The presidential election is over but a bigger electoral fight is at hand for the country’s legislators whose turn it will soon be to go before the people and ask for a fresh mandate.
While almost all MPs in the present Parliament are likely to seek re-election, it is unlikely that many would be successful given the unprecedented political somersaults that have taken place since the Sixth Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was constituted on April 22, 2004.
The ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance, a coalition of the SLFP, the JVP and a host of other parties secured 105 seats at the 2004 general elections. Of this number, 39 went to JVP. The UNP secured 82 seats while the Tamil National Alliance contesting on the Ilangai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) ticket got 22. The JHU secured nine seats, the SLMC five and the EPDP and the Up-country People’s Front (UPF) one each.
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| Lakshman Seneviratne |
Vijitha Herath |
Mahindananda Aluthgamage |
Nimal Siripala de Silva |
However, soon the SLMC and the CWC MPs who had contested on the UNP ticket joined the government giving it a clear majority in the 225-seat parliament. But that was only the beginning of the crossover phenomenon that has plagued this parliament from the inception.
All nine JHU members ended up supporting the government while 24 UNP members also crossed over to the government side. Adding to these crossovers was the JVP split which saw Wimal Weerawansa and 11 other MPs breaking away from the party and supporting the government.
The number of crossovers from the government side to the opposition was an insignificant few. They were Mangala Samaraweera, his trusted lieutenant Sripathy Sooriyaaracahchi who was killed in an accident, Wijedasa Rajapaksa and Arjuna Ranatunga.
Ironically, six years ago when the JVP put its weight behind the UPFA government and subsequently behind the presidential bid of Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2005, it would have least expected to be the bad guy in the eyes of the government members that it has become today.
On Friday when the extension of the state of emergency was taken up for debate, it was the JVP that was at the receiving end of the most uncomplimentary words from government members, particularly Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage who had no qualms about referring to some JVP legislators in the most derogatory terms and writing off their chances of returning to the House as MPs again. “Now some of you will have to go back to driving the garbage trucks in Kantale like before or end up picking pockets at bus stands in Anuradhapura,” he said making pointed references to two JVP members.
The loquacious politician also asked the JVP members to spend their last few hours in the House enjoying facilities such as subsidised food and drinks and free telephone calls. “I challenge the JVP to win one seat in the next parliament,” he said.
JVP Parliamentary group leader Vijitha Herath said there was no freedom for the people even after the defeat of terrorism. “The state of emergency was in force to defeat terrorism but it has continued for eight months after the defeat of the LTTE. Today it is used to destroy media freedom and suppress political opponents. Instead of using the opportunity to rebuild national unity after the end of the war, the government is once again arousing communalism in the country,” Mr. Herath charged.
He was particularly critical of the circular sent out by the Defence Secretary – a circular that imposed a ban on the media to report any military-related news unless they had his permission or the news came from the military spokesman.
“What ethical or legal right does he have to issue such rules? When fools get power, it is akin to a horse getting horns,” he said.
The government side also came under fire from UNP Badulla district MP Lakshman Seneviratne who said that post-election violence against his party supporters had reached a disturbing level. He accused the police of doing little or nothing to arrest the culprits.
“The government carries out a campaign called ‘mathta thita’ but its drunken goons attack the houses of our supporters, beat them up and even prevent their children from going to school,” Mr.Seneviratne charged.
The opposition allegations of election malpractice at the presidential poll also figured in Parliament with Kurunegala district UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera producing two ballot papers which he said were ones that were marked for the opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka but were tampered with and marked as rejected.
Such allegations of tampering at the election were dismissed by House Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva who said that having lost the election, the opposition was resorting to cheap tactics to devalue a great victory achieved by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“If there was fraud, the opposition can file an election petition. The first person we will call as our witness will be Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe because he has gone on record saying the election was free and fair,” Mr. de Silva said.
Now with another election round the corner, what must be foremost on the minds of MPs, particularly those who have changed sides, is how to convince voters that their crossover decisions were influenced by their desire to serve the country and not for personal benefit such as ministerial portfolios which most of them now enjoy.
For those who haven’t changed sides too, it is likely to be an uphill task given the appalling standards to which the behaviour of MPs have descended in the past six years and the disillusionment of the public at large with the performances of their elected representatives. |
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