Political Column

Political Column

CBK woos UNP again
By Our Political Editor
Tourism Minister Anura Bandaranaike has worn many a hat during his 28-year-long fledgling political career. In equal measure, he has made many a remark whilst holding one office to utter just the opposite in another.

But in fairness to him, one thing has to be said. He is a principled politician. Whatever utterances he made he was always loyal to the side he represented at the time of speaking. Unlike some other politicians, he never got into trouble kicking into his own goal or that of his own side. That was not one of his traits.

So it was not surprising when he asked Australian Prime Minister John Howard to "go mind your own damn business." All because the International Democratic Union (IDU) under the chairmanship of Howard had unanimously adopted a resolution during their annual sessions in Washington D.C. calling for a presidential election in Sri Lanka in 2005. "As a Sri Lankan, apart from being a senior minister of the Cabinet, I find Prime Minister John Howard's statement to be obnoxious, highly provocative and an absolute interference in the internal affairs of a friendly country." He also had a word of caution for Howard: do not tread in areas where angels fear.

That was our angel, Anura Bandaranaike speaking as a Sri Lankan, a Cabinet minister of the UPFA Government and even as the younger brother of the President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. His sister, who is insisting that the Presidential poll would only be held in November 2006 would no doubt be pleased with the brother's remarks.

But what of the Anura Bandaranaike, a parliamentarian in the United National Party (UNP) do in 1999?

He was a guest of the same John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, at the IDU annual sessions in that country. Accompanying him was UNP deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya. What is wrong in enjoying Howard's hospitality or the choicest of Australian wines?Well, what followed in March 2000 was a meeting of the IDU in Colombo. Bandaranaike was among the UNP Parliamentarians who backed a resolution then calling for "free and fair elections" in Sri Lanka. There is nothing wrong, one would say. He endorsed the resolution when he was in the UNP. Now, he is opposing presidential elections in 2005 because he is in the UPFA. That is Anura Bandaranaike.

The cause for all this political brouhaha was a news release put out by the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in Sri Lanka titled 'World Political leaders Unanimously Adopt Resolution Calling for Sri Lanka Presidential Elections in 2005."

First to the text of the press release: "Under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister, John Howard of Australia, the International Democrat Union (IDU) unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the Sri Lanka Presidential election to be held in 2005.

"The resolution stated: The IDU expresses its concern at the attempts made by the Government of Sri Lanka to postpone the presidential election scheduled for this year. The IDU supports the efforts of the UNP and other democratic organisations to ensure that the sovereignty of the people is upheld and the people of Sri Lanka are able to exercise their franchise for the election of a President of the Republic this year.

"Party leaders from 26 countries, including three Prime Ministers participated at the meeting. This included the Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, Chairman of the US Republican Party Ken Mehlman and British Conservative party Chairman Liam Fox. Those endorsing this resolution also included the German CDU, German CSU, French Conservative UMP, the Spanish People's Party, Canadian Conservative Party and the Greek New Demokratica.... "

Even if Bandaranaike wanted Howard to mind his "damn business," there were many others in Sri Lanka who were wondering why the UPFA leadership was not minding their own. Of concern to them was the presence of Sri Lanka's Ambassador to United States, Bernard Gunatilleke when the IDU session was unanimously adopting the resolution. Not even the Australian Ambassador to United States, or for that matter, any other envoy was present in the hall. If Gunatilleke was present, did that mean a representative of the Government of Sri Lanka was a party to that resolution. More so when Gunatilleke was registered as a delegate, perhaps the only diplomat among politicians. All other Sri Lankan delegates were members of the United National Party. Even if Gunatillke did not agree with the resolution, there was not a word of dissent or explanation from him. That certainly would be a business for the Government to mind.

There is more on the way. British Conservative Party leader Liam Fox is due in Sri Lanka to help the UNP in its campaign to have the presidential polls in 2005. The IDU is also helping by formulating a plan of action and the campaign tactics. In fact the IDU wants a global agenda to galvanise the right wing forces worldwide.

