The current political trend and recent drawbacks have compelled the main opposition UNP to re-plan its strategy in a bid to consolidate its position for future elections.
UNP political advisors say the party should project a new image with new ideas, if it wishes to re-establish itself as the strongest political party.
They feel the party hierarchy should take immediate and meaningful steps to clean it up and project itself as a party rejecting corruption and committed to uphold democratic traditions.
A tall order indeed, given its record during 1988-89 reign of terror.
The UNP’s image tarnished by human rights abuses and corruption needs an immediate transformation, advisors say.
But the main obstacle appears to be the old guard which is not quite happy with this new thinking.
However, as an interim solution the UNP hierarchy took some decisive steps to give a facelift to the party at all levels.
Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s decision to meet all elected members of local councils and talk to them personally has perturbed some MPs and area organisers who wonder what is going on without their knowledge sources close to Mr. Wickremesinghe say his aim is to build-up a new network of village-level organisers. At the same time, the party leadership has also moved to suspend all area organisers to re-allocate the areas and to appoint new faces.
In the re-allocation process, the UNP will pay much attention to the Gampaha district, now a PA stronghold with the Bandaranaikes dominating the whole of Siyane Korale.
The only consolation for the UNP is the coastal belt in the Gampaha district which traditionally voted for the UNP in the time of the Senanayakes.
But the UNP knows it must re-take more areas in the Gampaha district if it is to challenge the PA there.
In one move at Mirigama, the stronghold of the Senanayakes, the UNP is likely to introduce Rukman Senanayake. The entry of Dudley Senanayake’s nephew comes at a time when some party leaders feel that Anura Bandaranaike has not proved his mettle in the Gampaha district though he still claims to have a formidable base in Attanagalla.
The other step in the clean-up process is the move to call upon Chief Opposition Whip and former Minister Wijeyapala Mendis to step down.
Mr. Mendis was found guilty by a Special Presidential Commission probing malpractices of the previous government.
The Commission has recommended that he be stripped of his civic rights.
Now it is reliably learnt that Mr. Wickremesinghe has requested Mr. Mendis to step down. Based on the report there could be a motion in Parliament to strip him of his civic rights and the motion will have to be passed by a 2/3rd majority to be valid and legal. Mr. Wickremesinghe wants to avoid an unpleasant situation in Parliament and that is why he has requested Mr. Mendis to bow out gracefully.
But sources close to Mr. Mendis say he is not likely to step down but will stand and fight.
Some UNPers are also asking whether party recognises Commissions as being lawfully constituted and whether it accepts recommendations or findings of such Commissions without any reservation.
Many UNPers feel the government is on a witch-hunt through Commissions and Mr. Wickremesinghe’s request to Mr. Mendis would amount to recognising the validity and impartiality of the Commissions. The sources want to know whether this would be the position in the future or would there be a case by case decision. They argue that such a procedure would be unfair and that if the party is to request Mr. Mendis to resign from Parliament, the rule must apply to all irrespective of the positions they hold.
The final decision on this matter will have to be taken by the UNP’s policy-making Working Committee. There again the members of the Working Committee are at the mercy of the party leader since they are appointed for one-year terms. Such is the dictatorial nature of the Sri Lankan political parties though they preach democracy in public.
In such a situation, the Working Committee is unlikely to take a decision which would lay down a general rule for all regarding findings of Presidential Commissions.
They will most probably want to take it case by case.
In a sense it seems there is little tolerance in what the UNP is doing.
In Susantha Punchinilame’s case he was suspended from the party until the courts gave a ruling in the Ellawela shooting case. Ironically, while he was suspended from the party, he still remains an MP with the UNP moving to obtain leave for him, as required by the Constitution. This question was taken up before the application for leave was made in Parliament. Some of the MPs like Rajitha Senaratne and Vajira Abeywardena, took strong positions in support of the move to get leave for Mr. Punchinilame. But Mr. Wickremesinghe and General Secretary Gamini Atukorale were known to have expressed reservations.
The UNP’s contradictory position is likely to cause major problems if it selectively takes measures against Mr. Mendis who had been with the UNP during its good and bad times.
At the same time, the party leader is also determined to go ahead with his plan to revamp the party whatever obstacles he may face in doing so.
Meanwhile, a so-called business meeting between UNP advisor Milinda Moragoda and President Chandrika Kumaratunga is known to have disturbed the UNP top brass.
