Political Column

Most Sri Lankans woke up yesterday to hear the surprise, if not the shocking news - President Mahinda Rajapaksa had sacked three of his Ministers - Mangala Samaraweera (Ports and Aviation), Anura Bandaranaike (National Heritage) and Sripathi Sooriyaratchchi (Port Development - Non Cabinet rank).

Within hours after letters were sent withdrawing their portfolios, the security details assigned to them were withdrawn. Commandos of the Army, the Police Special Task Force (STF) and Ministerial Security Division (MSD) personnel assigned to Samaraweera were ordered to return to their camps. Samaraweera had remained a high profile target after it was known, during his tenure as Foreign Minister, to be behind the campaign that led to the European Union ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In the recent weeks, Police found Tiger guerrillas had carried out reconnaissance around his house in Matara. Bandaranaike was assigned STF commandos and MSD personnel. Sooriyaratchchi was protected by the MSD. The three will now have only two police constables each, the number assigned to MPs.

In addition, both Samaraweera and Bandaranaike will have to give up their official residences - the former, the sprawling Government bungalow at Stanmore Crescent and the latter "Visumpaya," the one time state guest house that functioned as "Acland House."

Samaraweera, who was the architect of the one time alliance by the SLFP with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), was a staunch campaigner for President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the November 2005 presidential elections. That won for him three key portfolios in Rajapaksa's first cabinet - foreign affairs, ports and aviation. Sooriyaratchchi, a close Samaraweera ally, was an equally staunch campaigner and was in the frontlines of TV talk shows. Bandaranaike, however, was an exception. Though he was named as the Prime Minister designate when Rajapaksa was nominated the presidential aspirant, Bandaranaike hardly involved himself in the campaign. Yet Rajapaksa rewarded him by making him the Minister of Tourism and allowed him to continue to stay at Visumpaya. This is at a time when he thought he will be told to leave.

The news of his sacking from the Ministerial portfolio was conveyed to Samaraweera, now in Singapore on a private visit, by his confidant Ruwan Ferdinandez. He was at a dinner and remarked "Good, I can now open a bottle of champagne."

Speaking on the telephone to The Sunday Times yesterday, Samaraweera denied he had plans to visit London or intended to meet former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. He said the reports were false and he would return to Colombo tomorrow. The three former Ministers are to give a news conference on Tuesday. Samaraweera had also telephoned Bandaranaike yesterday to advise him not to make any public statements until his return and thus avoid any controversies.

According to Presidential sources, President Rajapaksa's disappointment with Samaraweera began over an issue at the UN where Sri Lanka avoided a resolution in support of Palestine. This had been contrary to Government's stance since Rajapaksa was always identified as a champion of the Palestenian cause. He had been badly embarrassed. Samaraweera was accused of yielding to US pressure at the expense of the country's foreign policy. The latter, however, took up the position then that US support was necessary since the UN Security Council was to immediately thereafter discuss the controversial Alan Rock report which alleged Security Forces helped Karuna faction of the LTTE to recruit child soldiers.

Tensions between Samaraweera and Rajapaksa heightened further in the recent months. Samaraweera (when he was Foreign Minister) wrote at least four different lengthy letters to Rajapaksa on important foreign policy issues, the deteriorating humanitarian situation, abductions and other matters.

Only one was highly publicized whilst the others still remain a secret. In that letter, the former Foreign Minister dropped a bombshell - an abduction was taking place every five hours in Sri Lanka. Coming from the Foreign Minister, many foreign governments and international organizations not only took serious note. They also obtained official confirmation over reports of daily abductions that have been floating around, followed by repeated government denials. These together with a string of other developments have been cause for serious concern to Rajapaksa.

Presidential sources said Rajapaksa had made several attempts to reach Samaraweera to talk to him over a number of issues that had arisen between the two. He had not responded to his calls. On one occasion, the source said, he had sent an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) with a message to his Stanmore Crescent residence asking Samaraweera to telephone the President. The ASP had reported back that he had been told the Minister was not in. However, the ASP had learnt that the Minister was in his house at that time. It is only after all other attempts failed did the President resort to this course of action, the source said.

