting with Ports Minister and leader of the Sri Lanka 
Muslim Congress, Rauf Hakeem, we learned that Hakeem 
expected to be briefed by Peiris that evening on the 
GSL's draft proposal.  (POL) 
 
PRESIDENT KUMARATUNGA IN THE PRESS 
---------------------------------- 
3. (C) There was ample press speculation here June 26 
that President Kumaratunga might be plotting a takeover 
of the Defense and Interior Ministries.  During a follow 
up call with her spokesman, he assured us that Her 
Excellency has no plans to annex those two key 
ministries.  He added that the president remains 
concerned over the status of military readiness and the 
state of law and order in the island.  This lack of 
takeover intent on the part of the president was seconded 
today when the Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse met 
with Charge today (June 26).  Rajapakse confirmed that 
fellow politicians in the president's party were making 
noise re this issue, but that the president did not 
intend to make any ministerial move without public 
support.  It is noteworthy, however, that Kumaratunga 
waited until the PM was out of the country to have her 
spokesman hold a press conference.  (POL) 
 
REQUEST RE FMF REAPPORTIONMENT 
------------------------------ 
4.  (C) Ref Colombo 1063 re $5 million USD of Foreign 
Military Funding allocated to India, Post wishes to 
reiterate its interest in seeing if this could be 
reallocated to Sri Lanka, if spurned by GOI.  Could you 
please provide us with some kind of update re this issue? 
Thanks.  (POL) 
 
MFA UPSET RE CLOSING OF LOCAL IRAQI MISSION 
------------------------------------------- 
5.  (C) Foreign Secretary Nihal Rodrigo called the Charge 
today (June 26) to express his concern over the planned 
closing of the Iraqi mission in town, per the decision of 
the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad.  His 
concern stemmed from the trade relationship -- export of 
significant quantities of Sri Lankan tea -- between the 
two countries.  While Rodrigo is going to send a formal 
note, could Washington provide us with some insight re 
the rationale for closing the Iraqi mission here (and in 
some 30 other countries) to pass on to him?  (POL) 
 
CAMP