Political Column

Even if President Mahinda Rajapaksa had not tasked him as "peace envoy," Plantation Industries Minister, D.M. Jayaratne chose to meet his one time cabinet colleague Mangala Samaraweera to learn what had gone wrong.

Urban Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardene and Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana had already patched up differences between the President and re-appointed National Heritage Minister Anura Bandaranaike. Last Wednesday, Jayaratne met Samaraweera at the Parliament library for a chat.

Samaraweera's partner, former non cabinet rank minister, Sripathi Sooriyarachchi was also on hand. The outcome of the near 90-minute meeting was spelt out succinctly in a humourous anecdote by a Samaraweera aide. "The two of them meant to cry on DM's shoulders. But he (Jayaratne) wept on the shoulders of the two, instead" he said.

Managala Samaraweera was explaining the course of events that led to his expulsion from the Cabinet. That moved Jayaratne so much that he recounted his own experience. He said, soon after President Rajapaksa was elected after the November 2005 presidential elections, the post of Prime Minister was offered to Jayaratne through persons close to the President. Posters had sprung up in Kandy and other hill country towns that whilst the President was from the South, the Prime Minister was going to be from the Central Highlands. Soon after hearing the good news, Jayaratne revealed, he had to wake up a tailor that night to go to work on a new suit. He wanted to wear it for the swearing-in ceremony. But that never happened and he was left only swearing.

Samaraweera laughed. He told Jayaratne he was also being suspected as a Samaraweera ally. So was Chief Minister Bertie Premalal Dissanayake, and his son Duminda Dissanayake, who is married to Jayaratne's daughter. Jayaratne was visibly upset.

That same day, at Cabinet, Jayaratne asked President Rajapaksa, whether he was suspected of conspiring against him. The query came during a discussion on the sacking of the three Ministers. Government sources say Rajapaksa had been given a list of names, said to be supporters of the so-called Samaraweera-Bandaranaike-Sooriyarachchi kalliya (Group). A document handwritten by those close to the sacked Ministers was in the hands of the President. He replied that Jayaratne's name was not there, but that the list contained the names of some 22 parliamentarians and others, and it had included Jayaratne's relatives. Later, Dissanayake who learnt of this was angry. He held a news conference where he criticized Samaraweera's actions to show he had no truck with the former Minister.

On Friday, Samaraweera wrote an 11-page letter to the SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena where he slammed the party hierarchy for sacrificing all norms of proper conduct in the face of power and privilege.

He said that the need to reduce the number of cabinet ministers was a matter that Sirisisena himself agreed to, and even went to the extent of saying how shy he felt to be a member of such a large cabinet. Now he was in the forefront in attacking those ministers who were sacked for saying that.

He then went on to refer to certain MPs who were giving 'dead-ropes' to former President Chandrika Kumaratunga towards the tail-end of her term, foul-mouthing Mahinda Rajapaksa and going to the extent of not even voting for him, being in this clique criticising the dismissed ministers. The innuendo seemed very clearly aimed at a non-cabinet minister now bending backwards to please Rajapaksa, much to the latter's own amusement.

Samaraweera then took a swipe at someone whom he referred to as a person enjoying economic benefits like duty free shops at the airport, owning filling stations and operating arrack taverns, going on NGO-funded foreign trips, and boasting inside and outside parliament of their sexual prowess, as another unleashed to attack them.

UNP MPs who crossed-over were also referred to. "Those who used the 'Helping Hambantota' cry at the last presidential elections to throw mud at the President are also in the cabinet now, while those like him who helped Rajapaksa are being hounded by the party.

He then made a moot point. "Rather than throw mud at them, why is the government not making a substantive political reply to the charges he has raised?"

The Samaraweera letter goes on to explain to the SLFP General Secretary the importance of foreign affairs in the conduct of government, and specifically in the war against the LTTE, but towards the end of the letter he has a plug for his political mentor, Chandrika Kumaratunga by praising her as the leader who brought the SLFP back to the power after its crushing defeat in 1977.
Finally, Samaraweera says that"The SLFP is my life", and that he will never leave the party.

These developments came, as behind-the-scene consultations were under way by the Mangala group, both with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the United National Party (UNP). Talking to the JVP was Sooriyarachchi. He wanted to ascertain from the JVP the possibility of a joint approach on common issues. Similarly, Samaraweera's close associates have also been speaking with those in the UNP. Informal discussions also centered on the possibility of a motion to impeach the President. In the absence of a two-thirds majority, they were to ascertain whether a motion which would constitute a majority request would be entertained by the Speaker. Here again the question of mustering a majority remains a critical issue.

These informal exchanges also brought forth another matter that has caused some concerns in opposition circles. Contrary to all claims by Government leaders, some of them believe President Rajapaksa could still call a snap parliamentary election. One of them said Rajapaksa had consulted astrologers who have given him two auspicious dates, one on March 25 for dissolution and the other on May 17 for the elections. Adding to this speculation have been remarks by Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva in Badulla asking his supporters to be prepared for elections.

This week Samaraweera and close associates finalized a part of their media campaign. Radio Eka (or Radio One) is the name of a 24-hour news channel that will be launched by them on March 1. In addition, armed with a TV licence, Samaraweera associates have also been planned to start a television news channel. But the Government appears to have got wind of the move. The Media Ministry has now decreed that all those who are recipients of new TV licences should ensure their equipment is in place within 45 days. Samaraweera group, it transpires, are unable to have such equipment in place before the deadline.

Another test of strength for Samaraweera was yesterday, where a considerable crowd turned up. A public rally was held to mark his 18th year in politics at the Uyanwatte Stadium. The days ahead of the meeting saw clashes – with Samaraweera charging that some of his supporters were badly assaulted by masked men who came on motorcycles with no number plates.

The visit to Japan by President's Senior Special Advisor Basil Rajapaksa also took the centre stage. Tokyo had laid out a red carpet welcome for Basil. It came just days ahead of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to China next week. One of the issues raised by Foreign Minister Taro Aso during talks with Basil was the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka. Basil was to explain that human rights situation varied from country to country. Even in the United States, there were allegations of human rights violations. So was it in West Asia (the Middle East). He was of the view that the situation in Sri Lanka has been blown out of proportion.

Basil Rajapaksa also had a meeting with the Sri Lankan community in Japan. Some of those began raising questions on the JVP but he carefully avoided answering the controversial ones. One Sri Lankan close to a Tokyo Foreign Ministry official had asked why Basil was invited when there was a Foreign Minister and a Foreign Secretary in Sri Lanka. "He is the man who is closest to the President and thus plays a very important role in Sri Lanka. So we invited him to hear what he had to say," was the reply.

During Basil Rajapaksa's talks with Japan's Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi, he had acknowledged that the CFA had become ineffective. At the same time as this happened, in Colombo JVP's Wimal Weerawansa told Parliament that the CFA was now dead and called upon the Government to bury it. A melee ensued and some members of the Government benches wanted to move for a postponement for next day. That would have cut short the second day's discussion on the COPE report on corrupt activity in state institutions. Weerawansa then urged speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara to adjourn sittings for ten minutes. This was done and the House resumed.

But it looks like it is the COPE report that is being buried, with no fanfare on the part of the Government to show any particular interest in proceeding to punish Ministers who have plundered the country for millions upon millions of rupees together with some bureaucrats.

President gets list of 22 'Mangala' men