The turning point that led to Friday night's expulsion of the trio was triggered off by the actions of Bandaranaike. It began with a privilege issue he raised in Parliament on Thursday. He said "On Tuesday morning I was told there was an urgent call from Parliament. When I answered the telephone, I was told by the caller 'if you and Mangala Samaraweera oppose President Mahinda Rajapaksa, you will be abducted, thrashed and hung from lamp posts in Attanagalla and Matara."

He added: "I am saying some section of the Government is responsible for this action. Not the President but some others who are using his powers. They have American passports and will fly out the day they are out of power. Mangala and I have never conspired. This is done by some people who want to silence us. But this will only make us tougher."

There were reports yesterday that the Police investigating the anonymous calls to Bandaranaike had found out that the threatening calls had come from a phone number in Attanagalla. At the time, he said he received a threatening call, Police found; calls have originated from a local politician in the area who was a close friend.
Bandaranaike remarked during his speech that he had decided to house his Ministry at Sigiriya Hotel and admire the half naked frescoes. President Mahinda Rajapaksa was angry. He reacted with a sharp retort. That also underscored a tough warning. He said he was not S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, Sirimavo Bandaranaike nor Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga but could easily be "Meda Moolana Mahinda Rajapaksa" if he wanted to, at any given time. Meda Moolana is the village in Weeraketiya (Hambantota district) where Rajapaksa was born. He vowed to defeat groups that attempted to de-stabilise the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). The remarks were made during a ceremony at Temple Trees where letters were handed over to the party's electorate and district organizers. Earlier, in Parliament Minister Felix Perera, then a friend of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (who made him a Minister first) berated the National Heritage Minister for trying to undermine President Rajapaksa. That was to irritate Bandaranaike. He shot off a letter to Perera in which he declared he had seen newspaper reports of his speech in Parliament. Perera had said Bandaranaike need not fear such telephone calls.

Bandaranaike responded, "In my 30 year political career I have served under four Presidents and never received such threatening calls. When looking at the letter sent by Mangala Samaraweera to the President in which he says there were disappearances every five hours and there were many murders, these threats cannot be taken as a joke." Bandaranaike said it is not surprising that you did not receive threatening phone calls but I cannot take such calls lightly."

But some portions of the letter contained strong personal references against Perera and cannot be published.

He was so angry that he took the letter and showed it to President Rajapaksa. It came on a Friday evening when Rajapaksa had learnt more about the actions of the trio and was infuriated over them. That was how he directed his Secretary Lalith Weeratunga to send letters withdrawing their portfolios on Friday night. Thereafter, the security personnel assigned to them were ordered to withdraw immediately. President Rajapaksa leaves today for the Maldives on a three-day visit and among those, accompanying him will be Felix Perera.

President Rajapaksa had received information earlier that Bandaranaike was to raise a privilege issue in Parliament. He told close aides if he did that, without making any representations over any issue to him as a common courtesy, he faced the risk of losing his portfolio. Hence, the original move was to sack only Bandaranaike from his portfolio. But other developments had taken place by then.

One was the issue of seating arrangements in Parliament after UNP dissidents crossed over. Mahajana Eksath Peramuna leader and Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, a senior parliamentarian, has been given a seat in the second row. JVP's Wimal Weerawansa was to quip that federalists had seized the front rows whilst those who stood for the unitary character of Sri Lanka were being pushed behind. Government MPs were conspicuous by their silence.

The same day Jathika Hela Urumaya's Champaka Ranawaka took his oaths as an MP. He was in the company of Ven. Athureliya Rathana Thera when Sooriyaratchi had allegedly quipped "let us see what happens to the head in the next three months." Sooriyaratchi was disappointed he had been given a non Cabinet rank portfolio and was bitterly critical of the move. His colleagues explained he only meant that the recent Cabinet reshuffles would lead to more political troubles for the President in the coming months.

However, sources close to the President feared the remarks only reflected a serious conspiracy to cause harm to the President. They said there was "other vital information" that points to an organized conspiracy against the President. Hence, when President Rajapaksa was told of the remarks, he was visibly upset.

