MIDDLE EAST AFRICA SOUTH ASIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 1, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 15, 1975
• Content Type: NOTES

Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79TOO865A000900 000
oHOMential
No Foreign Dissem
rLur KOVE
Middle East
Africa
South Asia
Confidential
No. 0672/75
May 15, 1975
140
Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
 Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
No Forc:i.(n Dissem
Warning Notice
Sensitive Intelligence Sources and Methods Involved
NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION
Unauthorized Disclosure Subject to Criminal Sanctions
Classified by 005827
Exempt from general declassification schedule
of E. 0. 11652, exemption category:
5 5B (1), (2), and (3)
Automatically declassified
on: Date Impossible to Determine
Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
 Approved For Release($l?bM17.9T00865A000900360001-4
MIDDLE EAST -- AFRICA - SOUTH ASIA
This publication is prepared for regional specialists in the Washington com-
munity by the Middle East - Africa Division, Office of Current Intelligence,
with occasional contributions from other offices within the Directorate of
Intelligence. Comments and queries are welcome. They should be directed to
the authors of the individual articles.
Liberia: Aliens Barred from Some Businesses . . 3
Sri Lanka: Opposition Leader Resigns
Parliamentary Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
May 15, 1975
Approved For Release T00865A000900360001-4
 25X6 Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
Next 1 Page(s) In Document Exempt
Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
 Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
CONFIDENTIAL
Liberia
Aliens Barred From Some Businesses
The Liberian government recently adopted a law
that restricts 14 business activities to Liberian
citizens or wholly-owned Liberian firms. Liberian
citizenship, under the constitution, is reserved
exclusively "to persons of Negro descent."
The new law appears to be aimed,primarily at
Liberia's large Lebanese and Indian`, communities that
traditionally have dominated most small business activity.
It does not apply to the larger firms that are sub-
sidiaries of US or European companies engaged in bank-
ing, retail trade, or export sales; Only one American-
owned trading company and possibly the local petroleum
distribution outlets of Texaco and Mobil are affected
by the measure's requirement that only Liberian firms can
distribute goods manufactured locally.
The Tolbert administration.is responding,to growing
popular pressure that the government takegreater charge
of Liberia's economy, which is dominated by foreigners.
The number of expatriate entrepreneurs and employees in
Liberia is significantly greater than -in-,many other
African countries. The new restrictive business law is
considerably less stringent, however, than the version
first proposed by Minister of Commerce Dennis, indicating
that President Tolbert and most other members of the
government want to proceed. gradually;with a policy of
"Liberianization". They hope to preserve-Liberia's
generally attractive climate for foreign investors,
while showing that they are responding to popular
criticism. (CONFIDENTIAL)
May 15, 1975
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
 Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
CONFIDENTIAL
Sri Lanka
Opposition Leader Resigns Parliamentary Seat
J. R. Jayewardene, leader of the United National
Party (UNP), the major opposition party in Sri Lanka,
reportedly has resigned his seat in-the National
Assembly in an effort to force early general elections.
Jayewardene claims that the governing United Front,
led by Prime Minister Bandaranaike, is morally bound to
hold elections this year to renew the five year mandate
it won in the last general elections in May 1970. Gov-
ernment spokesmen counter with the claim that the United
Front won on a platform promising constitutional reform
and that the new constitution, promulgated in 1972,
calls for elections within five years,-i.e., by 1977.
The UNP, which held power prior to 1970, was swamped
in the elections that year, emerging with only 17 of the
151 elective seats in the National Assembly. In recent
months, however, the UNP has run up-a succession of by-
election victories. Island-wide popular dissatisfaction
with the government's failure to live up to its economic
promises makes the situation propitious for a general
election now in Jayewardene's view. The government, al-
though suffering from division on many issues, seems
united in a determination to refrain power at least until
1977.
Jayewardene's action carries out.a promise he made
in early March to his fellow UNP deputies to resign by
May 27. At that time, the deputies pledged toaccept
their leader's decision on whether other UNP deputies
should also resign their seats-in-May in order to force
numerous by-elections. Such a strategy would be aimed
at proving the government's lack of popular support and
eventually forcing general elections.
(Continued)
May 15, 1975
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
 Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
CONFIDENTIAL
The government, however, has launched a
counter-attack by proposing a constitutional amendment
that would disqualify as a candidate for election to
the National Assembly any former member who had resigned
his seat for political reasons since the-last general
election. Until it is clear whether or not the government
intends to press this proposal through to enactment, it
is unlikely that Jayewardene would ask for further
resignations from his party's still severely limited
parliamentary ranks. (CONFIDENTIAL)
May 15, 1975 5
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
 App oved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4
Confidential
Confidential
Approved For Release 2001/08/08 : CIA-RDP79T00865A000900360001-4