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Sirisena continues tough stand; six new loyalists get National List seats, GL left out despite plea
War of words between President and Rajapaksa over cause of UPFA defeat; CBK wants Tamils also included in National Govt.

A nation watched Friday as the victor and the vanquished at Monday’s parliamentary elections pledged to form a National Government just after a historic ceremony, televised live, where Ranil Wickremesinghe took his oaths as the 21st Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

President Sirisena is due to swear in on Tuesday a Cabinet of Ministers representing the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Both the sides are engaged in talks on how the ministerial team which will be large in view of a National Government can be resolved.

Their only option, it has transpired, is to first swear in 30 ministers as permitted in the Constitution. An increase from that number would have to be made only after Parliament approval. According to the 19th Amendment “…where the recognized political party or the independent group which obtains the highest number of seats in Parliament forms a National Government, the number of Ministers who are not Cabinet of Ministers and the number of Deputy Ministers shall be determined by Parliament.”

According to talks under way, the Cabinet of Ministers are likely to be 51 – 33 from the UNP led coalition and 18 from the SLFP. The number of deputy ministers is likely to be 40 – 22 from the UNP and 18 from the SLFP. The first ministerial meeting is scheduled for Wednesday. In addition, the Government is to re-introduce the position of District Ministers who will play a key role in development programmes. The system was originally introduced by the late President J.R.Jayewardene.

During talks between the UNP and the SLFP chaired by President Sirisena, Premier Wickremesinghe recommended that the first 30 ministers, possibly from the UNP, be sworn in first. This is because Parliament is scheduled to meet only on September 1.
Paving the way for this is a ten point Memorandum of Understanding between the two major parties. It was signed by UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim and the SLFP’s Acting General Secretay Duminda Dissanayake. It sets out the broader objectives of the new alliance including a pledge for constitutional changes.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, now MP for Kurunegala and President Maithripala Sirisena greet each other after Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as Prime Minister. On extreme right is Prime Minister Wickremesinghe

The modalities of the National Government formed the subject of discussion on Friday at a meeting chaired by President Sirisena. Representing the UNP were Premier Wickremesinghe, Chairman Malik Samarawickrema, General Secretary Kabir Hashim and Karu Jayasuriya. The SLFP was represented by Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga Nimal Siripala de Silva, Acting SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, the dismissed SLFP General Secretary, and John Seneviratne.

Another meeting has been scheduled for today.
That some of the SLFP parliamentarians may rebel against the SLFP-UNP memorandum of Understanding was not lost on Sirisena. He has decided to address the SLFP MPs in groups representing different provinces. The first such meeting will be held today. Sirisena is expected to warn his MPs that they faced expulsion from the party if they did not extend support to the MoU. This is on the grounds that the party’s Central Committee and the parliamentary group had already endorsed it.

Rajapaksa’s presence at swearing-in ceremony
In what seemed a surprise move, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, now the UPFA MP for the Kurunegala District, turned up at the brief swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat. He walked into what was once the Well of the former Parliament, paid his respects to members of the sangha and took his seat. President Sirisena, after he swore in Wickremesinghe as Premier and watched the two Secretaries sign the MoU, went around greeting those present and seated in the front row. Rajapaksa was one of those whom he clasped hands with — unlike when he refused to do so in November last year at the Elections Commissioner’s office on Nomination Day for the Presidency. A notable absentee on Friday was former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who had played a major role in events after Monday’s parliamentary elections. Her seat next to the one Rajapaksa occupied was vacant. There were unconfirmed reports she was protesting that the National Government had to be more “fully representative” of all parties. Kumaratunga who heads a Secretariat for matters relating to reconciliation was of the opinion that there should have also been Tamil representation. She had also been disappointed later that one of her nominees had not been placed on the UPFA National List.