Mr. Moragoda identified as a trusted lieutenant of Mr. Wickremesinghe had called on President Kumaratunga along with a Malaysian business delegation headed by the son of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed.
Mr. Moragoda reportedly acts as the local representative of this business consortium which has promised to invest in several projects in Sri Lanka.
The delegation which was given VIP treatment was provided with ministerial security by the government.
It was also revealed that Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte had released his official chopper for the use of this delegation for a fact-finding mission down south.
However, the delegation does not appear to have been impressed by the potential and facilities in the south for major investments.
The Malaysian team, however, expressed interest in investing money in the proposed Colombo-Kandy highway.
The UNP’s worry seems to be that the assurance given by the Malaysian delegation to invest money in major local projects could bring not only economic benefits but also political gains for the PA.
The irony is that the investment or at least part of it would come through Mr. Moragoda who is known to be in the UNP leader’s innermost circle.
Mr. Moragoda is the grandson of well-known banker N.U. Jayawardena. The Jayawardenas are known to be comfortable with any regime. NU’s son, Dr. Lal Jayawardena was once a key figue in the UNP administration but he is an advisor to the President on economic affairs. One remarked that Dr. Lal Jayawardena had proved to the establishment that he could convince even the worst critics of the governmetn that Sri Lanka is an ideal location for foreign investment and that there cannot be greater proof than the fact that he has convinced his nephew Milinda.
Besides this, the government is trying to establish strong links with Asian economic giants such as Japan and South Korea in a bid to promote investments in Sri Lanka.
So much so President Kumaratunga took the unusual step of hosting the outgoing Japanese Ambassador to a private dinner.
The President also accorded a right royal welcome to the President of the Daewoo Corporation of South Korea who was in Sri Lanka recently.
All this shows the government facing major economic problems, is going all out to get huge investments from Asia’s major economic powers.
Though the Central Bank statistics have indicated an upturn in the economy the benefit of such an improvement is not visible in practical terms.
So it is the responsibility of the government to take meaningful steps towards economic growth and pass on the benefit to the common man.
In actual terms making references to Central Bank statistics will not help any government since the common man is reluctant to believe these until he receives the benefit in practical terms. But Minister C.V. Gooneratne appears to be a firm believer of the Central Bank statistics. In a recent statement, the Minister said thus:
“In terms of the latest figures published by the Central Bank Sri Lanka has registered a remarkable improvement in its total industrial exports for January/February 1997 in comparison to the same period of 1996. In US dollar terms the increase is 20.8% and in Sri Lanka rupee terms the increase is 27.4%. Textiles and apparel exports have increased by 20.7%.
“Unemployment has declined from 843,000 persons in 1994 to 721,000 persons during 1996. According to the latest information from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey of the Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka’s unemployment rate had declined from 13.7% in the third quarter of 1994 to 11.6% in the third quarter of 1996. During the said period the total number of persons employed has increased significantly by 220,000, i.e., from 5.3 Mn. to 5.52 Mn. However, after taking into account the foreign employment figure of about 169,000 the total number of people employed during this period is 389,000. Another very significant achievement of the Sri Lankan economy is to be found in a report entitled ‘“Index of Economic Freedom 1997 compiled by the prestigious Think Tank - the Heritage Foundation of the USA together with the Wall Street Journal’. Sri Lanka is rated 27 out of 148 nations and is on par with Norway, Sweden and South Korea. This situation would facilitate the influx of foreign investment in a substantial measure. These details together with the significant improvement in the Stock Market are the results of the visionary and far-sighted economic policies of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
More than anything, it appears that Mr. Gooneratne is fighting for his job as the Minister of Industries claiming victories in the economic front.
Meanwhile, on the media scene, the government is planning to produce a TV series similar to the political satire “Always Breakdown” now shown on TNL.
The government, particularly the President, was reportedly angry after the muppet series portrayed the President along with her Media advisor. The government production which is meant to counter “Always Breakdown” will soon be telecast on ITN.
Though certain quarters of the government enjoyed this muppet shows, others were not happy about the references made to the late President Ranasinghe Premadasa. Even independent observers were of the view that the dead should not be insulted in this manner.
Former President Premadasa’s daughter Dulanjalee took this matter up with TNL Chairman Shan Wickremesinghe.
