The Political Column

PA-NUA political ping-pong

The decision to propose a common candidate in Mr. Bandaranaike was taken after extensive talks between Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. According to reports, the ball was set in motion by Mr. Bandaranaike's sister, President Kumaratunga, was receptive to the suggestion that her brother be elected Speaker. It appears now that the death of Ms. Bandaranaike has strengthened this within the Bandaranaike family members, and bringing them closer.

Mr. Wickremesinghe told the prime minister that the UNP would propose the name of Anura Bandaranaike for the post of Speaker since he is a member of the UNP and the government could second it. But when it was pointed out that the tradition had been that it was the government side which proposed the nominee, the two leaders then agreed to jointly propose the name of Mr. Bandaranaike with the UNP seconding it.

Accordingly, Mr. Wickremanayake and Mr. Wickremesinghe proposed the name of Mr. Bandaranaike while John Amaratunga of the UNP seconded it.

Political analysts say Mr. Bandaranaike as the Speaker could play a unique role in bridging the politcal gap between the UNP and the PA in crucial issues.

With a very slim majority in parliament, will President Kumaratunga achieve her goal of introducing constitutional reforms? The answer to that question rests on a slender thread. However the UNP and the PA are now trying to sign a memorandum of understanding to work together for two years. That move comes in the wake of attempts by minority parties which try to hold the government to ransom by putting forward long lists of demands.

The go-between in this exercise was UNP's Tyronne Fernando who held extensive talks with Premier Wickremanayake and UNP leader Wickremesinghe.

The UNP's conditions for its cooperation were that the government should introduce independent elections, police and public service commissions within one year.

As things stand today, meeting these demands would not be a big problem for President Kumaratunga. A senior government source told this column that this PA-UNP thaw would only be a working arrangement and not a move towards forming a national government.

UNP sources, meanwhile, said they would not expect any gains in return for their cooperation other than what was needed by the country. "We do not need any portfolios or positions; we want only those independent commissions which would strengthen the democratic process which has shown signs of erosion during the past elections," a UNP analyst said.

It is increasingly becoming difficult to hold free and fair elections in Sri Lanka, especially after witnessing the type of violence and malpractices at the elections in the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts. 

Many observers still wonder how the PA won the UNP bastion of Nuwara Eliya, especially the Hanguranketa electorate where the PA polled 30,000 while the UNP got only 10,000. 

The fervent hope of the people of this country is that there should be a level-playing field for everybody, be it the PA, the UNP or any other party. Their hope is also to have equal status as countrymen and equality before the law and nobody should be above the law.

If the PA and the UNP can work together, there would be a collective sigh of relief from all those Sri Lankans who yearn for peace and greater economic growth.

Another person who advocated a national government was NUA General Secretary Rauf Hakeem. He was thoroughly disappointed and disturbed over what happened in the Kandy district on the election day. 

Following reports that supporters of a VIP politico of the ruling party were planning to cause havoc in the district on the polling day, Mr. Hakeem telephoned the Central Province Deputy Inspector General Sirisena Herath — an officer with a reputation for integrity. But in Kandy district he came under pressure from this VIP politician not to interfere in matters connected with the elections. When Mr. Hakeem inquired DIG Herath told him that he was aware of the situation which was bursting at the seams. 

Thereafter, Mr. Hakeem decided to write to the President a letter giving details of planned operation by this senior politician to stuff boxes. Though 80 officers of the Special Task Force had been deployed to maintain law and order, the Kandy police came under heavy pressure not to deploy them. This was taken seriously by the politicians of the PA and the UNP as well.

When Mr. Hakeem's letter reached the President, she immediately called him on his cellphone and assured him that everything possible would be done to ensure a free and fair election. The President told Mr. Hakeem she would be sending a special team to monitor the situation and for Mr. Hakeem's security. Mr. Hakeem told the President that if there was no free and fair election, it would not be possible for him to be elected from the Kandy district.

Though the government took all necessary steps, the operation planned by the politico got underway, but with several impediments. The Special Task Force which was deployed to ensure law and order played a vital role in arresting those who violated election laws and tried to create chaos in and around polling booths. In short, it satisfied Mr. Hakeem. But the organised gangs went berserk in some areas stuffing boxes which compelled the Elections Commissioner to annul the polling of nearly 22 booths in the Kandy district later.

Soon after the elections were over, Mr. Hakeem came down to Colombo and held discussions with both UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Kumraratunga. Though Mr. Hakeem persuaded both leaders to form a national government, they were not keen at that stage. It appeared to Mr. Hakeem that there was much mistrust between the two parties.