Rajapaksa’s presence at the Presidential Secretariat for the swearing-in ceremony is noteworthy. He rejected requests by his own UPFA partner leaders not to attend. On the night of the elections, he had returned from Kurunegala to his temporary residence in Mirihana in Greater Colombo. There, he watched results on television disturbed frequently by telephone calls. On Wednesday, he telephoned President Sirisena and told him that the UPFA would have won the parliamentary elections if only he (Sirisena) had not helped the UNP. The five-page letter Sirisena had written to him saying he did not wish to make him Prime Minister, Rajapaksa claimed, was one of the causes for the defeat of the UPFA.

Sirisena had reacted strongly by giving reasons. He pointed out that five UPFA leaders had spoken disparagingly about him at election rallies. He was in possession of all the details. Among such remarks had been threats and intimidation. They had even declared that they would march Sirisena on the streets without his clothes after they won the elections, the President had remarked angrily. He named three former ministers, a former Provincial Councillor and a Mayor of a local council south of Colombo as being among them. All five persons contested Monday’s elections and won. Sirisena also told Rajapaksa that it was easy for him to work with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Rajapaksa in turn told Sirisena that he would not seek the office of the Leader of the Opposition. Since then, however, he has come under increasing pressure from UPFA parliamentarians. On Wednesday night Rajapaksa met UPFA leaders to take stock of the situation after the polls. He briefed them on his telephone conversation with Sirisena and said they should all support the progressive measures of the Wickremesinghe Government.

This was while a handful but influential section in the SLFP failed in a political manoeuvre against a National Government, a move that would have embarrassed President Sirisena. This was by suggesting that the SLFP hierarchy was willing to ensure ten or twelve of their members supported the UNP, giving it a working majority. That group was not going to demand any portfolios and had wanted to deal direct with the UNP. Premier Wickremesinghe was firm in his conviction that he would not allow any such thing. He reminded them that a National Government was a pledge that had been made even during the January 8 presidential election. Yet, Rajapaksa and his faction of MPs, who are opposed to the MoU, will offer unconditional support to Wickremesinghe.

Not many were aware that Sirisena’s five-page letter had weeks earlier resonated elsewhere. It was mentioned in these columns last week that the UNP leaders were also disturbed by some of its contents. One was that it gave rise to the notion that the UPFA would win the elections. The other was Sirisena’s assertion that “if the UPFA is not able to reach 113 mark, but comes close to it, I could intervene as the Executive President to obtain the remaining seats to form a Government.” The remarks, it has now come to light, prompted the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to inform President Sirisena that it would support the UNP in the event the UNP was short of numbers and ensure it was not defeated in Parliament. “This was purely a precautionary measure and things have now played out differently,” said a high ranking source familiar with the matter.

It was also on Wednesday, when the fuller results were known, that Sirisena went into action. He summoned a meeting of the SLFP Central Committee (CC) for Thursday morning at the Presidential Secretariat. On two consecutive occasions earlier, he had through legal counsel obtained restraining orders from the District Court of Colombo to prevent such meetings being held without his presence. His lawyers have submitted a petition to the District Court of Colombo to withdraw the stay order of Premajayantha. Thus, it will not be incumbent on the later to challenge it. Sirisena invited Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who has remained shut out of SLFP meetings for more than a decade, also to take part. He summoned a meeting of the new UPFA parliamentary group at the same venue when the CC meeting was over. There, he made clear, no such group meetings should be held without him being present. That night, then caretaker Premier Wickremesinghe met Sirisena at the latter’s Paget Road residence and handed over a draft copy of the MoU. That set out the UNP’s position. Sirisena was to ask him for time to finalise matters. The SLFP CC also ratified the party’s earlier decision to expel S.B. Navinna, the party’s treasurer who contested Kurunegala District on the UNP ticket and won. However, there was no discussion on the suspension of 13 CC members on election eve or on the suspension on Wednesday of UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha and SLFP General Secretary Yapa.