In a letter to him, Mrs. Dulanjalee Jayakody states thus:
“”To say the least, it is most degrading, amounting to rank indecency for a television station like yours, which claims to be ‘free and fair,’ upholding journalistic ethics, to telecast such a programme which attempts to ridicule and slur the image of a dead leader of a country. It becomes more repugnant when one considers that the subject of ridicule is a leader who has, without any doubt, done immense service to the country and the people, surpassing the services rendered by any other leader of the country.
“In this item on this particular programme, my late father President Ranasinghe Premadasa was depicted, through the medium of a puppet, as a man who is in hell, and who has descended on Sri Lanka uttering statements so has to degrade himself. The depiction of a “Babu” as a heavenly being before whom effigies of several politicians from the President downwards, are depicted appearing as puppets and was being told what a bleak future that holds for them politically, is to say the least, a height of absurdity and a crude form of a joke. “Babu” as everyone knows, is the alleged LTTE suicide bomber who assassinated President Premadasa.
“TNL seems to have conferred on itself the divine power of casting people to hell, (God save them from hell), leave alone a leader of a country who would surely be in heaven considering how he is revered by millions of people who have benefited from the multitude of programmes, projects, concepts he had brought into being and which are still much in vogue benefiting people of all walks of life what is most shocking and amazing is that this item depicting President Premadasa is introduced without justification of its topicality. It was simply a crude piece of satire which lacks coherence.
“What is more disgusting is that the image of the late President has being dragged into have jibes at politicians of the present government. I feel that ridiculing leaders, living or dead, in government or in opposition, in this puppet show, should be condemned by all.
“Though I might disagree on certain issues with the government and the opposition leaders hurling wild accusations by implication, going beyond limits of decency, of any person should be condemned. While certain personalities both in the government and in the opposition seem to enjoy a safe haven in this programme, some others seem to be picked out for ridicule.
“I am indeed more surprised that you, who closely associated my father, sharing his concepts and ideas, had thought it fit to put through such an item on TNL. It was my late father who paved the way for creation of independent TV channels - the TNL and the MTV. Be that as it may, if you are now not in a position to show your gratitude, the least you could have done was to conform to accepted ethic and norms, one should not try to insult leaders who are dead and gone and who cannot reply. The matter becomes more grave when those satirical comments are based on rank falsehood and on mere gossip.
“At a time when Sri Lanka is facing a grave national crisis via LTTE terrorism that is causing immense hardships and suffering to people, it would be unwise to demoralise the people and the nation by ridiculing past and present leaders of the country who have and who are making heroic attempts to solve this grave national problem. My father liberated the country from JVP terror and liberated the Eastern Province and certain parts of North from the LTTE when the country was faced with anarchy. He ultimately laid down his life for the sake of his people, and for the truth which as we all know is gradually coming to light.
“I do not know of any civilised media institution in any part of the world which tries to ridicule a dead leader of a country in this fashion.
In the field of minority politics EPDP leader Douglas Devananda created a stir when he claimed that an immediate solution for the ethnic crisis lies within the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
He made this known to western diplomats calling on them to ask the government to implement the 13th Amendment to give immediate relief to the Tamils who are suffering due to the ethnic conflict.
Minister G.L. Peiris learnt about this when he was in Japan and immediately on his arrival reported to the President on the latest development. The President directed Minister Peiris to have talks with the EPDP leader to sort it out.
Accordingly, on Sunday Minister Peiris met Mr. Devananda and asked why he was trying to put the government into trouble.
Mr. Devananda who explained the recent situation in Jaffna said that immediate relief could only be granted if the government set up the interim council for the administration of the peninsula. “Only the 13th Amendment provides for an interim council and people can’t wait for the package,” he added.
But Dr. Peiris said 13th Amendment had little effect.
He also said that under any circumstances this government would not agree to Mr. Devananda’s proposal to set up an interim council but promised that urgent matters concerning the people would be attended to.
After the discussion it was agreed that all Tamil parties should meet the President to resolve some outstanding matters. Meanwhile, the crucial talks scheduled for Friday on devolution have been put off due to the non-availability of the UNP.
The UNP made this move after having learnt that the minority parties are proposing to discuss the unit of devolution.
It appears that the UNP is reluctant to talk on the unit of devolution fearing political repercussions from the largely Sinhala Buddhist south.
In short, the UNP is likely to oppose the package and make the deliberations of the Select Committee only on matters of academic interest.
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