By our Political Correspondent
Hemmed in on all sides by popular rumblings about the cost of living and almost daily explosions that are rocking the capital and its suburbs, the government had one more thing to worry last week.

Floody hell
Incessant monsoon rains caused severe floods in several districts in the island, displacing some 400,000 people and killing 20.
Kalutara, Galle, Ratnapura, Gampaha and areas of Colombo were submerged, and some experts claimed that the construction of the Colombo-Matara expressway was in some ways responsible for the heavy flooding.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa found out about the flood situation back home, while he was in Rome to address the FAO summit on Food Security last week. He called up Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayake immediately.

“Prime Minister, your district is always flooding when it rains. The government in power ends up having to distribute aid. There has to be another solution for this. There have been some proposals from China and Russia to prevent flooding. Let’s look into that as soon as possible,” Rajapaksa told the Premier.

Several government ministers worked towards getting people out of danger during the floods. Education Minister Nirmala Kotalawela was among them. He walked through the flooded areas in Agalawatte and Polegoda and having realised how precarious it was with the flood waters rising, the Minister established a boat service to ferry people from place to place. He also managed to get a helicopter to airlift an infant and its mother from danger and offered his official vehicle to a group of people trying to carry three corpses through the floods, to get them to a burial ground.

Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe was also able to speak to the World Food Programme and obtain 90 metric tons of dry rations. He also undertook an inspection of the flood struck areas.

Courtesy call
Last Tuesday, Transport Minister Dulles Alahapperuma visited the home of recently deceased Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, who was also the SLFP Treasurer. Alahapperuma met with Fernandopulle’s widow, Sudharshani.
“I have been appointed acting Treasurer of the SLFP. Since it was the position previously held by Minister Fernandopulle , I felt it was my duty to pay you a visit and inform you,” Alahapperuma told Sudharshani.

“Jeyaraj performed those duties with great commitment,” said Sudharshani. “That is why I felt I needed to come here, to honour that commitment he had to the party,” responded the Transport Minister. Fernandopulle’s family expressed its gratitude to Alahapperuma for the visit.

Low profile
Without much fanfare, on Thursday last week, Dulles Alahapperuma went to the SLFP headquarters and took over duties as party Treasurer. He met with the Dinakara staff and the party headquarters staff and briefed them on the current situation, once he took over.

Alahapperuma adopted the same attitude towards his role as Transport Minister. Having taken oaths before the President, he calmly walked into his Ministry without forewarning or fanfare. When a close associate asked him why, he responded, “If at least one person takes this for an example and alters his own attitude, that’s enough for me.”

JVP to the fore
This week, the JVP politburo held their meeting without Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe. Amarasinghe was visiting Sweden, Denmark and other countries, in order to speak to businessmen there and convince them to invest in Sri Lanka. The politburo meeting also focused heavily on the disastrous flood situation in the country.
Since water borne disease and infections would be the order of the day, once the flood waters recede, General Secretary Tilvin Silva suggested that the party mobilise its Red Star medical team to visit the areas and provide necessary treatment.

JVP sees red
MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake sounded alarm bells about another government proposal to set up an economic zone in the east.
“The Central Bank had a convention on the Deepa Treaty. It has been discussed here that the states of Karnartaka and Kerala along with Sri Lanka, ought to be one economic zone. India seems to be under the impression that Sri Lanka is also one of its own states,” Dissanayake said. “Displaced people from Sampur are still in IDP camps in the east. The government is planning to deprive the people of that land and hand it over to India. We must tell the people of this country of these insidious plans,” K.D. Lalkantha added.

The JVP decided that legal action would be taken against these moves. Next the politburo discussed the 17th Amendment to the Constitution and government delays in implementing it.

“The President is continually delaying the setting up of the Constitutional Council. The threat for journalists in this country is increasing every day. Every responsible State institution is filled with the ‘lokka’s’ henchmen. We need to arrest this undemocratic trend and force the government to implement the 17th Amendment,” Dissanayake added.

Like flogging a dead horse, the government is now trying to resurrect Mihin Lanka again.
On the one hand, fuel costs are unbearably high. On the other, people can’t bear the cost of living. Instead of providing the masses with some relief, the government is wasting what little public money is available on hare-brained schemes,” opined recently appointed Propaganda Secretary Wijitha Herath. A decision was made to hold a series of demonstrations against this and other government policies.

Eastern Provincial Council in session
The inaugural session of the Eastern Provincial (EP) Council was held last week. Chief Minister Pillaiyan arrived for the session attired in national costume. His former rival Hisbullah also attended.

The single JVP member also attended. However, the UNP faction boycotted the session. According to the agenda, following a statement by the EP Governor, the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Council were to be appointed, followed by tea. However, since Pillaiyan and Hisbullah decided to make statements following the appointments, things did not go according to schedule and instead, resulted in some tension within the chamber. It occurred when the JVP Member, Wimal Jayatissa, rose to thank the people of the east for giving the JVP a seat on the Council.

“All parties should have worked together for unity at this poll. Instead, the two main parties incited petty communal tensions. We are having to reap the consequences of that fight today,” he said even as government members erupted at his statements.
“This is an inaugural session. Don’t bring up such absurd issues here,” the government members shouted.

