EPDP leader Douglas Devananda was in the news during the past week as his party is embroiled in a crisis over the expulsion of two EPDP MPs.
Mr. Devananda took prompt action against these EPDP members, one of them working in the Jaffna peninsula after he received complaints that the MP had not carried out his duties properly.
When the two MPs who are brothers were in Colombo's EPDP headquarters, before Mr. Devananda left for an International Alert- sponsored workshop in Manila, he got them to sign two letters addressed to the Elections Commissioner tendering their resignation as MPs.
But soon after Mr. Devananda left for Manila, the two MPs left the EPDP headquarters and went to Madiwela where they are provided housing facilities, to live with their families.
The two MPs then wrote to the Speaker setting out the events that took place and the circumstances under which they signed their letters of resignation.
In short, the MPs stated that those letters of resignation were signed under duress.
They told the Speaker they were willing to continue as independent MPs.
So the EPDP leader is facing problems since the authorities are not sure whether they could act on letters of resignation submitted to the Elections Commissioner.
Meanwhile the People's Alliance hierarchy who are keen to increase their number of members in Parliament is trying to negotiate with these MPs to get them to the government benches.
But the latest problem faced by the EPDP is, that even if these members resign on their own accord, they would be minus one member in Parliament, since the next nominee on the list is a UNPer.
It should be recalled that at the 1994 General Elections the EPDP contested as an independent group in the Jaffna peninsula with nominees from the UNP.
The EPDP has a long experience in working together with the UNP .
In the meantime the UNP seems to have taken note of the present situation and is trying hard to get their member in, since it would be advantageous to it in the present political context.
But the EPDP has not yet given up its effort to get the UNP nominee on the list to resign, so that it would be able to appoint its own member.
However, EPDP is finding it difficult to locate the person concerned to initiate a dialogue with him.
The person concerned, a Mr. Sivaraja was a former UNP organizer, though he had given a letter to the EPDP leader year ago consenting to resign. He now says that letter is not valid any more.
Dialogue
The EPDP, also having learnt about the action to be initiated by the two MPs in the event they lose their seats on the strength of the letters obtained by Mr. Devananda, has tried to initiate a dialogue with them for a peaceful settlement where they could tender their resignations on agreed terms.
But the two members took a different position by Wednesday last week when they described Douglas Devananda as a despot.
The two disgruntled MPs, R. Ramamoorthy and R. Rameswaran have vowed to take legal and other relevant action if the EPDP moves to expel them from the party.
As it stands today, the EPDP would find it difficult to expel them from Parliament since it contested the 1994 General Election as an independent group. Thus the EPDP feels the best solution would be to talk to the rebel MPs and get them to resign on mutually agreed terms.
But Mr. Devananda's chances look bleak as the two MPs have come out with various allegations against the EPDP.
They say that the EPDP has taken over payments from the Ministry of Defence for the cadres employed in the North, but the benefit did not go down to the cadres. They also allege that the UNP had given the EPDP Rs. 2.5 million during the 1994 elections, but candidates had to raise their own funds for the election.
The two MPs make another allegation with the same intensity that their signatures had been used to get benefits for the party.
The EPDP rebel MPs who are ready for a long-drawn legal battle are staying in Colombo under the protection of an army officer.
It is learnt that they had also spoken to the EPRLF as well as the UNP about their political future.
In the opposition UNP, things appear to be unsettled after its crushing defeat in the recent local government elections.
At a meeting held at the Siri Kotha on May 2 to discuss the agenda for the protest meeting to be held in Siri Kotha against the Broadcasting Authority Bill, former Parliamentarian Jinadasa Niyathapala dropped a bombshell.
The meeting, presided over by party General Secretary Gamini Atukorale, was attended by the area organizers of Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts.
As Mr. Atukorale announced the purpose of the meeting, Mr. Niyathapala said "This shows your weakness where you are unable to organize anything outside the premises of the party headquarters."
Roaring applause
Mr. Niyathapala received a roaring applause and Gamini Lokuge had to explain matters to the audience as a damage control exercise.
Another vociferous participant said no outsider other than the rank and file of the UNP would attend a meeting at Siri Kotha.
"We must reach out to the people," he insisted.
However the decision to hold the meeting at Siri Kotha, the party headquarters was not changed.
At the Working Committee meeting held last week, Mr. Atukorale's efforts to build up the party fund was not given much recognition.
The Working Committee observes the need to launch a membership drive since last year's membership drive has not brought enough funds to the party.
They also decided to assign the task of co-ordinating these matters to Charitha Ratwatte.
At the same time, the party leadership proposed a crash programme to re-organise the party. According to the programme, it would be a ballot-box related re-organisation, taking each polling booth as its base.
