President to CWC: Sign MoU or go

By Chris Kamalendran

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has asked the Ceylon Workers’ Congress to enter into a permanent political alliance with his ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party. The move, intended to prevent the CWC from switching allegiance during elections, was proposed to the CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman, during a meeting in Nuwara Eliya.

The CWC was a constituent partner in the Government, with Mr. Thondaman holding cabinet portfolio and two members holding deputy minister portfolios. They resigned their positions on August 2 following a dispute with the President’s Senior Advisor Basil Rajapaksa. Since then, they have not returned to their offices but declared that they would continue to support the Government.

President Rajapaksa told Mr. Thondaman that the CWC could not remain in the Cabinet and withdraw at its will. Hence, he said there was a need to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding where the CWC could contest elections together with the SLFP.
The move has triggered off a heated debate in the party with sections sharply divided.

CWC Vice President R. Yogarajan is strongly opposed to the move. He is said to believe that the offer is intended to stall an alliance with the opposition United National Party (UNP) during elections. He has said the Government's popularity had rapidly declined and hence there was no need for the CWC to prop it up by entering into any pact with them.

The party's policy making body is yet to make a final decision. Mr. Thondaman has gone abroad after the meeting with President Rajapaksa. Another move that has angered the CWC leadership is the takeover of 25 acres of land where former deputy Minister Muthu Sivalingam was cultivating tea. The land belonging to the state had been obtained on lease by him.