Sirisena met with Premajayantha on Friday to discuss the issue of the UPFA National List. Sources close to the presidency said that the matter was resolved with Premjayantha agreeing to revise the original list he had submitted during nominations in July. That list too had been approved by Sirisena. However, a fresh National List with new names together with a few in the previous list was formulated. It was signed by Prof. Wishwa Warnapala who was named by Sirisena as acting General Secretary of the UPFA. In addition, Premajayantha also endorsed the list with his signature on Friday — a measure mooted by the Commissioner of Elections. The idea behind the former and the present General Secretaries signing was to avoid any legal issues that may arise in the unlikely event of the District Court order restraining Premjayantha from functioning as General Secretary being challenged and overturned. However, both sides have agreed that they would not be contesting issues before court. Together with Premajayantha, the General Secretary of the SLFP too has been suspended. Both also remain suspended from SLFP membership too. Despite Sirisena writing to Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, informing him of the suspensions, the polls chief strictly adhered to his previous assertion that he would not recognise such change from the time of nominations until elections were over.

A place in the National List
The clamour for National List positions from Sirisena has been high. Even former External Affairs Minister, G.L. Peiris called on him last week to make a fervent appeal that his name be allowed to remain in the National List. However, his request was in vain. The names in the previous National List that were allowed to remain are those of A.H.M. Fowzie, Dilan Perera, Faizer Mustapha, Sarath Amunugama and Malith Jayatilleke. The new additions are M.L.A.M. Hisbullah, Mahinda Samarasinghe, S. B. Dissanayake, Thilanga Sumathipala, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Angajan Ramanathan and Vijith Vijithamuni Soysa. In allowing names for the National List, Sirisena has ensured that only those from the SLFP and not the rest of the UPFA coalition partners were accommodated. All the new additions are of those who have lost Monday’s parliamentary elections in different districts, a move that runs counter to good governance (or yahapalanaya) principles. As a result among the names that have been deleted from the original National List to make way for the losers are Tiran Alles, G.L. Peiris, Reginold Cooray, Jeewan Kumaratunga, J. Sri Ranga, and Tissa Attanayake, the former UNP General Secretary who crossed over to the UPFA on the eve of the presidential election.

In marked contrast, some of his strongest critics praised Premier Wickremesinghe for his policy of not nominating to the National List candidates who have lost the parliamentary elections. “He should be highly commended for not providing places for those rejected by the people,” said one of them who hurriedly added “we hope he will take similar bold approaches to many other issues.” However, the UNP too appointed H.M. Navavi, who was defeated in the Puttalam District.

Wickremsinghe summoned the first parliamentary group meeting of the UNP on Friday at ‘Temple Trees’. He told his MPs that he wanted to ensure they observed strict discipline. He said they should be punctual at official functions and be present in Parliament during question time. He said MPs should not say they were attending weddings or funerals as an excuse when their presence was required in Parliament. “If you cannot follow what I have spelt out, please do not come to Parliament and take your oaths,” he added. Wickremesinghe announced he would propose that Karu Jayasuriya be the Speaker.

Whilst focusing on the National List of the UPFA, Sirisena left the issue of the MoU for a National Government formation in the hands of Kumaratunga. On Thursday, the Central Committee decided to name her to chair a committee that would study the draft MoU of the UNP. The CC meeting began with Sirisena giving an overview about moves to form a National Government. Mahinda Samarasinghe who lost at the polls in Kalutara District charged that Mahinda Rajapaksa was taking a communal line and trying to make the SLFP a “Sinhala only party.” Dilan Perera, who served as UPFA spokesperson during the parliamentary elections claimed that both Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa have been rejected at Monday’s elections. Since the voters had decided that way, it was President Sirisena who should form a National Government in keeping with the mandate he received. Kumar Welgama, newly re-elected UPFA MP for Kalutara District declared he was opposed to the formation of a National Government. He requested that he be allowed to remain and function as “an independent” within the UPFA. On Friday evening, Sirisena removed him from the Central Committee. Former Minister T.B. Ekanayake was also removed from the CC yesterday.

