Columns

• Reunion moves falter, Senaratne proposes UNP-SLFP joint  bid as ‘trial balloon’ but Sirisena faction not interested
• President softens stance in taking tough action against Rajapaksa  loyalists, while Ranil warns he won’t tolerate ginger groups

Any prospects for immediate re-unity between feuding factions of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) appeared dim on Friday but seemingly desperate behind- the-scenes moves continue.

President Maithripala Sirisena chaired a meeting of SLFP MPs and ministers loyal to him at the Presidential Secretariat and it exuded a conciliatory mood. Those loyal to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa did not turn up. He counts them as 55 MPs, more than the SLFP MPs loyal to Sirisena. Yet, Sirisena declared the SLFP will contest the local polls under its hand symbol. There would be no disciplinary action against the dissidents — and issues raised by the ‘Joint Opposition,’ he said, would have to be discussed separately.

Those remarks put paid to claims by UNP Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne that the SLFP and the UNP would field candidates together. He had in fact wanted to ensure that happens in the Beruwala electorate. He represents the Kalutara District where the electorate is located. It also drew a strong denial from SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake who said there were no such plans.

Some senior UNPers described Senaratne’s remarks as a ‘trial balloon’ to ascertain whether the SLFP’s Sirisena faction would turn to the UNP. This is in the wake of leading sections forecasting the possibility that Sirisena wants to lean towards them when his efforts to re-unite his own party received a lukewarm response from dissident leaders of the Rajapaksa faction. This did infuse a sense of euphoria among the UNP leadership since it has enhanced the prospects for election successes for the UNP. This is in marked contrast to fears that Sirisena’s SLFP may end up being a poor third — and even a fourth, in JVP strongholds.

Amidst talks of re-unity in the Sri Lanka Freedom Parry (SLFP) Leader of the dissident faction Mahinda Rajapaksa took time off to watch the CH –Kandy rugger match in Colombo yesterday. He was accompanied by wife Shiranthi. Minister Malik Samarawickrama Chairman of the United National Party (UNP) offers 'rata kadju' to the Rajapaksas. Pic by Amila Gamage

SLFP dissident leaders made clear to an interlocutor that a re-unity process would consume considerable time and cannot certainly take place before the local polls. One of them said the parameters within which such unity was possible would have to be first agreed upon. Thereafter, it would have to be endorsed by the ‘JO’ parliamentary group. It would then have to win the approval of other constituent parties in the ‘JO,’ he explained. Thereafter, there would be a tussle for selecting candidates, each jockeying to get their loyalists on the list.

Sirisena did some morale boosting at Friday’s meeting by telling those present that he had received many telephone calls. They were, he said, from Rajapaksa loyalists, who confessed they had been forced to keep away but had extended their support to him, albeit privately. True enough, among such callers would be those who were playing safe by keeping both sides happy until a ‘decisive’ moment arrives. But the fact that none turned up does raise questions that many are hesitant to return to the old fold. They are alive to the reality that grassroots level politics under Sirisena would change considerably and pose challenges to their own role. This is at a time when the coalition’s popularity is at a low ebb. Other sources also spoke of the entry of new interlocutors who were trying their own hand at SLFP unity.

The Sunday Times (Political Commentary) last week revealed how a last minute bid is being made to re-unite the feuding factions of the SLFP. Minister Susil Premjayantha, who was removed by Sirisena as the SLFP-led UPFA (United People’s Front Alliance) coalition General Secretary, has been at the forefront of some shuttle diplomacy between the leaders of the two factions. This week, Premjayantha acknowledged to confidants that progress had been lacking but vowed to pursue his efforts ‘for the sake of the party.’ However, developing political events are overtaking his initiatives.