It was also proposed that all elected members of local bodies to be put in charge of several polling booths for the purpose of re-organising.
Meanwhile, Daham Wimalasena will be in charge of elections and prepare all requirements needed at district and electoral level.
Properly speaking, these are all functions connected to the high post of party General Secretary, but it appears that the post is being gradually devalued by the party leadership by appointing various party loyalists to carry out these functions of the General Secretary.
The UNP Working Committee also decided to have a person at district level to handle elections independently. This is in addition to the District President, Secretary and the Treasurer. The Working Committee was told by UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to propose a proper designation to be associated with their posts.
The issue of K. Ganeshalingam was also discussed at length at the Working Committee where Susil Moonesinghe suggested that he be expelled from the party.
Some members argued that there is no point in keeping the vacancy open, and it could be considered that he had vacated his post.
They also pointed out that it was not necessary to wait for the Paul Perera Committee report since Mr. Ganeshalingam had contested against the UNP at the recent elections.
At this stage, General Secretary Gamini Atukorale said an interim report had been submitted to him by Paul Perera and that he called for an explanation from Mr. Ganeshalingam based on that.
"But there is no response", Mr. Atukorale told the Working Committee.
At this point Tyronne Fernando said a Treasurer should be appointed without delay. But there were different views when others said Treasurers should be appointed at local and district level. Susil Moonesinghe interjecting said that a person with an exposure to industry and commerce be made the Treasurer.
There is so much speculation about the post of Treasurer in the UNP, some think that it would be Mrs. R. Pulendran who was with the UNP for a long time, while others think it would either be Charlie Mahendran, a former Ambassador or S. Sharvananda, a former Chief Justice.
While most of the Working Committee members spoke of matters relating to the re-organisation of the party, former Minister Wijeyapala Mendis said the party should expose all acts of violence and large scale rigging sponsored by the ruling People's Alliance at the local elections.
The President on one hand embraces all the people who are responsible for these and on the other hand points a different picture to the people that she would not tolerate those who are involved in election malpractices. She blows hot and cold at the same time he said.
Most of the members of the Working Committee endorsed this view and agreed that the party should expose the PA "double talk."
Former Minister Dayaratne also made a valuable point with regard to the proceedings of the Select Committee.
He said Dr. G.L. Peiris has made several statements that some consensus was emerging in the Select Committee with regard to the demarcation of new boundaries to the Eastern Province carving out Sinhala areas from the East.
The statements made by Dr. Peiris are damaging as far as the UNP and national interests are concerned he said. The UNP members who participated in these proceedings should brief the Working Committee as to what takes place there.
Mr. Dayaratne's position was that they were groping in the dark as far as the Select Committee proceedings are concerned.
The UNP leader pointed out the UNP's original stand on the devolution package that the party would not concede to anything other than a constitution which has unitary characteristics.
Besides this, the return of UNP strongman former General Secretary, Sirisena Cooray to the country created a sensation among party supporters.
On his arrival, a number of Premadasa loyalists went to see Mr. Cooray. He was quite critical of Ranil Wickremesinghe's leadership in the UNP.
He felt that the UNP leadership did not want him back and some feel this because people like Sarath Amunugama, Gamini Atukorale and Susil Moonesinghe do not want him.
Some of Mr. Cooray's views were conveyed to the UNP leader the very next morning by a journalist who went to meet him.
On Tuesday evening, Mr. Cooray suddenly received a message to come over to the Presidential Commission probing election malpractices. Mr. Cooray who had to quickly find lawyers, had the help of former Lake House boss Sunil Rodrigo in the task.
Meanwhile in another development, MP Sarath Kongahage had a meeting with Mr. Cooray where he alleged that the party leadership was out to oust him and that a clique around Mr. Wickremesinghe was doing so.
Group meeting
At the group meeting held last week Mr. Wickremesinghe reacted indirectly and took swipes at Mr. Cooray.
It sparked off when Parliamentarian R. M. Ratnayake posed the question as to why the group was not given an opportunity to observe "Pansil" before starting the group meeting.
Mr. Wickremesinghe said it was not relevant at a meeting where the group was trying to discuss policies of the party and politics.
He argued that observing "Pansil" would be a futile exercise if they were to break all that soon after.
Mr. Wickremesinghe also reminded his party men that these things were not practised during the days of D. S. Senanayake, Dudley Senanayake or J. R. Jayewardene.
Though it looked as if Mr. Wickremesinghe was attacking President Ranasinghe Premadasa he apparently aimed all those salvos towards Mr. Cooray.