“Whether it is the inaugural session or not, we must face reality. You can’t only speak about bringing about national unity. It must be done in a practical way too. Otherwise, it only results in more oppression for the people of the area,” Jayatissa countered.

Following this incident, tea was served as scheduled, but the JVP member boycotted the pleasantries. Even as the tea party was being held in Trincomalee, the UNP EP Councillors were taking oaths before UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Wimal tries to be different

The party leaders meeting last week tensed up after issues cropped up about division of time for MPs of the National Freedom Front led by Wimal Weerawansa.

“We need separate seats in the opposition. We also want a separate time during debates in the House,” Weerawansa requested of the Speaker.

“That cannot be allowed Mr. Speaker. This is not a separate party after all. It is merely a separate faction. It is wrong to give them a separate time for speeches,” said Chief Opposition Whip.

“We have already handed over the necessary documentation to the Elections Commissioner to be registered as a separate political party. Therefore, the Speaker is bound to allow us to work separately. This is a request we are making on behalf of the rights of 11 MPs,” Weerawansa explained.

“I will see what I can do about it,” said the Speaker.
“The Speaker can’t do what he likes. There has to be a policy and things must happen accordingly. If you look at it like that, even Mangala could get a separate time for speaking,” said Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

“If he asks, he should also be given,” said Weerawansa speaking for Mangala Samaraweera.
“I can’t make a decision on this right now. I will think about it and decide later,” responded the Speaker.

Trunk calls of dissension
Another rebellion appears to be brewing within the main opposition party against UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. The matter came out when the UNP’s Political Affairs Committee met last Tuesday. Although the meeting was held with Wickremesinghe presiding, several members voiced their displeasure at the way he was doing things.

“For years we have been losing at elections. We are still losing. Party seniors are still keeping mum about this. In this kind of situation, even in the future, we will be losing elections,” said one member.

Another said: “Decisions in this party are made by a few elite persons. We find out about the decisions only later. Whatever we discuss and decide at the Political Affairs Committee, eventually, what happens is what these special people decide. We are just puppets here.”

“We only learn about protests and demonstrations also, one day before it happens. The bullock cart protest and the tooting protest was not informed to us in time. By doing these things, it is the party that loses out,” voiced an MP.

“When our party leaders go abroad, there is no one appointed here to look into things and make decisions. If we continue like this, we will lose over and over again.

“Party organisers are appointed haphazardly. People who are totally unsuitable for certain electorates are appointed.”
These were the opinions voiced at the meeting last week. Ranjith Maddumabandara, Johnston Fernando, Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, Lakshman Seneviratne and other MPs spoke their thoughts at the meeting. Despite the strong statements, not a single Wickremesinghe loyalist or Wickremesinghe himself said anything in response. UNP General Secretary and Party Chairman Rukman Senanayake remained stoically silent as well.

Speculation is rife that Rukman Senanayake is to be appointed Party Leader. According to insiders, the appointment is to take place with Wickremesinghe’s knowledge and sanction. At a discussion held at Malik Samarawickrema’s Kandy residence, Wickremesinghe and several others decided that Wickremesinghe would be the leader of a grand opposition coalition in the making.

Another rogue elephant?
A UNP strongman is set to join the government in the coming week. The MP has been having discussions with the government and from all indications, the talks have proved successful. The MP has requested that the President intervene in a particular matter, before he joins the government, and is waiting on this condition being fulfilled, it is learnt.

Ananda to the fore?
A meeting of the Ananda College past pupils was held at the home of Interior Minister Karu Jayasuriya who himself is an old Anandian. Invited to the gathering were Basil Rajapaksa, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake, Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and DIG Mahinda Balasuriya. Basil Rajapaksa, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the Army Commander could not attend. Despite his mother’s illness, Navy Chief Karannagoda attended the meeting. All those present were most appreciative of his presence. Thilak Karunaratne waxed eloquent on the shortcomings at Ananda College. He said that steps needed to be taken to develop the school.

“Many schools in this country have produced leaders and presidents. Royal College has produced a president, S. Thomas’ College produced an executive Prime Minister, St. Bridget’s College produced presidents and prime ministers. Lawrence College which has since been shut down produced a president in Ranasinghe Premadasa. The current president is from Thurstan College and Nalanda College. However, Ananda College has not yet been able to produce a president. Anandian national leaders with the potential of D.B. Jayathilaka, left politics thanks to various conspiracies. N.M. Bernard, S.A. Wickremesinghe and other leaders subscribed to archaic political theories and lost their chance at national leadership. Current Science and Technology Minister Tissa Vitharana is an Anandian, but who knows whether he even remembers whether there is such a school,” Karunaratne said.

“Since current Prime Minister Wickramanayake who is an Anandian, joined an anti-Mrs. B. faction, he lost out on the SLFP leadership. Since I asked Mrs. B to exit the leadership, she constantly sought revenge from me. Karu Jayasuriya was former Deputy Leader of the UNP. He also had to leave that party and so lost a chance. I think this has happened because Anandians tend to hold very strong positions and views. Today, we have two hopes for the presidency. Basil Rajapaksa and Karu Jayasuriya. Since Ananda College needs to produce a president, it doesn’t matter even if they soften their stances to make this a reality,” he added.

Rising to speak, following this statement, Jayasuriya said: “I came to politics by chance. It was a matter of predestination. Similarly, I will not go behind the presidency. I commit such things to fate.”

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