From the Green Corner

For us, disputes mean democracy within party

By Viruddha Paakshikaya

Last week, my friend Paakshikaya said he read my previous column in The Sunday Times with "amusement and interest". I did read Paakshikaya's column in these pages last week but that was with hilarity and contempt.

Now, my readers and Paakshikaya too would undoubtedly ask me why I say so and I say so with good reason, my friend and I will proceed to explain ourselvesfor I feel that this is a serious matter that needs explaining.

For some time now, the state media has been indulging in unsavoury tactics to create a rift within our United National Party. And, to give the devil its due I would go so far as to say that this campaign was carried out not as mudslinging propaganda but in a more devious and diabolical manner.

The modus operandi was to plant gossipy tit bits of political news in the media — all implying that Ranil Wickremesinghe faced a serious threat to his leadership of the party and that this so-called "Old Guard" of the party was planning a coup against him.

These tacticians got their first opportunity with the provincial council polls. When - as I predicted - Karu Jayasuriya won the highest preference vote in the country they spread the theory that Karu was planning to oust the leader, which was news - even to Karu!

Now, our clever strategists didn't say as much, of course. But they did run stories stating that a group of musicians invited by Karu to a campaign rally were "chased off" by Ranil. Many similar snippets appeared in the print media.

Fortunately for the UNP, it is blessed with mature politicians who can see through this type of cunning campaign. So, when these damaging items appeared in print, Karu did what any gentleman would do. Instead of entertaining grandiose ideas of becoming the next leader of the party, he spoke to Ranil and told him that what was appearing in the state media was rubbish. And, Ranil being the gentleman that he is accepted that explanation sincerely.

But the campaign to promote dissension did not end there. Your strategists were waiting for the next opportunity. And they got it with the Wijeyapala Mendis issue. Everyone - including you, Paakshikaya - attempted to make a larger-than-life issue out of it saying the Supreme Court verdict exonerating Mr. Mendis would be a severe blow to Ranil's leadership.

More political tit-bits appeared. One of the "best" said that former secretary to the Ministry of Plan Implementation Wickrema Weerasooriya was being recruited to plan the coup to oust Ranil.

Again, Mr. Weerasooriya had to telephone Ranil from Australia to reassure him but he was told that the leader never believed the story anyway!

Then, there was another story that a so-called "senior" party man had phoned an MP in the Central Province and wanted to meet him - again to plot the ouster of Ranil! That issue too has been dismissed by our leadership which knows what to expect from your media boys and will take every report of a coup in the UNP with more than a pinch of salt.

I will concede this much, Paakshikaya — such tactics maybe fair game in the political culture of our country today considering that some of your politicians have descended to even lower levels. But you may rest assured that such strategies will not have any effect on the UNP and Ranil and the party will march on — first to win the Southern election and then the general and presidential elections.

But I have a bone to pick with you too, Paakshikaya. You were also guilty of adopting these same tactics in your column last week, which is why I stated at the outset that I read your article with hilarity and contempt.

Let me remind you of what you said about the Mendis issue last week, if the good editor will allow me the privilege of repetition. These are your words:

"Now, to compare Ms. Sirima Bandaranaike with Wijeyapala Mendis, my SLFP colleagues are sure to protest, amounts to political sacrilege. Nevertheless, I do see an interesting parallel in the two personalities in that they both had recommendations of civic disability imposed on them.

"But what did the UNP and Ranil Wickremesinghe do with Wijeyapala Mendis? They branded him a cheat even before he could plead his case to a conclusion and suspended him without giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"They chose to forget the long years of service Mendis has rendered to the UNP as an MP for Katana and then as Minister and Leader of the House. They also forgot that Mendis has lost his son tragically in an incident which was not totally unrelated to politics."

"Now, Virudhdha Paa-kshikaya, don't get me wrong. My mission here is not to canonize Wijeyapala Mendis as a political saint. The people of this country will definitely have their views about that matter. But what I am merely trying to say is that the present UNP leadership did try to shrug off the embarrassment Wijeyapala Mendis was causing them by suspending him from the party, forgetting all the sacrifices he had made for the UNP!"

Strong words indeed and one could say that you are entitled to your opinion, for you certainly seem to be nursing a soft corner for Mendis even trying to compare her with Ms. Bandaranaike at the risk of evoking the wrath of your colleagues.

But let me prove to you- and more importantly to our readers - what a humbug you are, Paakshikaya. I will quote from another of your writings — in The Sunday Times of June 7, 1998, just eleven months ago — as to what you had to say about the same Mendis. This is what you said then:

"What is funny if it was not so tragic however is the complete ineptitude of the UNP vis-à-vis its handling of the Wijeyapala Mendis affair.