When the Group met on Tuedsay morning some of the members sensed that the Supreme Court verdict was not in favour of the government. The Leader of the UNP said the UNP was the first to challenge the Bill and that was because the Party realised the dangers of the Bill. Tracing the history of the Bill he said that when Tyronne Fernando was Minister of Information in President Wijetunga's Cabinet, he had sought approval of the Cabinet to establish a Broadcasting Authority. Mr. Hameed opposed it. Ranil Wickremesinghe who was then Prime Minister had sent a note to Tyronne Fernando requesting that the Cabinet Paper be referred to the Prime Minister's Sub-Committee and accordingly the Cabinet paper was referred to the Sub-Committee. Mr. Wickremesinghe said the Paper could not be finalised since Parliament was dissolved.
"Therefore, we have not fathered this Bill" he stressed. Nanda Mathew wanted a clarification as to whether this Bill was prepared by the UNP. "Surely you must know that yourself because you were a member of the Cabinet" replied Mr. Wickremesinghe. "Events have now overtaken all that now" remarked Mr. Hameed, perhaps referring to the Supreme Court conclusions which had been conveyed to the Speaker.
Susil Moonesinghe wanted to know whether the boycott of Lake House group of papers and the Rupavahini and SLBC still continued. He said he found that some MPs of the UNP were making statements and giving interviews, but when he made a similar request it had been refused by the Party and he wanted to know whether all in the Party were equal or whether some were unequal.
Mr. Wickremesinghe stated that with regard to the electronic media he had decided to examine each case and allow it on its merit. That was why he allowed Ronnie de Mel to give an interview to Rupavahini. Mr. Hameed suggested that similar approach should be followed with regard to the Lake House group of papers too.
Questions
Tilak Karunaratne raised questions about the three conferences that had been organised by International Alert for the MPs. He said he had many times referred to this organisation. No one knew from where it got its funds - of course he said most of the Scandinavian countries supported it, but he also alleged that this was supported by the LTTE. He said the Conferences are concluded by the issue of a declaration and the declaration is prepared by International Alert. MPs had already signed two declarations and he said the third one would support a Confederation for Sri Lanka. He maintained that MPs should not be allowed to attend Conferences organised by unknown sources. Mr. Kodituwakku, one of the MPs who had attended the Conferences said that Mr. Karunaratne had been carrying out a dirty campaign against these MPs who had attended. The MPs are responsible people and they cannot be misled by any organisation, he said. He did not think that MPs should be like frogs in the well. They should know what is happening internationally.
Mr. Karunaratne also raised questions on the validity of the accord signed by the President and the Leader of the Opposition and said the Working Committee of the UNP had endorsed the Accord, but up-to-date the PA ex-co. had not done so. He maintained that some day those in the PA might take up the position that they were not bound by the conditions laid down in the Accord and that it was entirely a document signed between the President and the Leader of the UNP. Mr. Hameed said he himself had raised this question in the Select Committee and he has had no reply. But he maintained that the conditions in the Accord and the contents were fully known to the country and it would not be possible now for anybody to go back on it.
Immediately after the Group Meeting, Mr. Wickremesinghe discussed with Mr. Hameed a proposal made by Vajira Abeywardena, Galle District MP, that Parliament should not sit on Wednesday as a mark of respect to Dr. Dahanayake who was a long standing Member of the House and also had been Prime Minister. Mr. Hameed contacted Government Whip, Richard Pathirana and both parties agreed. At the Party Leaders' Meeting, the Speaker announced that he had consulted all parties and they had agreed that the House should not sit on Wednesday as a mark of respect to Dr. Dahanayake.
A discussion took place as to when Parliament should pay tribute to Dr. Dahanayake. Mr. Hameed said it should be done straightaway but the government took up the position that there was no time to write to the members of the family and therefore more time was needed. Mr. Hameed said the few relatives could be contacted and it was agreed that Parliament would give priority to a Vote of Condolence on Dr. Dahanayake, which now will take place on May 29.
After the Group Meeting, the UNP MPs walked into the House wearing black bands to demonstrate their opposition to the Broadcasting Authority Bill. Minister Kingsley Wickremaratne walked into the same lift where Mr. Wickremesinghe, Mr. Hameed and some other MPs were already in. An inquisitive Minister inquired "why all these black bands?" One of the MPs replied "we are mourning Dr. Dahanayake's passing away" and John Amaratunga volunteered to give Mr. Wickremaratne also a band. "Don't put him into trouble" said Mr. Hameed, "he is a good Minister". "Yes, I think we should not do that" quipped Mr. Wickremesinghe.
When the Speaker read the Supreme Court verdict to the House the UNP group went in a procession to the Parliamentary complex premises sporting black bands and set fire to the Bill.
But in their haste they could not find copies of the proposed Bill, and instead they burnt Parliamentary order papers and agendas which were on their tables.