With no unity in sight, Friday’s meeting focused only on one main issue. It is preparations for the upcoming local council elections. The Sirisena-led SLFP will now finalise its own list of candidates. It was only week’s earlier Rajapaksa loyalists were dumped as electoral organisers. Now, there appears to be a dearth in some areas. Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga had to be pulled out of virtual retirement to be the Attanagalla organiser. There was heavy flak for the appointment of the Anamaduwa organiser who acquired notoriety for getting a teacher to kneel down before him some time ago. He is still serving a suspended sentence for his crazed act. So much so, Friday’s meeting discussed launching a membership drive. This will only mean more Rajapaksa loyalists having to make way for Sirisena supporters. There was a temporary respite in the removal of such organisers in electorates until Friday’s meeting. This will see a further exodus of sorts to the Rajapaksa faction, officially, once implemented.

Yet, Sirisena told his MPs that no disciplinary action was being contemplated against those backing Rajapaksa — a marked contrast to earlier weeks where they were warned vigorously of consequences. It indicates uncertainty on how to deal with the problem — a blow-hot-blow-cold approach. Echoing this view, UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera told the Sunday Times, “The discussions on Friday were fully focused on the preparations for the upcoming local elections. The ‘Joint Opposition’ members were invited for the talks on several occasions, but they did not turn up. At the meeting we discussed that we would contest under the SLFP symbol. The ‘Joint Opposition’ can join us at any moment and contest with us. However, if they decide to contest on their own they can do so too. We will not obstruct that.”

Though Amaraweera refers to the ‘JO’ it was only SLFP members of the Opposition who were invited for Friday’s meeting. This is the first time he said “the ‘JO’ can join us – an invitation in effect to other partners of the Opposition grouping too.

Added Deputy Transport Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna: “President Sirisena said that there will be only a limited time of 60 days for the campaign. We discussed how we will get about with our organisational activities and strengthen the newly appointed organisers. We also discussed about enlisting more members to the party. The President said that at the upcoming discussions the progress made also should be reported.

“There were questions raised about how the ‘Joint Opposition’ could be brought together. The general agreement was that if any members of the ‘Joint Opposition’ were interested they could support us. The President noted that there was no necessity to take any action against the ‘Joint Opposition’ members. The issue about the conditions placed by the ‘Joint Opposition’ should be discussed separately. The President said they should try and get the support of other parties as well.”

That the SLFP has been placed in a dichotomous situation by the en masse absence of Rajapaksa loyalists is quite clear. Ahead of Friday’s meeting, the mood among the leaders was to act tough on the dissidents if they did not turn up for the meeting. This was why legal opinion was sought before letters were sent out to the dissidents inviting them. In what seemed a counter response, again on legal opinion, the Rajapaksa faction MPs took up the position that they did not receive such letters thus considerably negating grounds for disciplinary action. Rajapaksa himself said that invitations can’t be sent at the last minute either.

This no doubt is a serious dilemma for Sirisena and his loyalists. The conciliatory mood last Friday, in marked contrast to previous occasions, underscore their predicament. Whilst fielding candidates from the SLFP at the local polls, the Sirisena faction has to move forward without the support of the Rajapaksa faction. If that was bad enough, making it worse is the fact that the Sirisena faction would also have to contend with another front, the UNP, its coalition partner in the Government.

The SLFP is going it alone, conscious of all the odds it faces including the prospect of losing badly. That the Sirisena faction did not turn to the UNP is also significant by itself. Here in lies the cause for all the tensions within the SLFP. Sirisena loyalists accuse their coalition partner, the UNP for the ill effects on the Government. Whilst the cost of living has been rising to unprecedented levels, they complain, the public allegations of rampant corruption in ministries were bringing the Government, particularly the SLFP, a bad name. The problem was that their own track record when in Government from 1994-2015 was anything but clean.

They have claimed that they were finding it difficult to visit their electorates since this was one of the main woes of their supporters. On the one hand, they were being accused of dancing with the devil (UNP). On the other hand, SLFP Ministers with Sirisena were afraid of being prosecuted over alleged wrong doings under the previous administration.