Like Sooriyaratchi (Minister of Port Development), another non-Cabinet rank Minister Jayatissa Ranaweera (Minister of Textile Industry Development) had openly expressed displeasure over his portfolio. But when these non-cabinet rank ministers met President Rajapaksa, he was to assure that they would ensure that dissenting voices in the Government would not go beyond the three sacked ministers.

Opposition and United National Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe appeared unruffled. At one stage, when he walked out to the lobby of the opposition benches, Sooriyaratchi and a group of JVP parliamentarians were present. "I don't have any theorists now. I can therefore speak more openly," he quipped in light hearted banter. A JVP parliamentarian who was somewhat puzzled asked what Wickremesinghe meant. "Well, GL my theorist on the national question has taken all the files and gone to the Government. My economic theorist, Bandula Gunawardena has done the same," he said triggering off laughter all round. Some JVPers were pleased the UNP leader was also giving them a subtle message that he had an open mind to talk with them.

Another reason for concern at Temple Trees, insiders say, was a meeting Samaraweera had in the parliament canteen with Sooriyaratchi and JVP's Wimal Weerawansa. Added to that were reports that Samaraweera has had secret meetings with Wickremesinghe and Anura Bandaranaike - a matter which Samaraweera denied strongly when asked by The Sunday Times. Contributing to issues further was a lengthy letter Sooriyaratchi had written to President Rajapaksa in which he had cited serious allegations of corruption by persons close to him. He had named them and warned that such acts could become public sooner than later. President Rajapaksa, The Sunday Times learnt, has in the meanwhile gone into Police reports in respect of some suspected activity by two Samaraweera confidants. There were unconfirmed reports last night that at least one of them would be arrested to be questioned about a conspiracy with purported links to Tiger guerrillas. Also coming under probe are the activities of a few top western diplomats and their meetings with local media personnel.

Yesterday, one of Samaraweera's closest confidants, Tiran Alles, Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services was called upon to resign his post. Alles is also the publisher of English and Sinhala Sunday weeklies that have been critical of President Rajapaksa and his two brothers, Basil and Gotabhaya. He had been told that a new Minister would appoint a successor.

These developments come amidst mixed feelings, disappointment and even anger among both Government and Opposition parliamentarians. It was reflected in the lobbies as they met this week, for the first time since the re-shuffle. Sittings during the second half of last month were put off until finalization of Ministries and the subjects allotted to them. Some senior SLFP parliamentarians were openly expressing their disappointment to opposition colleagues over the giant Cabinet and their own merits being ignored.

A significant development in this regard was the move by an influential group consisting of Government and the Opposition. In the lobbies, they were secretly discussing the formulation of a vote of no-confidence on the Prime Minister and the Government.
One source associated with the move spoke to The Sunday Times on grounds of anonymity. The source said they plan to base the no-confidence vote on issues relating to human rights, democracy, abductions, killings, rising corruption, alleged nepotism, alleged misleading of the public through propaganda over the war now executed for political gains and creating an atmosphere where the LTTE is taking advantage internationally over the prevailing situation.

The source said they expect the opposition parties - UNP (43 MPs), JVP (37 MPs) and Tamil National Alliance (22) to support the move. That would bring the total to 102 and only a further 11 votes would be required to carry through the motion. But the question is whether the 11 votes from the Government side would be forthcoming. The source declined to comment when asked whether there would be backing from sections of the Government. "You will have to wait and see. But I can tell you, there is tremendous enthusiasm," was the response.

But the sacking of the three Ministers has changed the landscape of political issues. Whether the no-confidence move would now gain ground quickly or cause more divisions within the Government remains to be seen.

Though he sacked the three Ministers, there is still one opening. Sources close to President Rajapaksa say he is willing to forgive, forget and return the portfolios (and even the security) if the trio own up their mistakes. These sources said one Minister had reportedly made overtures though this cannot be confirmed. Rajapaksa has said he would hold the portfolios until then. But that is a long shot. The three former Ministers appear defiant and are in no mood to yield to that demand. That only means the country's political crisis will deepen further.