By Colombo Telegraph –
“Wickremesinghe noted that the UNF was hoping to maximize the publicity and media coverage of the announcement by spreading out the unveiling of Fonseka over several days. Wickremesinghe noted that the UNP did not give serious consideration to the idea of Fonseka running as a UNP candidate because they did not want the public to think that Fonseka was running as a front for Wickremesinghe. Separately, UNP party leaders stated that Wickremesinghe was not considered as a presidential candidate because he probably would not have been a competitive candidate against President Rajapaksa.” The US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.
party,s internal polling had shown strong support for General Fonseka (especially amongst younger voters) in a matchup with President Rajapaksa, but not for Wickremesinghe.
The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from WikiLeaks database, which details the meetings US Embassy has had with UNP leadership regarding General Fonseka’s presidential candidacy The cable is classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” and written by the Charge D’Affaires Valerie Fowler on November 25, 2009.
Charge D’Affaires Valerie Fowler wrote “Emboffs recently met with UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and several senior UNP leaders to discuss the way forward for the UNP. In a 24 November meeting, Wickremesinghe told the Charge that General Fonseka would be the common candidate for the UNF alliance. Wickremesinghe expected the JVP to make a public announcement of the decision on 25 November (the JVP announced the decision on 24 November in the local media), the UNP working committee to make an announcement on 26 November, and the entire alliance to announce the decision on 27 November.”
Fowler wrote “All UNP interlocutors projected confidence about their electoral prospects and campaign message. UNP senior leader Ravi Karunanayake assessed that President Rajapaksa had become too extreme in his views and that the electorate was ready for a change. UNP leader Dinesh Weerakkody noted that recent polling completed by the UNP was partially behind the party feeling confident about the upcoming presidential race. Weerakkody noted that the party,s internal polling had shown strong support for General Fonseka (especially amongst younger voters) in a matchup with President Rajapaksa, but not for Wickremesinghe. Weerakkody frankly noted that the polling showed that Tamils were wary of General Fonseka, but overall the party was pleasantly surprised that Fonseka polled even with President Rajapaksa.”
“Party leaders appeared to have already formed the main crux of their campaign message. Interlocutors, including Wickremesinghe, noted that the UNF alliance would focus on the misdeeds of the Rajapaksas — including their association with corruption and dynastic ambitions — and the broader failings of democracy within the country. Weerakkody noted that UNP polling had shown the electorate was ready for the concept of change and said the alliance probably would model its broad electoral message after the recentU.S.presidential election.” she further wrote.
Below we give the relevant part of the confidential cable;
VZCZCXRO8413 OO RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHLM #1073/01 3291201 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 251201Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0838 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 2094 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 9122 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 7368 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 5258 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3520 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 5196 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0064 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0731 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 4313 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 9683 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 6977 RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 0052 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3856 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001073 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE SUBJECT: RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE: UNP LEADERS BELIEVE THEY ARE READY TO DEFEAT PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSA REF: COLOMBO 1066 COLOMBO 00001073 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: CHARGE D' AFFAIRES VALERIE C. FOWLER. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Members of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) are upbeat about the party's electoral prospects and are confident that UNF alliance candidate General Sarath Fonseka can beat President Rajapaksa in the upcoming presidential election. UNP party members noted that the UNF's campaign message would focus on getting rid of the Rajapaksas and the corruption associated with them. Interlocutors did not appear worried about General Fonseka being a team player if he won the election. UNP party members uniformly predicted election-related violence and asked for international election observers to ensure a credible election. END SUMMARY. Fonseka is the UNF Candidate ---------------------------- ¶2. (C) Emboffs recently met with UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and several senior UNP leaders to discuss the way forward for the UNP. In a 24 November meeting, Wickremesinghe told the Charge that General Fonseka would be the common candidate for the UNF alliance. Wickremesinghe expected the JVP to make a public announcement of the decision on 25 November (the JVP announced the decision on 24 November in the local media), the UNP working committee to make an announcement on 26 November, and the entire alliance to announce the decision on 27 November. Wickremesinghe noted that the UNF was hoping to maximize the publicity and media coverage of the announcement by spreading out the unveiling of Fonseka over several days. Wickremesinghe noted that the UNP did not give serious consideration to the idea of Fonseka running as a UNP candidate because they did not want the public