The Political Column

20th September 1998

PA playing Hema card

By our Political Correspondent

The UNP's move to have an all-party con ference for a free and fair election has not met with its anticipated success with key parties such as the CWC and SLMC boycotting it and the government saying the UNP is now losing its position as a credible alternative.

However, six small parties, including the EPDP, PLOTE, EPRLF and the EROS, participated in the conference to discuss ways of preventing rigging, intimidation and other offences at polls.

Ravi Karunanayake of the United Lalith Front also participated, reminding the UNP that the man behind the proposed independent elections commission, independent public commission and independent public service commission was none other than Lalith Athulathmudali.

Despite the setback, the UNP appears to be determined to go ahead with a second meeting to push his proposals.

But insiders say the UNP has been disappointed by its failure to persuade important minority parties such as the CWC, SLMC and the TULF, to join its fair-election campaign.

Does this mean that the minority parties are not impressed by the UNP's plea for free and fair elections?

Minister G.L. Peiris views the failure of the UNP conference as a victory for the government.

He told the post Cabinet media briefing that minority parties now did not see the UNP as a party capable of forming an alternative government.

He said these parties had faith in President Chandrika Kumaratunga but none other. Some attribute one reason for the failure of its conference to be the hectic campaign by Dr. Peiris to undermine it. A few days before the conference, he hosted a dinner for minority party leaders and reportedly told them not to play into the hands of the UNP.

He said the conference and even the unconditional talks with the LTTE proposed by the UNP were part of its plans to win minority votes and not in the national interest.

Meanwhile, the government is reported to be seriously considering the Northern Ireland model an example for a peaceful solution in Sri Lanka. But some analysts say it would be difficult to draw parallels because the LTTE and the IRA are fundamentally different.

Most Tamil parties are on common ground for regional autonomy, the difference being how to achieve it. While the LTTE is using the deadliest brand of terrorism the others are trying to achieve their goal by democratic means.

While the LTTE is seeking separation from Sri Lanka, the IRA is seeking union with the Republic of Ireland and greater Irish Unity. But other analysts point out the important lesson is not the Northern Ireland model but the spirit of commitment by all parties to the path of dialogue despite continuing threats and bombings by extremists.

One major drawback in Sri Lanka is that the UNP's position in resolving the ethnic crisis is not quite clear. It appears that the UNP is keen to fully implement and improve on the 13th Amendment for provincial autonomy rather than bringing in other constitutional reforms.

A close study of the UNP's alternative proposals, the final part of which was submitted recently, however indicate a position somewhere between the government proposals and the 13th Amendment.

The UNP, meanwhile, is consoling itself with the fact that at least some diplomats attended the conference and they could influence the government to take some concrete measures for fairplay at the next elections.

On that basis UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe appears to be determined to go ahead with the political agenda once he returns from a fund-raising tour of Los Angeles.

He met Chief Opposition Whip W.J.M. Lokubandara, Dharmadasa Banda and Tyronne Fernando before leaving on Thursday. They reportedly discussed upcoming parliamentary debates among other matters. The blame for the failure of the APC is being put on chief organiser Mahinda Samarasinghe. But some say he did a good job in getting NGO's and other groups to take part.

Persuading Sinhala parties, such as the JVP and the MEP, to attend was a task given to party Chairman Karu Jayasuriya. But he could not do it because those parties appear determined not to sit together with the UNP.

Some observers say it is in any event difficult for an opposition party to get a good response for an APC, mainly because of doubts that any decision could be implemented. One UNP MP pointed out how much time and effort had gone into the organising of the APC during the J.R. Jayewardene regime.

Though Mahinda Samarasinghe is at the receiving end the overall arrangements were handled by no lesser person than party leader Wickremesinghe himself along with Daya Pelpola from his Cambridge Terrace Office and General Secretary Gamini Atukorale's was reportedly aggrieved that he was only a passenger in the whole exercise.