"Here is a senior UNP one-time Cabinet Minister whom the party's leadership clearly wants out of the way as being a total embarrassment, but hasn't got what it takes to 'just do it' as the popular shoe company Nike slogan says.

"The UNP leadership is straining at every turn to get Mr. Mendis to quit but they still can't do it. So, if this is the UNP in opposition how much more difficult will it be for them in government to take disciplinary action?"

I do not think, Paakshikaya that I need say anymore. Your own words speak for themselves. There you were in June last year accusing our party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe of vacillating over what to do with Mendis.

But Ranil did not dilly-dally as you thought he would but went ahead, as a strong leader would, and suspended Mendis. But here you are now accusing Ranil of being too harsh on Mendis and shedding crocodile tears on his behalf!

Paakshikaya, apart from preaching such hypocrisy, you also seem to be desperate to indicate that there is a massive power struggle within the UNP. You seem to think that there is a Wickremesinghe camp, a Jayasuriya camp, a Cooray camp, a Premadasa camp, a Dissanayake camp, a Bandaranaike camp and now even a Moonesinghe-Kalpage-Hameed camp!

Now, I, as a senior party member will be the first to agree that the above mentioned gentlemen may have differences in opinion. That, as far as I am concerned, is a sign of a healthy party democracy. Our party- unlike yours — has not abdicated all its powers to the party leader. But I can confidently say this, Paakshikaya: as far as differences of opinion are concerned we deal with them far more democratically than you do.

I shall refresh your recent memory with just a few examples from your own party. Do you remember those disgraceful days when there was an SLFP(S) and an SLFP(M), my friend, when Sirima Bandaranaike and Maithripala Senanayake were battling it out for control of the party? Maithripala was supported even by young Anura — who is now with us of course — and the dispute even went to court with both factions vying for control of your Darley Road party headquarters!

Then, more recently, after your party's stalwarts were found to be shy of supporting Hector Kobbekaduwa at the Presidential Election in 1982, what did Vijaya and Chandrika Kumaratunga do? They solved their dispute with the party by breaking away and forming their own Sri Lanka Mahajana Pakshaya.

Tell us, Paakshikaya, at least for interest's sake whose side you were on when these disputes raged?

And tell us also how you dare to talk to us in the UNP about discipline within our party when your SLFP has such a dismal record in the very recent past with breakaways by the party leader's son and daughter? Surely, that must also be some kind of record?

Then, Paakshikaya, the other issue you have raised is the Southern provincial election. You have tried to say that the UNP will lose the poll just because M. S. Amarasiri has withdrawn from the list. I agree with you on one matter and that is that Amarasiri is among the most genuine and humble of politicians.

But the issue at stake as far as the party leadership is concerned is not whether Amarasiri is a "nice" man or not. The issue here is who is the most suitable man to win the election for us. To be honest, there were many who thought that Amarasiri, at 73 years of age, may not be able to handle the rigours of a strenuous campaign.

Yet, with deference to his loyal services to the party it was decided that he be allowed to contest and that even he could aspire to be Chief Minister if he could obtain the highest number of preferences. In my opinion, that was fair enough.

I hate to say this to you again, Paakshikaya but it was you who said just a few weeks ago that you admired our leader J. R. Jayewardene for picking R. Premadasa as the 1989 Presidential candidate because he had cast other considerations aside and had picked the person who was most capable of winning the poll.

And so it was with the Southern election, Paakshikaya. We have announced no one as the Chief Ministerial candidate because we decided that the person who is most suitable for the job would be the person who gains the most preferences. So, surely Paakshikaya what was right for J.R. Jayewardene must be right for Ranil Wickremesinghe!

If I may borrow a cricketing parallel, Paakshikaya, dropping Amarasiri from the list was akin to dropping Roshan Mahanama from the national team. When you want to win a tight contest you shouldn't select players on their records of past service or their reputations — you select the best team even though the decision appears harsh and may lead to some protests just like what happened in the Mahanama issue. And, like in Mahanama's case, there is always a chance to return if you regain your old form!

I will concede that there was some disagreement over this, and that it led to Amarasiri pulling out of the contest. But remember, my friend that Amarasiri is still very much a UNPer and he will always be one. Despite being disadvantaged he is mature enough to take the party decision in the right spirit and he will never ever support any other party at the forthcoming election. I can vouch for that.

You need not worry about all that Paakshikaya. We in the UNP can take very good care of ourselves. What you need to worry about is how you would face the people of this country after you lose the Southern election.