to think that Fonseka was running as a front for Wickremesinghe. Separately, UNP party leaders stated that Wickremesinghe was not considered as a presidential candidate because he probably would not have been a competitive candidate against President Rajapaksa. Feeling Good About Electoral Prospects and Message --------------------------------------------- ----- ¶3. (C) All UNP interlocutors projected confidence about their electoral prospects and campaign message. UNP senior leader Ravi Karunanayake assessed that President Rajapaksa had become too extreme in his views and that the electorate was ready for a change. UNP leader Dinesh Weerakkody noted that recent polling completed by the UNP was partially behind the party feeling confident about the upcoming presidential race. Weerakkody noted that the party,s internal polling had shown strong support for General Fonseka (especially amongst younger voters) in a matchup with President Rajapaksa, but not for Wickremesinghe. Weerakkody frankly noted that the polling showed that Tamils were wary of General Fonseka, but overall the party was pleasantly surprised that Fonseka polled even with President Rajapaksa. ¶4. (C) Party leaders appeared to have already formed the main crux of their campaign message. Interlocutors, including Wickremesinghe, noted that the UNF alliance would focus on the misdeeds of the Rajapaksas -- including their association with corruption and dynastic ambitions -- and the broader failings of democracy within the country. Weerakkody noted that UNP polling had shown the electorate was ready for the concept of change and said the alliance probably would model its broad electoral message after the recent U.S. presidential election. When queried on the possible role of COLOMBO 00001073 002.2 OF 003 the economy in the presidential campaign, Wickremesinghe assessed that the economy most likely would only be brought up indirectly. Wickremesinghe noted that the UNP had tried to gain political traction on the economy before and had failed in its efforts; he also opined that there were far too many differences between the UNP and the leftist JVP on the issue of the economy to campaign on the issue. Alliance Cooperation Will Be Crucial -------------------------------------- ¶5. (C) Weerakkody, Karunanayake, and UNP senior leaders John Amaratunga and Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena all assessed that members of the UNF would have to work closely together if they hoped to defeat Rajapaksa. All interlocutors opined that the parties of the alliance would have to make up for each other's weaknesses. In general, the UNP leaders noted that the UNF would focus on the UNP's strength in urban areas, the JVP's strength in the south and its vast grassroots networks, the Tamil parties' relative strength in the north and the east, and Christian leaders' strength in Jaffna. Weerakkody noted that the party's internal polling had shown that the UNP's support base was a solid 35 percent and the JVP's 8-10 percent. He assessed that General Fonseka's popularity would be the last bit of electoral support the alliance needed to win the presidency. ¶6. (C) All interlocutors opined that the role of Wickremesinghe would be crucial for the UNF's electoral prospects. Party members noted that the role of the Tamil parties would be huge in the election and that Wickremesinghe was the only one who could calm their concerns over Fonseka (see REF).
FOWLER
bo / May 30, 2012
The downfall of Fonseka was his messing around with a group of losers. I hope he learnt a lesson that he should not abandon principles for which he was loved by the public. Even I was confused by his behaviour and made me wonder, “What the bloody hell was he doing?”
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Donald J Gnanakone / May 30, 2012
General Fonseka shakes hands with Hirunika Premachandra:
http://www.dailymirror.lk/caption-story/19013-hello.html
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parakrama / May 30, 2012
Well, well,well…. USA, UNP,JVP and TNA all want to send Rajapaksa home, but majority and patriotic Lankans want Rajapaksa in office.
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suz / May 31, 2012
renown of fonseka rented for short term by all party.
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jagath / May 31, 2012
parakrama, who the hell is this fucking majority you are referring? You silly donkey, except for the fucking donkeys who have commented here for the rogue Rajapakshas no one is accepting this war criminal regime! Dig a hole in the ground to hide for everyone is now aiming to take the revenge from the rogue family and their bootlickers!
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Basil / June 1, 2012
May be Ranil was trying to use him, but
if you think the General was a front for Ranil, that’s a joke
(He was not in uniform, hence Ranil was not the ‘Sir’)
Ranil on the other hand loved to rub shoulders with the ‘Tough-gong Hero’ and be his Prime-minister, which is a good role for him, as it was his (so called ‘weak’) cunning that split the tigers and his never ending accommodation that gave us the moral high ground.
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Bandu / June 1, 2012
I think always Americans collect data so that they can buy some influential people to get their dirty jobs done, irrespective of what would happen to them. E.g. Iraque. They throw away millions of dollars around before the war proper.
I believe this was what happened in Muslim countries in Mid East/ Asia/Africa even recently.
Sri Lanka with overwhelming poverty they can prey on many politicos without a future easily. I believe their main aim is not to safeguard teh poor Sri Lankans; but to increase their stranglehold over the wider world. So people who remember dictators they have nurtured world over until people got rid of them in many countries would understand this fact.
So teh aim may not be to get rid of baddies from ruling poor Sri Lanka!
What I would like to appreciate is a completely different aspect. That is the great service done by WIKIleakers; with axtradition plans of Assange, by Americans is putting a lid on this exposure process by US.
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