It appears, that key UNP affairs are now being shifted from party headquarters Sirikotha to the opposition leader's office at Cambridge Terrace office where Charitha Ratwatte and Daya Pelpola are entrusted with greater responsibility.

Meanwhile most analysts also feel the UNP's proposal to talk to the LTTE unconditionally is ill-timed and imprudent. Rural MPs especially say local organisations in their villages are disturbed about the proposals.

In another significant development Minister G.L. Peiris has met the Mahanayakas of Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters and the Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera for a campaign against the UNP proposal for unconditional talks with the LTTE.

Dr. Peiris briefed the Mahanayakes on recent steps taken by the government, including legislation to protect children.

In view of Dr. Peiris' stand against unconditional talks and the UNP's APC, some UNP MPs are urging the party not to co-operate with the government in any talks for constitutional reforms.

They point out that it was Dr. Peiris who might have influenced United Lalith Front leader Srimani Athulathmudali also not to participate in the UNP's APC.

The Lalith Front later issued a statement, saying Ravi Karunanayake had participated only in a private capacity and not as a party member.

As a counter attack on Minister Peiris, the UNP is now calling for his resignation on the crisis over the arrest of High Court Judge Mahanama Thilekaratne by the CID.

The UNP believes the arrest is a blatant violation of the Constitution's Article 116 (2) which makes it an offence to interfere with the Judiciary. Article 116 (2) states:

"Every person who, without legal authority, interferes or attempts to interfere with the exercise or performance of the judicial powers or functions of any judge, presiding officer, public officer or such other person as is referred to in paragraph (1) of this Article, shall be guilty of an offence punishable by the High Court on conviction after trial without a jury with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to a period of one year or with fine or with both such imprisonment and fine and may, in addition, be disqualified for a period not exceeding seven years from the date of such conviction from being an elector and from voting at a Referendum or at any election of the President of the Republic or at any election of a Member of Parliament or any local authority or from holding any public office and from being employed as a public officer.''

The UNP is convinced that the controversial CID Director Bandula ''Show'' Wickremesinghe has exceeded his authority or acted without proper authority to arrest the High Court Judge.

The issue was the main topic of a discussion between opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Minister Mahinda Rajapakse on Thursday when they met at the VIP lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport.

Mr. Wickremesinghe was leaving for Los Angeles while Mr. Rajapakse was returning from Japan.

"Who did the reporter's job while you were away,'' Mr. Wickremesinghe asked Mr. Rajapakse who has often been accused of leaking Cabinet information to the media and was branded as the reporter in the Cabinet by none other than President Kumaratunga.

But later the President found there were a number of other ministers who leak out information.

Mr. Rajapakse in reply quipped he now was an editor and not a reporter any more.

Thereafter they settled down for a long chat over coffee.

Mr. Wickremesinghe asked Mr. Rajapakse whether he knew about the arrest of Judge Thilakeratne.

The minister was blissfully unaware and Mr. Wickremesinghe told him what had happened.

He asked Mr. Rajapakse what he would do, especially because of his record as a human rights activist when in the opposition. Mr. Rajapakse did not say much.

Like in the Ishini Wickremesinghe's case, the President made a statement that she was not aware of the CID move, Mr. Wickremesinghe said.

He also emphasised the need to act against such excesses jointly. Mr. Rajapakse expressing his views said that he was totally against the arrest of a High Court Judge.

"I condemned it then and I would do the same now,'' he said.

"You protested against the pelting of stones at a Judge's house when the UNP was in office and now you are arresting Judges,'' Mr. Wickremesinghe said smilingly.

"We were able to check the UNP government because we took to the streets over one such incident,'' Mr. Rajapakse said, adding, "I wonder why you did not make a bigger protest over this incident.''

As charges and counter-charges persisted, some insiders over the weekend said, Judge Thillekaratne was taken into custody on a directive from the top.

