11th January 1998

February 4th: is it one of those mirages?

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti, Our Lobby Correspondent

Nothing really changes in this paradise isle, despite the rhetoric of self-confessed serv- ants of the people. Apart from having been governed under emergency rule for 34 years, our motherland has waged war for 15 long years, with politicians giving impossible deadlines which are never met. And the previous year was no different.

At the dawn of a brand New Year, few things change yet, hope springs eternal in the human heart, and so Speaker K.B.Ratnayake made his customary appeal to the tunics in the House by the Diyawanna to improve on their record in the new year. Apart from being the first meeting for 1998, last Tuesday was significant to Mr. Dixon J. Perera who took oaths as a Member of Parliament replacing veteran LSSPer and Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Bernard Soysa.

Minister of Power and Energy and Deputy Defence Minister Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte moving the motion to extend emergency in specified areas said that the Northern polls would lead to restoration of civil administration.

While the opposition expressed its doubts about its success, the Minister expressed confidence on ending prolonged suffering of the masses by allowing them to elect their representatives.

Dr. Sarath Amunugama who opened the debate for the Opposition was uncertain about the merits of the polls. He said that the military offensive was absolutely politicised and the deadlines professed by the General were prone to constant changes.

"The war has escalated, and the citizens have a right to know the truth. Our troops are functioning under severe constraints. The General promised to link up the road to Jaffna by February 4th, and many find the theory incredible," he said, to which a smiling Minister replied that it was not yet the 4th.

Dr. Amunugama promptly remarked that it was not the 4th of March yet either.

Making his debut speech in the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka was newly appointed member for Colombo, Dixon J. Perera who expressed regret that he was unfortunate to enter Parliament by replacing incomparable Dr. Bernard Soysa, and pledged to fulfill the aspirations of the people-friendly politician.

Firing his salvos again in the House was UNPís General Secretary Gamini Atukorala who declared with vehemence that a future UNP government would not accept responsibility for the corrupt privatizations of the PA.

Accusing Minister Ratwatte of not furnishing details of all the incidents which occurred in December the UNP was able to confine terrorist activity to certain areas, yet owing to the PA's lack of foresight, Colombo has become another camp.

"Newspapers are questioning General Ratwatte's assets, and that is shrouded in secrecy. The common belief was that the Minster was extremely affluent. The fate of the Zimbabwe arms shipment was another mystery. Its agent has been detained yesterday but the PA has denied the ship's disappearance," he said adding that the Galle Port Development Project which started with much fanfare has brought no results. The President herself has admitted that the government has been misled. If this be true, Minister Ashraff should resign.

The bearded Kalutara Parliamentarian of the "Hela Urumaya" fame Tilak Karunaratne, the bearded MP of the "Hela Urumaya" was next questioning the sincerity of the government to resolving the ethnic issue..

"Three years ago, Minister Ratwatte extending emergency wished for the total lifting of emergency and the preservation of the unitary character of the country. But emergency continues, and the Political Package seeks to destroy its unitary character," he said.

Mr. Karunaratne recognised as a Sinhala hard-liner quipped that those who scoffed at the UNP for alleged mismanagement of war has handed the East to separatists on a platter.

"You cannot wage war by whimsically giving deadlines, for it defies time limits, specially when dealing with fierce militants of the LTTE brand. The LTTE has rejected the political package. It was the UNP which first devolved power, but this exercise must necessarily reflect the aspirations of the people, and should not be done on a racial basis. This would lead to separatism," he said.

In an obvious reply to the government's complaints regarding the UNP's lethargy regarding alternatives, he said that the UNP was not willing to give overnight proposals for it, and was not willing to be guided by the PA's agenda.

"The Northern elections are held to bluff the international community and to show the world that normalcy has been restored, though truth differed.. The electoral lists have been prepared last in 1985. If civil administration was re-established as the PA claims, it was easy to update lists he scoffed.

"Wishing for a national government for the common good of the country was former Transport Minister Srimani Athulathmudali. Making a wide-ranging speech, she noted that people looked forward to the day emergency would be finally lifted. On a critical note, she added that the PA has thought it fit to present the political proposals of the PA as government proposals without the NDUNLF's alternatives.