The only reason you have cited as to why you should win the poll — apart from the so-called disputes in the UNP — is the "good" work done by Ministers Mangala Sam-araweera, Mahinda Rajapakse, Richard Pathirana and Amarasiri Dodangoda, who are all from the province.

As far as I am concerned the only person among them who has done a good job is the man who has made the least noise about it — Amarasiri Dodangoda. If you disagree, Paakshikaya, let us take a look at what the others have done.

Mangala Samaraweera has presided over the sell-out of Sri Lanka Telecom and the Japanese NTT is returning the favour on the first of June by raising all call charges! He has tried — but failed so far — to preside over the sell out of the Postal Department but the Supreme Court has ruled that some of those proposals were unconstitutional.

On the media front, the less said the better because the censorship is still on and the media which was supportive of the government are now staging demonstrations against it. This is the "development" achieved by Mangala Samaraweera!

Then we shall look at what our former school Principal from Akmeemana, Richard Pathirana has done. Work in all universities has come to a halt due to a strike by middle-level non-academic staff and there is no indication when the strike will end. Pathirana has also antagonized academics by proposing that two MPs should be allowed to participate in formulating university policies. That is his "development" record.

As for Mahinda Rajapakse, I will say that he is a man who is trying to do a job of work but is not allowed to do so. He couldn't get the Workers' Charter through Parliament and he was demoted from handling migrant workers and the local labour force to handling fish.

As far as I know however, he is not pleased with his lot. The only real service he has done probably is by writing to President Kumaratunga, telling her why the PA will lose the next election. That letter however appeared in the newspapers and your guess, Paakshikaya, is good as mine as to how that happened!

Now, my friend, do you realize why you will never win the Southern poll? We in the UNP are not at all divided as you would like us to be and then there is sweet nothing that you have done to develop the area despite packing the Cabinet with four representatives from the region.

Think about it, my friend, and if you still sincerely believe you will win the election, I will suggest one sure way to put your doubts to rest: ask Mahinda Rajapakse why he wrote that letter to the President and I'm sure he will convince you as to why you will lose!

And, by the way, be careful in what you write next in these pages, because there is always the chance that you will contradict yourself: you have done it once now as I showed our readers, and these bad habits die hard!

PARLIAMENT

Wijeyapala Mendis bounces back

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti, Our Lobby Correspondent

Heroes and villains come and go, and our political culture is such that we have our periodic villains and heroes. And for a long time, UNP's Wijeyapala Mendis was the villain of the piece for a government hell bent on depriving him of his civic rights and a section of his own party wishing him out. But on Tuesday, he was an exultant man after being exculpated of all charges brought against him before the Special Presidential Commission.

"Free, now that truth has prevailed" said the senior parliamentarian whose career suffered severe blows during the past year, culminating in the loss of many things, the post of chief whip, apex body membership and a suspension of party membership.

And for the government, forgotten were the days of suffering when their leader Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike was subjected to a humiliating civic disability by the Jayewardene administration. But political opportunism got the better of the PA as they zealously moved a motion to deprive him of his civic rights in accordance with the Special Presidential Commission findings, an unfinished task todate though the' fist episode' had live television coverage during a UNP boycott of Parliament.

The merits and demerits of the case apart, the senior parliamentarian has bounced back to the party from which he was temporarily suspended, and joy was written all over his face as he made a carefully worded emotional statement.

Having lived through political agony for over a year with the guns permanently turned on him, perhaps the likes of Mr. Mendis would heartily agree with Thomas Jefferson for saying that politics was such sheer torment that he never advised anyone he loved to get involved in it. And judging by the curious ups and downs it entails, the theory has been proven beyond doubt.

With happiness clearly written across his beaming face, the former whip began on an emotional note saying that he bore no ill will towards anyone- be they government or opposition members for having placed their faith in the findings

"I suffered brutal attacks on my character and people were so eager to discredit me with blind acceptance. These findings have no merit or substance and were not worth the paper they were written on." he opined.

And he dealt a heavy blow, coated with sugar, at the UNP. Triumphantly, he claimed that if not for the prudence of the Speaker who prevented any further vilification of his character, the motion to expel him would have been carried despite not being given the right of reply.

The senior member's hurt was obvious as he explained his emotional suffering with no support from the party he has served faithfully and long.

He rubbed in the fact quite gracefully on the UNP that he received no support but only criticism while natural justice, according to his thinking got a steady beating. "It is my joyous privilege that I do not need to defend myself nor have to rely on others to defend me," said Mr. Mendis while errant government members who used to mercilessly heckle him sat in absolute silence.

