The Political Column

6th June 1999

Mahinda R. smells something fishy

By our Political Correspondent

Campaigns for the Southern provincial elections will wind up tomorrow with final meetings where the big guns will be fired.

Compared to Wayamba, where gun-toting thugs and political hooligans robbed the people of their voting rights, the Southern province has been relatively calm with only a few major incidents reported. But the South having been a hot bed of youth rebellion during the past three decades, anything could happen on or after June10.

The Elections Commissioner apparently learning from the lapses in the past is doing everything possible to ensure a free and fair election by implementing the election laws effectively. One notable act was his order to Ministry Secretaries to withdraw any and all state vehicles that were allegedly being used for party work. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has written to President Kumaratunga asking her to implement the decisions taken by the All Party Election Monitoring Committee for the southern poll as well.

In the PA, some politicians appear to be fishing in troubled waters, causing further conflicts within the party. One such incident was where Deputy Minister Mahinda Wijesekera arranged for some 200 fish mudalalis mainly dealing in fisheries products from the south to meet President Kumaratunga at Temple Trees recently. The significance was that it was convened without the knowledge of Fisheries Minister Mahinda Rajapakse or Deputy Minister Milroy Fernando. Mr.Wijesekera introduced the businessmen to the President saying one of them came in a Pajero inter-cooler, while another owned ten buses. According to onlookers, the President was initially puzzled and remarked that she thought those who were coming were engaged in the fishing industry. She said those who came appeared to be big time businessmen and there was little she could give them. Undaunted, Mr. Wijesekera carried on the exercise projecting himself as a person closely associated with the fishing industry and the sea. It appeared as if he was indirectly recommending himself as a Minister of Fisheries, on the eve of the Southern elections and the Cabinet reshuffle that is widely expected after it.

The President admitted that fisheries has been marginalised and assured the government would give priority to it now.

During the discussion the fish businessmen asked for many facilities, including a loan of Rs. 2 million to buy craft, better fuel supplies and the provision of mooring areas. As they voiced their demands, the President remarked they appeared to be talking more about business while she was interested in the welfare of fisherfolk. At the end of the meeting parliamentarian Dilan Perera who was associated with Mr. Wijesekera told the President that most of the fisheries problems could be solved if Mr. Wijesekera was given the fisheries portfolio. Puttalam District MP Eustace Peiris was also present.

The same night state television Rupavahini in its main news bulletin plugged the lead story about the President intervening directly in fisheries affairs. There was shock especially among supporters of Fisheries Minister Mahinda Rajapakse in the Hambantota district. Acting fast, Minister Rajapakse convened a meeting the next day at his Tangalle residence to explain the situation to his supporters. He pledged that even if he has to give up the fisheries portfolio, he would remain in the party as an old guard backbencher and continue to serve the people.

Associates of Mr. Rajapakse believe the Rupavahini lead story was masterminded by some interested parties to undermine Minister Rajapakse's campaign in the Hambantota district. They also accused Mr Wijesekera of trying to break protocol by convening a meeting of fish businessmen without inviting Minister Rajapakse. They said that even at the controversial meeting, the President had asked Mr. Wijesekera why Minister Rajapakse was not there. Mr. Wijesekera had whispered something to her ear, possibly claiming he had tried to contact him but could not.

Associates say Mr. Rajapakse will fight back against a southern bloc that he feels is trying to fix him. But his task won't be made easier, if as expected Minister Mangala Samaraweera takes over as General Secretary of the SLFP under the major restructuring programme, where the party's policies and principles are also likely to be updated and re-directed.

From the original 'Pancha Maha Balawegaya' which swept S.W.R.D Bandaranaike to office, the party is likely to shed part of its ultra nationalist image and take on a post-modernism look.

The restructuring of the SLFP was discussed at a recent central committee meeting where President Kumaratunga also announced that Ministers Lakshman Kadirgamar and Alavi Moulana representing two minority communities were being appointed as party vice presidents. The restructuring will be worked out by a committee headed by Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte.

Mr. Samaraweera, meanwhile is pushing his post modernism concept with close associates getting into key positions in the state media. Channel 2 of Rupavahini with Discovery programmes and all that appears to be a part of this concept. Three magazines published by the Samaraweera camp in Matara are also promoting this cause.

Some of the old guard are known to be disturbed over this trend and fear it will take the party away from the base comprising the Sanga, Weda, Guru, Govi, Kamkaru. But most analysts feel the vital factor in the battle between the old guard and the post modernists will be President Kumaratunga's position, and she is likely to throw her weight behind the Samaraweera camp.