Paradoxical enough, one of the main public complaints is also the Government’s inability, contrary to pledges made during presidential and parliamentary elections, to deal with those involved in high profile cases of corruption. The surprise move to arrest Gamini Senarath, Chief of Staff of the then President Rajapaksa and three others, also ruffled feathers in some Government quarters at the highest level. Detectives of the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) want to arrest Senarath but have not been able to track him down. Clearly, he had prior information of moves to arrest him. Hence, detectives filed a motion in court impounding his passport to prevent travel abroad. At one time, he is alleged to have been at the residence of a UNP minister who is from the south. There was speculation yesterday that Senarath would surrender this week to court.

More so, Sirisena discussed with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe a gamut of issues during a one-on-one meeting last Monday (October 30). The lengthy meeting was joined in later by Minister Malik Samarawickrema, who is also the UNP Chairman. Fuller details of what transpired are not clear. However, a source familiar with the talks said a wide range of issues figured. They included the upcoming local polls, rising cost of living, relations between the two coalition partners among others. Sirisena is on record saying that the SLFP would determine its own political course by December this year. This is in the backdrop of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two coalition partners coming to an end in August. The December dateline being given so that the Budget be passed and the Government has the funds to function for 2018.

Just the day after the meeting, on Tuesday night, Wickremesinghe chaired a poorly attended meeting of the UNP parliamentary group. He frowned on his party MPs for forming ‘power blocs’ within the party and said he would not allow them. If anyone wanted to take part in such meetings or other events as a caucus, he said that they should first obtain his permission.

He was alluding to a group of some twenty UNP parliamentarians gathering at a resort hotel in Tangalle to spend a weekend a fortnight back. The event had been organised by former Finance Minister and then Foreign Affairs Minister, Ravi Karunanayake. Some of the MPs, it was reported, had been critical of coalition leaders and had made adverse comments. The Premier said he had been out of Sri Lanka when the meeting by a group of MPs took place. Otherwise, he would not have allowed that to happen.

Wickremesinghe said in the past too there had been ‘power groups’ within the party — for example the so called ‘Ginger Group’ which functioned in the mid-1960s. This was a team of young backbencher MPs who voiced strong views against some of the workings of the then UNP Government. After the meeting ended, the Premier entertained the MPs who had come for the meeting to dinner. The meeting was attended by around 25 MPs. Sections in the UNP query whether Sirisena raised issue over the Tangalle meeting during talks with Wickremesinghe since he has also been the subject of criticism there. It has centred on the resignation of Karunanayake following disclosures made before the Commission of Inquiry probing the Central Bank bond issue.

UNP parliamentarians, including those who took part in the Tangalle meeting, did urge Sirisena during a recent meeting to re-instate Karunanayake to the Cabinet. The President replied that he had not asked him to quit his post. Premier Wickremesinghe, the UNP leader, who has assigned an office in ‘Temple Trees’ for Karunanayake has since named him to the ten member UNP nomination board that will select candidates for the local polls. The former minister has also been directing a string of complaints against Attorney General’s Department counsel who grilled him before the Bond Commission. Letters have been sent out to the Chief Justice and the Commission.

Beginning today, UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim will chair meetings for five days to pick United National Front (UNF) candidates who will contest the local polls. In a new move, it will not only be the members of the Nomination Board that will participate, but also representatives of constituent parties like the Jathika Hela Urumaya and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. Organisers in the districts will be invited to come before the meeting and present their list of candidates for local councils in that area. Chaired by Hashim, other members of the Nomination Board are Malik Samarawickrema, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Ravi Samaraweera, Sajith Premadasa, Ravi Karunanayake, Thalatha Athukorale and Kavinda Jayawardena. Three lawyers advising the UNP have also been co-opted to the Board.

With the enormous challenge for President Sirisena who has shied away so far from conducting elections, a humiliating loss for the SLFP would have far reaching consequences. Although the local polls would place the UNP at an advantageous position in the light of the crisis within its coalition partner, it would be wrong to assume there are no pitfalls for the UNP. It would also have enormous challenges, and rely heavily on its ‘block vote’ to see it to the winning post. How many new voters the UNP has won over in the last two and three quarter years in office is to be seen.