They said, ''Show'' Wickremesinghe had told friends that he received orders from his boss, DIG Punya de Silva.

Whatever happened, the President acted fast and prudently to defuse a crisis.

She immediately transferred the CID Director to Police Headquarters after she was briefed by Attorney General Sarath Silva.

Besides the legal storm political circles in Colombo are also abuzz over a meeting Minister Peiris had with former first lady Hema Premadasa.

They met as a sequel to earlier talks between Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Ms. Premadasa.

Mr. Samaraweera had agreed to arrange for her to meet Dr. Peiris to discuss allegations about artefacts and other valuables missing from President's House.

At present, the Attorney General's Department is studying the evidence and considering charges against some members of the Premadasa family over the missing artefacts.

Dr. Peiris reportedly had a long chat with Ms. Premadasa and Minister Samaraweera with Mrs. Peiris also being present.

They discussed how legal assistance could be given to the Premadasa family.

President Kumaratunga also at a recent Cabinet meeting discussed some matters relating to the Premadasas and said that neither son Sajit nor Ms. Premadasa was an enemy of the PA. The real enemies were Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP, she said.

At that Cabinet meeting Minister Rajapakse had said he had a problem with Sajit Premadasa in Hambantota but the President said that he had a problem at provincial level and she had to think at national level.

It appears now that the government is trying to make use of Ms. Premadasa at the next Presidential election to break the block vote of the UNP.

It is significant that Ms. Premadasa herself has warned she would contest the next Presidential election on her own, if the UNP did not recognize and accommodate the Premadasa family in the party.

After the meeting with Ms. Premadasa, Dr. Peiris is not saying much and analysts are wondering whether he overstepped somewhere or whether something went wrong.

Another important meeting during the week was that of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) where the Bureau of Investment Chief Tilan Wijesinghe was taken to task by the UNP MPs.

Deputy Minister Vishva Warnapala took the Chair in the absence of Reggie Ranatunga and raised a matter relating to the closure of the the Public Enterprises Unit at the Ministry of Finance.

Treasury Secretary Dixon Nilaweera replying said that it was being done on a directive by the President.

The UNP's A.H.M. Azwer asked whether Mr. Nilaweera drafted the Cabinet paper to this effect.

He said yes, prompting Mr. Azwer to say that the Treasury Secretary had apparently misled the President. The COPE then proceeded to question BOI Chief Tilan Wijesinghe.

Once again Mr. Azwer was in the forefront.

He queried Mr. Wijesinghe on a number of shops owned by the BOI chief's wife at the Crescat Boulevard.

He charged Ms. Wijesinghe who owned five shops was paying a rental 40 percent less than the normal rent.

Mr. Wijesinghe said he knew nothing of it but Mr. Azwer hit back saying that there were people who knew about it.

Mr. Azwer was not stopping there. He asked whether they were getting FTZ products at a low price. Mr. Wijesinghe said his wife must be paying a reasonable price for them.

"If others in the BOI do the same thing what do you do?" Mr. Azwer thundered.

The MP also asked Mr. Wijesinghe, "is it similar to the Lake Drive land transaction? You get a big salary. Why do you do this?" The PA's Dilan Perera also joined in to demand a reply from the BOI chief.

Mr. Wijesinghe maintained a stoic silence for much of the time that he was under fire but answered a question posed by Ravi Karunanayake confirming that there is an investigation against two senior officers at the BOI. However he gave no further details.

Another topic of much speculation is the President's upcoming visit to the US. She is officially going to address the UN General Assembly, but there is speculation that the President and Leader of the Opposition might meet in New York under the auspices of a US Senator and that the main topic will be how to solve the ethnic crisis.

Mr. Wickremesinghe had recently called for talks with the LTTE in a third country. It would be strange if the two leaders who did not show much of a desire to meet in their own country have a change of heart in a third country.

Situation Report

Editorial/Opinion Contents