Politics

The statement made by Environment Minister Patali ChampIka Ranawaka, a JHU front-liner, at a media briefing in Colombo on July 2, that his party would quit the government, if it made a move to fully implement the 13th Amendment, created a sensation in political circles last week.

Minister Ranawaka’s statement immediately drew critical responses from Minister Mervyn Silva and Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga.

Meanwhile, the Minister, who had spoken to President Mahinda Rajapaksa over the phone, was taken to task for having made the statement, by an angry President. “I have taken a firm stand to fully implement the 13th Amendment. You may quit the Government now itself, if that is your wish,” he told the Minister, Temple Trees sources revealed.

Champika shown his place

The JHU’s Parliamentary group had called on the President for talks on that day itself, and Champika had been a member of that delegation, informed sources said.

Addressing the JHU MPs, President Rajapaksa has reportedly expressed his disappointment at their attitude. “What has become of the Hela Urumaya? I have solved the biggest problem that faced the country. I received the full backing of the people to solve the problem. The JHU too extended their support. But, what is Champika now saying? He says that they are going to leave the Government, if the 13th Amendment is made fully effective. Who is he threatening? Anyone may leave the Government at anytime. I don’t mind that. Is the 13th Amendment the biggest problem we are facing now? He talks to the media, posing off as a hero. I thought Champika Ranawaka is a mature person. Therefore, I gave him a good Cabinet portfolio. Is this the way he shows his gratitude?”

Turning to the Bhikkhu MPs, the President continued, “Hamuduruwane, do you seriously believe that Mahinda Rajapaksa, who eliminated terrorism and brought separatists down to their knees, would divide this country? I am sorry that Champika is shouting hoarse for nothing”.

The JHU delegates maintained a respectful silence, as the President tongue-lashed Champika, Temple Trees sources said.
HE outlines ‘strategy’

Meanwhile, leaders of the constituent parties of the ruling UPFA met last Tuesday (30), with President Rajapaksa in the chair. Despite the main item on the agenda being the upcoming Local Government elections and the Uva PC poll, the main talking point was the statement made by Minister Ranawaka the previous day.

Among those at the meeting were SLFP General Secretary Minister Maitripala Sirisena, UPFA General Secretary, Susil Premajayantha, MEP Leader- Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, NUA Leader- Minister Ferial Ashraff, CP Leader- Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera, NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa and his colleague Minister Nandana Gunatillake, and Ministers Milinda Moragoda and M.H. Mohamed from the UNP Dissidents Group.

The President, at this meeting, had reportedly asked the constituent parties to allow him the same free hand he wielded to prosecute and win the war, to act in other matters as well, according to the Mahinda Chintanaya.
He said that once consensus on a solution was reached, he would present it to the people at a Referendum.
“There is diversity of opinion on the solution to this problem. Let different opinions be articulated. However, I request you all to have faith in me, when it comes to its implementation,” he said.

“Let us look for a homegrown methodology in working out a solution. There is no need for imported policies or guidelines. We should reach a solution that would pave the way for peoples of all communities to live together in unity and harmony, in a unitary State,” the President told the participants.

Usually vociferous NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa, who vowed sometime ago, that the 13th Amendment could be implemented only over their dead bodies, had, reportedly, declined to express his views on the issue at this meeting, Government sources said.

Tamil Nadu ‘Tigers’ change stripes

The fall of the LTTE has led to a fundamental change in the policy of a Tamil ‘Eelam’, so far advocated by the Tamil Nadu government. This fact was admitted by its Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi, in a statement made in the State Assembly recently.

Speaking during the special debate on the Sri Lankan issue, held in the State Assembly recently, veteran politician Karunanidhi conceded that an independent ‘Eelam’ State for Tamils was not an attainable concept, and they now should aim at ensuring equal rights and autonomous rule for Tamils, within a united Sri Lanka.

Karunanidhi had recalled that Tamil leaders such as S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, A. Amirthalingam, Kuttimani and Jegan carried out a peaceful struggle to win the rights of Tamils. “The LTTE, with disdain for the non-violent path, took up arms later. We now have to look for alternative means to achieve the rights of Tamils,” Karunanidhi had told the assembly.

Karunanidhi statement was to oppose a motion moved by a group of Tamil Nadu political parties, urging that President Mahinda Rajapaksa be charged before the International court for killing Tamil people. The Speaker later ruled the motion out of order.

Karunanidhi in his address to the assembly, revealed that President Rajapaksa had sent him a letter through Sri Lanka Minister Arumugam Thondaman, inviting a delegation of Tamil Nadu parliamentarians to visit Sri Lanka. He told the assembly that, he, in his reply, requested President Rajapaksa to convey the invitation through the central government.