Sagely, he appealed to the House not to be guided by malicious reports that seek to banish members from the House but to carefully examine facts before deciding on the fate of a fellow member- a tragedy that could befall anyone and would breach natural justice in no small measure.

The mood went militant on Thursday with the traditional emergency extension being taken up for debate. Casting doubts early morning while clouds steadily gathered outside was UNP's John Amaratunge, one of the party's new defence lines.

And the guns boomed early on with him taking senior Cabinet rankers like Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and C.V. Gooneratne to task for gloating over the liberation of Madhu, a thing he claimed to be a concoction.

"Madhu was always free. There was no need to liberate it as it was never under LTTE threat. Worshippers freely went and they were never under attack" he sniped.

Firing more artillery was UNP's Tilak Karunaratne who sought to point out that emergency debates of the recent past have been dedicated to discussing election malpractices in keeping with the escalation of violence.

"This war isn't conducted to achieve the overall objective but is a day-to-day operation depending on the political will of a few. Hence there is little wonder as to why the youth are reluctant to join the forces," he said.

Moving on to a hot topic of debate, he demanded that the real role played by Varatharaja Perumal in the political milieu be explained to the country. Furnishing historical facts about the formation of the Tamil National Army (TNA), he accused India of nurturing the TNA, for its formation, training and funding in support of Perumal. When the TNA disintegrated, he opined, the underworld gladly acquired the ammunition.

"But the question was as to why Perumal was received at the VIP Lounge and why there was a senior and responsible officer to receive him. Having unilaterally declared Eelam, he should be prosecuted for treason. He has done nothing good for this country but we give him a hero's welcome" he charged heatedly.

The Kalutara member warned the house of an ominous feeling- of a lull before the storm coupled with government complacency which made an explosive combination. There was internal bickering and bureaucratic bungling, while the country continued to sit on a volcano with no hope for the future.

And the historical mood prevailed as Mervyn Silva, classified among the vituperative members of the House, in a new approach to politics, spoke about the destruction brought about in India by a dispute between the Sakya and Koliya clans over the waters of the Rohini River.

To an enthralled House, he said that Buddha was disturbed by the bitterness displayed by the two clans and finally resolved to solve it. So he (the Buddha) showed a palmful of water and queried his kin, "water or bloodshed" and both clans realized their folly and chose preservation of life to a river of blood.

And Mr. Silva, having related the story in his inimitable style raised the same question- youths or blood? – with a protracted war to enrich a few.

Following hot on his heels was UNP's R.M. Ratnayake in an unusually militant mood. "After Wayamba you are repulsive to the masses," he scorned, "for destroying democracy and making elections a complete stifling of the people's voice.

"In the aftermath of Wayamba, the PA had to forget the ambitious political package which they try to sell to anybody and talk democracy. Yours is such a tainted record" he said, listing the many atrocities committed by the PA in a vengeful election campaign.

Scoffing at the MP's theorizing was Mahaweli Minister Maithripala Sirisena. Beaming in the glow of the North Central Province victory, the minister gloated over the fact that despite the UNP's wizardry, the PA had secured six provinces, the UNP held for over a decade.

"It is not our fault if you cannot restructure and campaign properly. The truth is that while you are groping in the dark, we have secured victory everywhere we went. We have the winning formula" he said, while an annoyed, opposition countered vehemently saying the winning formula included stripping and bombing.

Denied the opportunity to speak for over a year, Ravi Karunanayake was in an indecent hurry to say everything within ten minutes. And so he compared the PA to a patient in coma- still living but not functional.

"The problem in this country is that while forgetting issues of national importance, individuals become targets of hatred and pettiness. But turning the searchlight inwards is a must if we are to forge ahead. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong" he thundered, complaining that it was his own fault for being marginalised and that was because he chose to speak the truth.

While his speech ranged from Wayamba and AirLanka to responsibilities of parliamentarians, the young MP impressed upon the House the validity of defending the truth at any cost, though repercussions may range from losing seats to curtailed freedom of speech.

"We have tried to criticize from within and failed. This is why progressive Vasudeva Nanayakkara had to cross the floor so that he may give vent to his true feelings," he said.

Soon afterwards, the UNP, as it has opted to do for the past many months, decided to march out of parliament proclaiming lack of faith in the government for a multitude of sins. It was Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte who drove home the fact that while proposing to the government the peaceful and speedy resolution of the ethnic conflict, the Tamil parties were duty bound to urge the LTTE to extend the hand of friendship.

"Many talk here by proxy which isn't fair, specially by the valiant soldiers who pay the supreme sacrifice so that we may live. Instead of going by false reports, all of you are invited to visit the liberated areas with me. Things have improved in many areas," he noted.

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