President spurns CWC: Come or go

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will not heed the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) demand to extend a public apology if its parliamentarians are to withdraw their resignations and the party is to extend support to the Government. The Sunday Times learns President Rajapaksa has decided on this course of action on the basis that neither he nor his Government had been the cause for the CWC members to resign their portfolios and choose to withdraw support. He has taken up the position that it was up to the CWC leaders to decide whether they want to recall their letters of resignation and remain in the Government or quit.

President Rajapaksa, it is learnt, delayed any action until yesterday in view of an official ceremony CWC leaders held yesterday in Hatton. The outgoing Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar and Indian High Commissioner Alok Prasad were the chief guests at the formal opening of a Vocational Training Centre. The Norwegian Aid Agency, Norad, had funded the project whilst India had loaned a group of experts for the Centre.

In view of the embarrassment that would be caused to the two envoys, President Rajapaksa had delayed acting on the letters of resignation already handed over by the CWC leaders to his Secretary Lalith Weeratunga. Measures to be taken by him would include stripping them from perks given to Ministers and Deputy Ministers including official vehicles and security.

The CWC politburo which met in Kotagala on Friday afternoon took the decision to demand a public apology from President Rajapaksa over alleged insults hurled against its leaders Arumugam Thondaman, Muththu Sivalingam and M. Yogarajan by Basil Rajapaksa, Senior Advisor to the President. They alleged he had made derogatory remarks against them.

However, Basil Rajapaksa strongly denied he made any such remarks and said he had dealt with the CWC leaders since they joined the Government last year. "Very often when they saw me to get a job done, they would warn me they would quit if the job cannot be executed early," he said. Details of the dialogue between the CWC leadership and Mr. Rajapaksa appear in the Political Column.

Mr. Thondaman, who is Minister of Youth Empowerment and Socio-Economic Development, and his five parliamentary colleagues, met Mr. Rajapaksa on Thursday. After an altercation ensued, they adjourned to a suite at the Taj Samudra Hotel where they decided to tender their resignations Later, they drove to Nuwara Eliya for the politburo meeting.