UNP rebellion set to erupt

• Sajith’s stakes claim for deputy leadership
• UNP lacking cohesion on military operations
• Mangy, Mano, upset at UNP stance on defence vote

The UNP rebellion looks set to erupt once more, with the long anticipated reforms due to be ratified by the party convention, being called into question once more.

Crucial among the reforms is the creation of the Deputy Leader and Assistant Leader positions. UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe did away with the Deputy Leader position after his former second in command, Karu Jayasuriya joined the ranks of the Government in 2007. However, following a massive uprising among party strongmen Lakshman Seneviratne, Johnston Fernando, Thalatha Athukorale, Ravi Samaraweera and Jayalath Jayawardane, all of whom were calling for the Party Leader to step down, Wickremesinghe in an uncharacteristic show of flexibility, appointed Rukman Senanayake to the UNP Chairmanship, making his long time ally Malik Samarawickrema step aside.

When the rebellion refused to simmer down, Wickremesinghe even appointed a Seniors’ Committee, comprising Joseph Michael Perera and John Amaratunge and others, to propose a list of reforms that could serve as amendments to the party constitution, pending ratification by the party convention. This committee submitted a list of proposals including one to devolve the powers of the party leader, by appointing a Deputy and Assistant leader.

Accordingly, the party’s working committee decided to ratify the proposals at the party’s 53rd convention.
Several senior UNP members have already applied for the posts of second in command. Wickremesinghe loyalist and Galle District MP, Vajira Abeywardane, was the first to tender his application for the post of Deputy Leader while Kandy MP Abdul Cader has applied for the position of Assistant Leader.

On November 25, UNP National Organiser S.B. Dissanayake also tendered his application for the post of Deputy Leader. On being told by Ranil Wickremesinghe, that the Working Committee would choose the nominee by secret ballot, Dissanayake claimed he was confident of winning any such election.

On November 4, Alec Aluvihare, Ravi Samaraweera and Ranjith Madduma Bandara nominated the name of Hambantota MP Sajith Premadasa for the post of Deputy Leader. Premadasa is currently overseas but is expected to return to the island ahead of the UNP convention.

According to the Seniors Committee Report, criteria to apply for the position to be Deputy Leader and Assistant leader, includes being a Member of Parliament for a period of over six years, and an elected member of the UNP working committee, for five years consecutively. Sirikotha sources claim that since Dissanayake is yet to complete five years in the working committee, he is unlikely to be given the nomination.

Previously, it was understood that if Dissanayake was going to be ineligible for the post, it is likely to go by default to Abeywardane. However, the entry of Premadasa into the fray complicates matters again and party insiders expect another tussle for the position to ensue.

The matter was discussed at the UNP Working Committee meeting on December 4, and it was decided that the process of calling for applications for the positions would be done away with. Instead, the Working Committee decided that the nominees would be chosen for the two positions by the committee’s majority consent. This was announced by Party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, in a statement issued by him last week. It was also decided to propose amendments to the party constitution, namely, Article 8.6, enabling the creation of the two new positions.

A leading personality in the rebels’ camp alleged that these moves were being made to ensure that these two positions be appointed by the party leader. When the working committee can’t reach a decision, it would be left to the Leader, allowing Wickremesinghe to nominate those of his choice to the two positions, the rebel said. He added that if that happens, the crisis in the party could intensify.

Dangers
The UNP is also learning of the dangers of being unable to stand firm in one position with regard to the ongoing war. A speech made by Lakshman Seneviratne during the Defence Ministry vote, created a controversy when he said that the war should continue till the LTTE is annihilated, and there should be no ceasefire until that objective was achieved. He added that this was the position of the UNP. Seneviratne said that Prabhakaran cannot be pardoned for his atrocities.

Rising to speak soon afterwards, Mahindananda Aluthgamage claimed that the UNP was taking different positions on the war, and that Seneviratne’s statement might be his personal opinion. Aluthgamage added that in order for it to be the party position, the statement should be made by Ranil Wickremesinghe. Also speaking at the Defence Vote, MP John Amaratunga too reiterated the UNP’s support for the continuing military operations in the north.

The UNP had previously made a clear statement of its position regarding the war. Its leader Wickremesinghe had earlier said that his party, the Government and the Tamil National Alliance should discuss a resolution to the ethnic conflict.

SLFP Mahajana Wing Convenor Mangala Samaraweera, who is now aligned with the UNP, is against the war. On a daily basis, he publicises casualty figures of soldiers killed and injured in the war on his Defence Watch website.

Samaraweera has even claimed that current Army Chief Sarath de Fonseka is not even suitable to the Commander of the Salvation Army!

On the instructions of UNP Leader Wickremesinghe, the party’s General Secretary Tissa Attanayake has of late begun attending these Defence Watch press conferences, alongside Samaraweera to criticise the ongoing military operations.
In this context it is hard to comprehend the exact position of the UNP.

Meanwhile at the recent Working Committee meeting Wickremesinghe mooted a proposal to demand that the Government takes legal action against MP Vinayamurthi Muralitharan, and Chief Minister Pillaiyan, for their atrocities when they were members of the LTTE. However, MPs Lakshman Kiriella and Lakshman Seneviratne vehemently opposed such a move saying that since Karuna and Pillaiyan had given up arms and joined the democratic mainstream, even speaking of such things was a joke.

Seneviratne has gone on to emphasise that the UNP should have a clear policy with regard to the war. Sirikotha sources claim that the statement made by Seneviratne in Parliament has irked party Leader Wickremesinghe. Although MP John Amaratunga made a statement that the UNP supports the Defence vote and the extension of the Emergency Regulations, UNP MPs were not present in the chamber at the time of voting.

Displeased
Samaraweera and Western Peoples’ Front Leader Mano Ganeshan are extremely displeased over the UNP’s decision to tacitly support the Defence vote in Parliament.

“There is a risk of the Sinhalese people as a whole, continuing to support the Government on the military effort. This is very simple; if the Opposition which is trying to topple the Government is formulating the same policies of the Government, the people will have to think twice about voting them into office,” Ganeshan has claimed.

Samaraweera and Attanayake who did not participate at the committee meetings at which the Defence vote was taken up, attended a press conference of the Defence Watch on the same day, prompting Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella to say that if they had presented their concerns in Parliament, the Government could have answered the charges, adding that the press conferences were pointless.

Grand Opposition Coalition
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem, is attending the discussions to create a Grand Opposition Coalition. He attended a meeting at Cambridge Place last Sunday (30) along with Wickremesinghe, Attanayake, WPF Leader Mano Ganeshan, Samaraweera and Tiran Alles. The constitution of the Coalition was discussed at length and it was also decided to register the Coalition as a party with the Elections Commissioner. Attanayake and Alles were assigned to meet the Elections Chief in this regard.

However, sources say that the SLMC has not made a final decision to join this Coalition. SLMC General Secretary Hassan Ali has said that his party has never been amalgamated into another party, adding that the SLMC is ready for a coalition with any party which accepts the demands and aspirations of the Muslim people.

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