Concurring with Welgama were Dullas Allahapperuma (UPFA – Matara District) and Pavithra Wanniaratchchi (UPFA – Ratnapura District). Allahapperuma said people had not given a mandate for the formation of a National Government. Wanniaratchchi declared the move for a National Government was not acceptable. Sarath Amunugama and S.B. Dissanayake also spoke. The CC endorsed the setting up of a National Government and decided it should be placed before the parliamentary group meeting that was to follow.

There Sirisena explained details including how a MoU was being signed between the UNP and the SLFP for a National Government for two years. Allahapperuma was to appeal to Sirisena to wind up the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID). S.B. Dissanayake expressed the view that Finance and Education portfolios should be held by SLFP ministers. Sirisena, however, maintained stoic silence.

Kumaratunga studies MoU
The Kumaratunga Committee tasked to study the UNP’s draft Memorandum of Understanding met at the BMICH on Thursday. Some members asked that an assurance be given that there would be no privatisation of state ventures. Kumaratunga, however, said that she was in favour of it. She pointed out how SriLankan Airlines was allowed to collaborate with the Dubai-based Emirates Airlines when she was President. At that time professional expertise was available. However, under former President Rajapaksa this state venture has been ruined, she said. There were also calls that the MoU should have an express provision that there would be no political victimisation. However, no such provisions were included in the MoU. Details of the MoU appear elsewhere in this newspaper together with reports on the outcome of Monday’s elections.

The UNP won 106 seats while the UPFA won 95 in the 225 seat Parliament. The third place went to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which won 16 seats. It contested as the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) or the Ceylon Federal Party in the North and East. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) won only six seats and one went to the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) from the east where it contested on its own. In others the SLMC fielded candidates on the UNP ticket. The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) won one seat in the Jaffna District.

Of the votes polled, the UNP secured 45.66 percent, the UPFA 42.38 percent and the Tamil National Alliance 4.62. There is a difference of one million votes between what Rajapaksa obtained in January’s presidential poll and the UPFA on August 17. Mahinda Rajapaksa polled 5,768,090 at the 2015 Presidential election. This time the UPFA gained 4,732,664 votes.

No sooner the final outcome of the elections became clear, Wickremesinghe declared on Wednesday; “I am inviting all political parties to work together by reaching consensus to continue good governance.” He told a news conference at ‘Temple Trees’ that the people had endorsed good governance policies when they voted at the Presidential election on January 8. “We will not go back to divisive politics,” he asserted. The same day, however, more than 50 newly elected MPs of the UPFA gathered at the official residence of the former Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga. This was ahead of the parliamentary group meeting summoned by President Sirisena. Ranatunga has been elected as an UPFA MP from the Gampaha District. UPFA sources said their former General Secretary Premajayantha was not in favour of this meeting on the grounds that it would be confrontational vis-à-vis President Sirisena.

Investigations to continue
Sirisena has already directed that investigations begun by different investigating agencies of the Police be continued. Most of the new investigations are being handled by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) headed by Senior DIG, Ravi Waidyalankara, who is also a lawyer. Other investigations are being conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) or the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). The CIABOC is to be re-constituted soon after the Constitutional Council (under 19A) is established.

The DIG has already been informed that his name would be proposed. Some arrests in important investigations are likely in the next few days, according to Police sources. As always, there were winners and losers at Monday’s parliamentary elections. There were also a few heroes. The topmost is Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya who had the courage and conviction to be tough and impartial in dealing with those who broke elections law. Thus, a free and fair election was possible. Another is Police Chief N.K. Illangakoon and his personnel who ensured the smoother conduct of an election with few incidents by ably carrying out directives. It behoves the Government to tighten election laws further and more importantly ensure Police personnel, particularly the lower rungs, are better rewarded than the pittance of a few hundred rupees they receive now for polls duty. They have made a worthy sacrifice and deserve a reward.