The government back-benchers were not very happy with what happened regarding the Broadcasting Authority Bill. They accused the government of keeping them in total darkness as far as the Bill was concerned.
They felt that they should have discussed the Bill at a government group meeting before it was gazetted even without the knowledge of key ministers handling the subject.
The MPs feel that the President had sidelined them and was working with a set of bureaucrats facing enormous problems at the end.
Some government MPs on Wednesday hinted that the UNP knew about the verdict of the Supreme Court in advance and they prepared themselves for a show outside the chamber of Parliament.
At the UNP Working Committee too there was a lot of jubilation and excitement at the overthrow of the Broadcasting Authority Bill. Mr. Wickremesinghe said the success was because the Party was alert and was able to move fast and challenge the Bill. K.N. Choksy's contribution was fully acknowledged and Mr. Wickremesinghe made reference to the contributions made by National List MP Mr. Jayamaha and Daya Pelpola.
Delegation
A UNP delegation also joined with the minority political parties on Friday to listen to their views on the current devolution proposals and the ethnic crisis.
It was a fairly important meeting for the Tamil parties since they want the UNP to understand their problems.
But it was felt that the progress of these meetings was very slow.
The TULF feels that the UNP was dragging its feet on many matters and especially TULF leader M. Sivasithamparam and others expressed their dissatisfaction over the progress of the meetings with the Opposition.
The UNP seems to have taken a very conservative line on these matters and perhaps to remain non-committal at this stage to as certain the political trends in the country.
However, the decision taken by UNP's Chief Minister Percy Samaraweera to strip R. Satchithanandan of his functions as the Minister in charge of Tamil Education and Hindu Religion has perturbed CWC leader S. Thondaman.
He sent a letter to Mr. Wickremesinghe setting out the case.
Mr. Thondaman said:
"I write to bring to your urgent personal attention the hasty and hostile action taken against the CWC by the Chief Minister of the Uva Provincial Council.
"As your goodself is aware, M. Satchithanandan was sponsored by the CWC as a candidate at the last Provincial Council election and won his seat with the highest number of preferential votes.
"Consequently on my recommendation he was given the Portfolio of the Ministry of Co-operatives, Trade, Tourism, Hindu Culture and Plantation Tamil School Services. The continued functioning of Mr. Satchithanandan in this capacity in the Uva Provincial Council is in consonance with the understanding between the CWC and the UNP. But as of 1st May 1997 Mr. Satchithanandan had been stripped of his functions relating to Tamil Education and Hindu Religion.
"I do not wish to speculate as to the motivation that impelled the Hon. Chief Minister of the Uva Provincial Council to engage himself in this course of action that has the effect of creating a permanent and an irrevocable rift between the CWC and the UNP.
"Our two organisations have co-operated with each other for nearly four decades during which we have been able to maintain our cordial relationship even during the most rough political periods.
"The taking away of these two functions from Mr. Satchithanandan has put the CWC in an extremely difficult position because we would be thrown on our own resources to demonstrate our anger, frustration and humiliation at this uncalled for and unwarranted affront offered to the CWC by the Chief Minister of the Uva Provincial Council.
"Before contemplating any other strategy in this regard I thought it is best to approach you personally for your intervention in the matter so that the functions removed from Mr. Satchithanandan's portfolio are reinstated.
Your continued co-operation in this regard is much appreciated."
The UNP has however not taken serious note of Mr. Thondaman's letter. In reply to Mr. Thondaman's letter, the UNP has said that the Chief Minister has the power to switch ministries of his Cabinet and that he had acted accordingly.
The letter
In a related development, Mr. Thondaman and the leader of the Up- country People's Front, P. Chandrasegaran had written to the Speaker that they would function as one entity in Parliament.
The letter addressed to the Speaker and signed by the two leaders reads thus:
"We write to advise you that we, the undersigned Leaders in Parliament of the Ceylon Workers' Congress and the Up-country People's Front have agreed to act in Parliament as a unified combination of the two Political Parties which we believe would best serve the interests of the constituents our two Political Parties represent.
"The combination of the Ceylon Workers' Congress and the Up-country People's Front in Parliament will act as the CWC Group under the leadership of the President of the Ceylon Workers' Congress, Savumiamoorthy Thondaman and P. Chandrasegaran will function as Deputy Leader. At the same time, however, each of our political parties will retain its own identity and would be free to act independently of each other, on issues that the two parties may not have reached agreement, outside Parliament.
We should be grateful if you would be so good as to take cognizance of this development and accord to the newly constituted CWC Group the status of one unified political grouping which will be known as the CWC in Parliament".
Now it appears that the CWC is engaged in an exercise to strengthen it in the hills and to regain its prestige after its defeat at the recent elections.
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