The NDUNLF opposed the package for it was detrimental to the country's welfare and effectively lead to separatism.

On the subject of the controversial locomotives tender, the composed member showed a rare streak of anger when she claimed that Alsthom has violated the tender specifications, adding that it was incomprehensible as to why the initial decision was revised, and honest public officials were called corrupt.

Another new entrant-and a vociferous one at that-Wijitha Wijemuni Soysa was next pushing his verbal punches at the UNP and accusing it of unpardonable sins.

"The barbaric UNP has conveniently forgotten its stained history and blamed the PA for a damnable heritage. They have conveniently forgotten the abuses of power, human rights violations, misrule and the unforgivable 1983 riots which pushed all Tamils to Prabhakaran's domain."

The member from Monaragala in a high pitched voice said that the UNP went to the extent of proscribing mainstream political parties and arresting opponents under emergency cover. Emergency was the terror rule applied to stifle the voice of the people and to perpetrate violence.

Defending Minister Ratwatte's valour as an able politician providing political leadership to the Northern offensive was Deputy Minister of Vocational Training and Rural Industries Chandrasiri Gajadheera who said that when the PA assumed office there already existed a de facto separate state of Eelam in the Northern peninsula.

"There were courts, post offices, transport systems, flags and the like for the LTTE , and it was only the PA which stuck its neck out to resolve the outstanding problem in a bid to usher in peace. The local poll was the only way to introduce civil administration to the area, letting the long suffering Tamils elect their representatives.

"We want to live like civilised human beings, not surrounded by corpses and bodies floating in the rivers. The terror must truly end," he said .

UNP parliamentarian Manodha Wijeratne, ridiculing the PA manifesto as a sacred document which should be recommended for its literary value, said that the war effort devoured a huge 52 billion, and Minister Richard Pathirana on every emergency day was seen canvassing support from its Tamil members for the continuity of this hung Parliament.

"Certain people were war-dependent for now it has become their source of income. They want the war prolonged. In lighter vein, he said that Minister Ratwatte posed with the soldiers in the North and became a General.

"If I decide to accompany the Minister there, I must be rewarded at least with the rank of Field Marshal," he said, to which Minister Richard Pathirane quipped that the request would be considered. On a serious note, the member said that the government has resorted to cheap tactics to avoid paying compensation to the war victimized soldiers by claiming that they have committed suicide. This was the worst insult to any valiant warrior who has paid the supreme sacrifice, he added.

Poking fun at the government for the "Jana Mandali" fiasco was UNP's fire brand Sarath Ranawaka . The MP who first gave a ball by ball commentary on the Rupavahini's interview to the House said that transparency has become a bad word in the minds of the people today, with Rupavahini Chairman and Director of Information managing the entire show-to the extent of rephrasing questions and asking them!

He accused the government of giving Lion Air a monopoly in operating in the Northern Peninsula thus enabling it to earn 70 million rupees annually. These monies could be saved if others were allowed to compete for domestic operations or using repaired Air Force flights.

It was surprising to see UNP's quiet Ali Zahir Moulana paying a back-handed compliment to the LTTE. He said that the minorities have been long suffering owing to secondary treatment meted out to the minorities in this country, and the LTTE was born as a reply to this oppression.

"This is called a war for peace, but the peace dove has already bled to death amidst artillery shelling. This war is being waged against the tender most feelings of the minorities by the majority. The LTTE is a symbol of minorities fighting for equal recognition and opportunities in this country," he said.

It was Minister Ratwatte concluding the day's proceedings who noted that the logic of an Opposition was always lopsided. The UNP was questioning the credibility of the government and dared ask whether the government was actually waging a war. The question was fair considering the fact that there never was a war during UNP rule, he said with mild punches at the UNP.

"There existed an unofficial state of Eelam then, with the government controlling only four camp areas, 171 km in land extent. Soldiers were not given training or the vital orders to fight. We had Operation Leap Forward to get soldiers to exercise their limbs before we headed for intense fighting." So the House has adjourned with hopes pinned on a course of establishing civil administration at the conclusion of the Northern elections-and incredibly few sittings planned for the coming months.

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