At the meeting with President Kumaratunga, she requested Mr. Hakeem to extend his cooperation to form a government. "I have got a larger mandate, let me try first," the President told him. The President's programme was national reconciliation with constitutional reforms and she wanted the NUA to help her to form a stable government. "If it failed then we can consider forming a national government and she indicated that she could not totally depend on the UNP."

When Mr. Hakeem met UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, the latter tried to convince him that he had sufficient numbers to form a government. But Hakeem told Mr. Wickremesinghe that the gap between 89 and 107 was a fairly big one and added that his priority was to form a national government. Though the UNP had conditional support from the JVP, Mr. Hakeem warned him that some parties might try to remote-control the government. He pointed out how the JVP pulled its strings in the Western Provincial Council.

Mr. Hakeem told Mr. Wickremesinghe that first of all he should be convinced that the UNP could form a stable government. Though Mr. Hakeem proposed to set up a national government, Mr. Wickremesinghe was not keen.

However, the UNP did not give up the idea. The UNP delegated powers to Chairman Karu Jayasuriya and several others to explore the possibility of forming a government. Mr. Jayasuriya was soon in touch with the JVP, which was willing to consider offering qualified support for one year provided that the independent police, elections and public service commissions, be set up. Mr. Jayasuriya also contacted the TULF which put forward a condition that it would not be possible to work with the EPDP. It also demanded that the new government should declare a cessation of hostilities in the North if the UNP wanted its support to form the government.

The UNP which was keen to form the government with only 89 members was working in the numbers and wanted to move into NUA one by one. The UNP made a special request to the NUA politburo that its Colombo district leader A.J.M. Muzammil should not be included in the talks because he was not considered to be well disposed to the UNP.

The UNP tactfully moved towards the politburo members close to Ferial Ashraff in a bid to persuade her to support the UNP.

Until the final result in the Kandy district was announced, the PA leaders were of the view that they would be able to form a government with the help of the NUA. 

SLFP General Secretary S. B. Dissanayake told the state television that the PA would have a working majority in parliament with their 109 seats and the EPDP's five, forgetting to mention the contribution the NUA would make.

A NUA member telephoned Prime Minister Wickremenayake to complain about Mr. Dissanayake's statement. Mr. Wickremanayake immediately got in touch with Minister Dissanayake and advised him not to make statements that would harm the PA-NUA coalition. But when the actual results were announced and the PA has got only 107 seats along with EPDP's four seats, the PA leaders realized that they had fallen short of the necessary number and serious talking began with the NUA seriously.

The negotiations between Mr. Hakeem and President Kumaratunga lasted for few hours on several days. There, Mr. Hakeem made several demands which included two ministerial portfolios, five deputy ministers and several diplomatic assignments. He told the President that as promised the NUA had delivered 12 seats to the PA to form a stable government and in turn requested that their demands be considered fairly and judiciously.

Mr. Hakeem, however, had an axe to grind with the PA owing to PA's failure to appoint him as the Ports Minister following the death of NUA leader and Minister M.H.M. Ashraff. 

However, the President expressed her reservations on the demands made in the memorandum of understanding and did not sign it.

Thereafter, the President made a surprise visit to Ms. Ashraff at her Stanmore Crescent residence. Ms. Ashraff pledged unconditional support to the President. The President told Ms. Ashraff that the NUA should not make unreasonable demands since she had to accommodate a broad coalition, comprising the EPDP, MEP and two groups of the UNP rebels in addition to PA constituent parties. 

Whereupon Ms. Ashraff told the President that her prime objective was to bring peace to the country and ministerial portfolios and other positions were secondary matters. She also said she was not pressing for anything other than to take the initiative to restore peace in the country. After this meeting, the events in the NUA took a sharp turn with Ms. Ashraff summoning a meeting of the NUA parliamentary group. Mr. Hakeem and another parliamentarian from the East, M. Athaulla, were not present at this meeting.

Some members asked Ms. Ashraff, who presided over the meeting from behind a screen and addressed it over a megaphone, as to why Mr. Hakeem was not invited to the meeting. Ms. Ashraff telephoned Mr. Hakeem who replied that he was not in a position to come there at that stage. On an earlier occasion, Mr. Hakeem had an argument with Ms. Ashraff over the appointment of one Nazeer Ahmed on the national list of the NUA. Ms. Ashraff was adamant that Mr. Ahmed should be appointed since he had been the choice of the late leader. But Mr. Hakeem rejected this claim since he did not have regard for people who he believed were trying to buy over the party using their financial power.