In the run up to the recent Parliamnetary and State assembly elections in India, certain pro-LTTE politicians such as Vaiko and Nedumaran, and some mainstream political parties such as the DMK and the ADMK, turning the Sri Lankan Tamil issue into a main plank in their political platform, raised a hue and cry that Tamil civilians were being massacred by the Sri Lanka Army. However, this hue and cry died down as the dust of the hustings settled down with the victory of the Indian Congress party and the subsequent defeat of the LTTE. Tamil Nadu opposition leader Jayalalitha Jeyaram, who was the most vociferous, too, now observes a discreet silence. Karunanidhi too, has changed his outlook on the Sri Lankan issue, after receiving President Rajapaksa’s invitation to visit the island.

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had, a few weeks ago, presented to the party’s Working Committee, a document prepared by SLFP (M) Leader Mangala Samaraweera, for the purpose of forming a wide political alliance of all opposition parties.
The Working Committee accepted the proposal on principle, but decided that it should receive the prior approval of the party’s Political Committee. This proposal was later referred to a two-member committee comprising National Organiser S.B. Dissanayake and Kabir Hashim, appointed to further study it.

No need for alliance

However, Mangala’s proposal had to be placed on the back burner, when the SB-Hashim Committee report presented at the recent Working Committee meeting, said that there is no need at the moment of an alignment of opposition political forces as proposed. The Committee had recommended that the party first work out a new party manifesto, and later consider forming an alliance with opposition elements prepared to subscribe to the party’s policies and plans.

When the SB-Hashim report was presented, it was Rukman Senanayake who fired the first salvo at the alliance proposal. “What are the parties with whom we are to team up?” he had asked, adding, “We know that this move to form an alliance is to meet the need of one particular person. That person is Mangala. A certain national English Weekly has already jumped the gun by reporting of a political alliance formed, and its Presidential candidate as well. We witnessed sometime ago, the spectacle of getting up an alliance called National Council. Even office bearers were appointed. But nobody now knows what fate befell it,” said Rukman. What is of paramount importance for the party now is, not to form an alliance, but to meet head-on, the question whether Ranil Wickremesinghe is fit to be party leader any longer”, he had said. “Whenever we visit villages, our supporters ask when are we going to get a new leader? Forming alliances serve no purpose. I am opposed to this proposal,” Rukman had added.

Amara Piyaseeli Ratnayake too, had vehemently opposed the alliance proposal. “We didn’t form an alliance when SB and others joined the UNP. There is no sense in getting up an alliance to accommodate one or two persons,” she pointed out.

Ravi Karunanayake had next voiced his opposition to the proposal. “I grant there is a need for an alliance. But we have to form it the way we want it. It is only now we hear how the National Council set up sometime ago had really functioned. I thought that the formation of the National Council had everyone’s blessings. But now I know that it was something that was foisted on the party. I am opposed to alliances constituted in this manner. However, I am prepared to back an alliance built on the basis of a good programme,” Karunanayake said.

Party leadership is the issue

Party Chairman Gamini Jayawickrama Perera too, had joined the fray, saying, “First we have to resolve the question of party leadership and its credibility. It would be a fruitless effort to proceed to get up an alliance, without resolving this fundamental issue first”.

Ravindra Samaraweera had questioned the wisdom of forming an alliance, when there was an election close at hand. “Let us not enact this farce”, he had said.

Johnston Fernando, who called for the alliance proposal file from Hashim, had turned to Karu Jayasuriya and asked him, “Sir, is it you who formulated these proposals?” Karu had replied in the negative. “That means outsiders had prepared these proposals, when it is the UNP that should formulate them. How should we face the election? How should we win elections? These are the questions we should ask ourselves and find suitable answers. We don’t do it and talk about forming alliances. This is a big joke. We have done enough joking for the last 15 years. We cannot subscribe to anymore jokes,” a visibly angry Johnston had said.

Sajith Premadasa, who had taken the floor next, had first expressed his opposition to the alliance proposal, and had proceeded to take Mangala to task, for the statement he had reportedly made at the Freedom Forum’s Negombo meeting recently, criticising the flying of the Lion flag, to mark the victory in the war against terrorism. “How can Mangala make such a statement? People respect the Lion flag as a symbol of national pride. If we team up with people who give wrong connotations to the act of flying the Lion flag, we might suffer a further dent in our vote base. We are opposed to going into alignments with such people,” Sajith had said.

SB had, in his lengthy address, remarked that the party leader had felt an amazing urgency to put together an alliance. “Why this sudden urgency? There is a Presidential poll and a General Parliamentary election round the corner. By ganging up with certain people, we might even lose the votes which we are now assured of.” he had said.

Kabir Hashim, who explained why the Committee rejected the alliance proposal, said, “Let us work out an action plan that could take the party to victory at polls. We are losing because of our leadership and certain shortcomings within the party. Let us rectify them first,” he said.

Party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, who was the last to speak at the meeting that lasted for nearly three hours, had supported the proposal, and proposed it be accepted. However, the proponents had taken a back seat in the teeth of opposition from party stalwarts like SB, Lakshman Seneviratne and Ravindra Samaraweera.

The Political Committee that rejected the alliance proposal, had appointed another committee headed by Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, to work out an action plan aimed at nation building. Ravi, SB, Hashim and Sajith are the other members of this committee.

****