In another significant development the National Joint Committee or the Sinhala Commission has issued a 33-page document, outlining proposals for a new Constitution stressing that its main aim is to promote unity among all people. The NJC constitution calls for commitment to the principles of one country, one people, one nation, unitary state, democracy and law and order. The NJC states it cannot accept either the government proposals for devolution of power or the UNP's alternative proposals.

The NJC says its socio-political dimensions are based on time- honoured Buddhist social philosophy.

Referring to the executive presidency, the Sinhala Commission states:

"Whether the chief executive be an executive president or prime minister such 'one man or one woman show' is out of place in a democratic system and is not conducive to good governance. Modern life is far too complicated politically, economically and culturally for one person to be held responsible for the final decisions that affect the vast mass of people in a more sophisticated world. In a more primitive set up, a king or emperor would have sufficed to rule a country but not any more. It is not good to have an overall concentration of power. It hinders the practice of democracy, impedes economic development and prevents taking full advantage of collective wisdom. Concentration of power is liable to give rise to arbitrary rule by individuals at the expense of collective leadership and it is an important cause of bureaucratic inefficiency. The Sinhala Commission dealing with the constitutional revolution proposed by the PA states that what is in the minds of PA politicians is surely unconstitutional and immoral seizure of power. In other words a coup d'etat.

Hence, the Sinhala Commission proposes the executive committee system to replace the present cabinet system. It says the former Prime Minister S.W. R. D. Bandaranaike had emphasized on such a system and the present UNP leadership also supports it.

Among other things, the Sinhala Commission proposes protection for minorities under the executive committee system. It says the proportional representative system should be replaced with a more effective system of the "first past the post" system with certain modifications.

Other important proposals are:

" There should be single member electorates and multiple member electorates as in the past. A Delimitation Commission should be appointed to decide on the number of electorates and the areas falling within each electorate. There should be also elected members for the 25 Districts in the country with two members of each District. There will thus be 50 members in all representing Districts. With150 members to represent the other electorates (single and multiple) there will be in all 200 members in the legislature who have both executive and legislative functions".

" Those elected as District Members, as has been suggested, will be all independents and not put forward by political parties. In fact political parties will be prohibited from putting forward candidates as District Members. The other electorates will be contested by political parties in the old way and the leader of the political party having the largest number of seats (under the first past the post system) will be the Prime Minister and the leader of the second largest party, the Deputy Prime Minister. All M.Ps., whatever their mode of election, will have equal status and the same privileges."

The initial response to the Sinhala Commission proposals has been positive but some have expressed reservations. A.L.M. Hashim on behalf of the All Ceylon Muslim League welcomed the Sinhala Commission proposal for the district to be the unit of devolution. He said the devolution package proposed by the PA would amount to granting Eelam. He said the package was worse than the capitulation and signing away the country's independence to the British.

In another development, Justice Minister G.L.Peiris has assured Judges that all steps would be taken to provide full protection to judges and the courts. He gave this assurance after supporters of the Nivitigala Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman, Premalal Jayasekera allegedly created a commotion in the Court premises after he was refused bail by the Ratnapura Magistrate Wimal Nambuwasam. His supporters allegedly threatened and abused the Magistrate while the police just watched.

Last week, a Judges' Association delegation comprising Sarath de Abrew and P. de Kulatilleke met Minister Peiris to discuss the situation. Later, Prof. Peiris sent an officer to Ratnapura for a full inquiry and also briefed President Kumaratunga.

During the meeting Minister Peiris called the Police Chief, Lucky Kodituwakku and directed him to give protection to the law courts and judges.

On Wednesday, the Ratnapura Court was given maximum protection by the police when the case came up again.

Meanwhile Sri Lanka's calamity at the World Cup where the champs became chumps is assuming political dimensions with posters appearing in Colombo attacking Sports Minister S.B. Dissanayake, Cricket Board chief Thilanga Sumathipala and Captain Arjuna Ranatunga.

In one political move President Kumaratunga is known to have acted personally to stop an ITN "Janatha Adhikaranaya" (People's Court) programme in which Minister Dissanayake and two others were to participate. She summoned ITN chief Newton Gunaratne to Temple Trees to tell him that no programme on the cricket controversy should be telecast without her permission.

On Thursday around 2 p.m. the ITN informed one of the participants, the UNP's Tyronne Fernando - a former Cricket Board President - that the discussion would not take place as scheduled. ITN however told that Minister Dissanayake would not be able to take part due to heavy commitments.

Last Monday Rupavahini blasted Arjuna Ranatunga and other senior players for their fiasco in the World Cup.

But most objective cricket analysts feel that instead of hammering a fallen team, we should find a solution to the problems that have arisen and protect the game from political vandalism. We must also not forget that it was virtually the same team that took the whole country to its greatest hour in the World Cup of March 1996.

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