The telephone conversation led to a further argument between the two leaders. Mr. Hakeem felt that certain people were manipulating people and events behind his back and using the isolation of Ms. Ashraff. Later, the matter was resolved with the intervention of senior lawyer Faiz Mustapha who shuttled between Mr. Hakeem who was residing at JAIC Hilton and Ms. Ashraff.

Later, on Wednesday night, NUA MPs who attended the meeting with Ms. Ashraff were willing to go along with Mr. Hakeem when they met with him. Mr. Hakeem told them he needed a letter signed by all the members appointing him as a group leader of the NUA which was later sent to the Speaker and the President. All the members including Ms. Ferial Ashraff signed this letter before Mr. Hakeem went to parliament on Wednesday.

It is also reported that in a subsequent discussion held between Mr. Hakeem and President Kumaratunga certain matters were agreed upon including a key portfolio. Mr. Hakeem had reportedly asked for the Ports portfolios held by Mr. Ashraff. However, highly placed sources said the President had refused to yield and instead offered the Trade and Commerce portfolio. But when Mr. Hakeem reminded her of Oluvil port which Minister Ashraff wanted to develop in the East, the President had agreed to annex Shipping Development with Oluvil port as a subject for the NUA.

In a subsequent conversation with Ms. Ashraff, Mr. Hakeem pointed out that the government had agreed to allocate a key ministry for the NUA. When the ministries were mentioned, Ms. Ashraff had reportedly told Mr. Hakeem that she would like to have the shipping development portfolio, but Mr. Hakeem did not agree. 

Mr. Hakeem apparently feels uncomfortable with Ms. Ashraff's demands as she has little experience in politics. On Thursday when the ministers gathered at the President's House to take oaths, everybody noticed there was a delay in Mr. Hakeem's arrival at the main hall where the swearing in ceremony was being held. It was later reported that Mr. Hakeem had learnt in advance that he was to be given the portfolios minus 'shipping development'. Mr. Hakeem then told Presidential Secretary Kusumsiri Balapatabendi that he was not prepared to accept what was given and had apparently walked out and taken a seat in the lobby. 

Later President Kumaratunga resolved the matter offering him the 'shipping and shipping development' portfolio which had by then been allocated to Reggie Ranatunga.

Mr. Hakeem later explained matters to Mr. Ranatunga to console him. Mr. Ranatunga later told the media that he acted with responsibility to save the future of the government. The ministers who were present on this occasion had a sombre look when Mr. Hakeem refused to accept his portfolios without trade and shipping. Though Mr. Balapatabendi tried to convince him that the matter could be resolved later, Mr. Hakeem was not prepared to accept it. Several ministers heard him say: "Bala, you can give all these ministries to Ms. Ashraff and have only one lady with you all. I am not interested." Thereafter, matters were resolved with the intervention of President Kumaratunga. Mr. Reggie Ranatunga then took oaths as the Minister without portfolio. 

Later in the evening, the state media announced that Mr. Ranatunga had taken oaths as the Minister of Food and Market Development. Minister Ranatunga told the media on Thursday night that he learnt about his ministry over the radio and that he had not taken oaths.

Mr. S. B. Dissanayake also appeared disappointed for having had his ministry pruned down to Samurdhi only. The Minister was relieved of his two ministries, namely, Tourism and Sports which were given to Lakshman Kiriella. However, later, Mr. Dissanayake was given two more portfolios — 'Parliamentary Affairs and Rural Development' to appease him. 

The most important question now is as to how the government will cope with the 44-member cabinet, the burden of which would finally fall on the taxpayers of this country.

In another related move, the memorandum of understanding which was scheduled to be signed by the NUA and the PA has now gone to Ms. Ashraff after President Kumaratunga had made certain adjustments to it.

It is learnt that the President has decided to reduce the number of deputy ministerships allocated to the NUA from five to three and this may give rise to another dispute between the PA and the NUA.

The President is apparently now in a position of greater strength in view of the UNP cooperation. 

The two major parties are expected to sign a MOU this week after the apex bodies of the UNP and the PA ratify it.

The UNP working committee will meet on Monday to further discuss the draft MOU which is being given final touches by a team of UNP legal experts.

It is said that several businessmen had taken this initiative and in particular a young entrepreneur in the tea trade, whose name is being mentioned in business circles.

Situation Report

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