There is much more for the Government to mind. It was the "impartial" Norway's Foreign Minister, Jan Petersen, who is to become the leader of the IDU in September. Now that he has endorsed the call for Presidential elections in 2005, thus telling President Kumaratunga she was wrong in concluding it would be in 2006, what would the Government do? Would they fear to rush in like angels do?

Would they not want to tell the Norwegians that it is a blatant interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka? Or would they choose to keep silent like what they did when Co-chairs of the Peace Process in Sri Lanka heaped equal blame on the Government, as they did on the LTTE, for the spate of violence in the East? Was the equal share of blame justified or have the mandarins in the Foreign Ministry now realised they have no more role to play? Is the Peace Secretariat and its head Jayantha Dhanapala, now aspiring to be the Secretary General of United Nations, spearheading a new form of diplomatic perestroika in Sri Lanka?
But in Colombo, President Kumaratunga was doing all her best to coo and woo the UNP. During a meeting brokered by Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama, she spoke for nearly two hours with the UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema.

There was a minor distraction when Samarawickrema arrived at the Janadipathi Mandiraya for the meeting this week. Mervyn Silva, who had just been named a Deputy Minister was waiting to see Kumaratunga. He was en route to Kataragama and had wanted to collect panduru for an offering to the gods. Mervyn told Kumaratunga that the UNP leader was a "gnathiya" or relative.

So was Kumaratunga, he said only to be queried by the President as to how that was. He said he was a relative of the late Vijaya Kumaratunga, her husband.

With that over, Kumaratunga asked Samarawickrema why his party was asking for Presidential elections in 2005 when it was due in 2006. She said her lawyers (the names of two were mentioned) had advised her it was due only next year. To a query from Samarawickrema, she said they had not yet given their opinion in writing but were due to do so. She said till the Presidential elections next year, she could work closely with the UNP.
She was bitterly critical of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. She said it was very difficult to work with the JVP and she never wanted to do it. In fact she had conveyed through her advisor Mano Tittawella to UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe the need to get together since both sides faced a threat from the JVP.

Kumaratunga proposed that at least now her party and the UNP should formulate a Common Minimum Programme to create a better environment politically. Such a programme could focus on revision of polls laws, which some analysts said, was to sideline the JVP. The other was to amend the Constitution. Both were to teach a lesson to the JVP.

Kumaratunga said she had sleepless nights when the JVP was in the Government. She said she could not govern with them and they were trying to destroy the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. She said she would continue with the Government until the forthcoming budget but understood the compulsions of the UNP to oppose it when it came for approval. Soon after the meeting UNP leaders who were briefed by Samarawickrema wondered whether Kumaratunga was planning to have the budget defeated so she may go for a parliamentary general elections.

Two weeks before meeting Samarawickrema, Kumaratunga had castigated the JVP before her own Cabinet. She said during the 2004 parliamentary elections the Sandanaya had only secured a 100,000 vote majority. There was no need for the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to worry over the JVP. But a Minister who conveyed this to a one-time JVP Cabinet colleague was reminded that the margin, though regarded as small, was significant. That was how the bonus seats came to the UPFA.

Earlier during a visit to Anuradhapura Kumaratunga addressed a meeting of Provincial Councillors and politicians of the SLFP. She hit out at the JVP during this meeting too and asserted she will not leave any room for the break-up of the SLFP. She said some had wanted to form another Sandanaya and install their presidents in office. There were only a few families in Sri Lanka that had contributed national leaders. She said she would determine the next presidential candidate and not anyone else. Turning to an SLFP politician from the Trincomalee district, a staunch supporter of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, she asked why he was present there. Was it to carry tales? he was asked.

It is in this backdrop that Kumaratunga met Premier Rajapakse early this week. Issues included allegations against Rajapakse over tsunami funds being diverted to a separate account run by his henchmen, and the upcoming Presidential elections. Kumaratunga told her Prime Minister she would soon decide on a candidate for presidential elections. Such a person would have more than a year to launch a campaign.

But it seems the Commissioner of Elections is having the last laugh. They didn't allow him to retire when he wanted to. Now he's making them all pay for it.

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