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PA-UNF stuck on Defence
By Harindra Vithanage
Intense talks between the United National Front (UNF) and People's Alliance (PA) to resolve the ongoing political crisis to pave the way for resuming the peace process have boiled down to one critical issue - the return of the defence portfolio to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government.

In exchange, the UNF has re-assured an active role for President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in the peace process. In addition, she has also been promised a participatory role with regard to defence, modelled on the practice followed in France.

Talks today between UNF Chairman Malik Samarawickrema and PA chief negotiator Mano Tittawela, will now focus on this make or break issue. Mr. Samarawickrema has already made clear a lack of clarity on this issue may compel the two parties to go their own ways.

On that will hinge the final outcome of the next summit meeting between President Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe next Wednesday. Both await the finality their sides will reach in the next three days.

During a 40 minute meeting Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe had with President Kumaratunga on Friday, the former is learnt to have clarified the UNF position over the current political imbroglio. This followed the President's November 4 take-over of the Defence, Interior and Mass Communication portfolios.

Earlier, on Thursday Mr. Samarawickrema had also re-iterated the same UNF position to President Kumaratunga during a meeting at Janadhipathi Mandiraya.
There is a two-fold significance in the position set out by the UNF during negotiations with the PA. Premier Wickremesinghe is said to be keen to ensure a conclusive outcome in the UNF - PA dialogue in the coming week. This is in view of the upcoming annual sessions of the United National Party. Another, is in view of the series of public rallies now being addressed by the Premier, widely believed to be part of his own preparations for any possible declaration of polls.

Also exerting pressure on President Kumaratunga for an early resolution of the ongoing political crisis are the Colombo envoys of the United States, the European Union, Norway, Japan and India. All five who met the President this week are keen to ensure both political stability and the climate for the continuation of the peace process is not marred. This is known to have had a salutary effect in keeping the UNF - PA dialogue intact.

However, an interesting aspect during the dialogue has been the absence of any reference by either side to a seven page document formulated by President Kumaratunga. It is now widely known that her confidantes had leaked to the media this document which called for the formulation of an all party consensus. Despite this, these proposals failed to receive mention by either side during talks.

In the backdrop of this imbroglio, talks on an electoral pact between the PA and the JVP have run into a fresh crisis. The JVP is now demanding that there should be immediate general elections if it were to enter into an electoral pact and is not in favour of holding provincial council elections first.

According to PA frontliner Nimal Siripala de Silva, at present the talks are not for a national government since this offer was turned down by the UNP. "If the Prime Minister does not accept the compromise proposed by President Kumaratunga, he has to face the consequences of his decision," Mr. de Silva said.

The JVP is asking for a fresh general election, possibly leading to the formation of a new SLFP-JVP government. This comes in the wake of preparations for Provincial Council elections by President Kumaratunga who wants to put the alliance to a test at the provincial level.

The LSSP, a constituent party of the PA, has expressed strong reservations about the SLFP-JVP political alliance. In a letter to President Kumaratunga, LSSP General Secretary Batty Weerakoon said the party was "amazed at seeing the policy statement of the JVP and the SLFP on the ethnic problem in the country".
He said the SLFP-JVP joint statement had two different views, the SLFP calling for the devolution of power in a united Sri Lanka while the JVP was only for decentralization.

The LSSP said PA constituent parties had not been briefed of the contents on the discussions between the SLFP and the JVP and thus needed time to study any agreement. Mr. Weerakoon scoffed at the common economic policy statement in the joint policy draft, saying it was more rhetoric that substance.

Meanwhile SLFP MP Bharatha Lakshman Premchandra has come out strongly against the proposed alliance with the JVP and about the JVP spearheaded Desha Hiteshi Jathika Viyaparaya. He has denounced the movement comparing it to the former DJV, which even tried to kill him.

Also Mr. Premachandra has claimed that only a very few members of his party are supporting the SLFP-JVP alliance but the opposing majority feared to voice any opposition. He has warned his party that in the future it would be falling into a dark abyss.

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