The Political Column

31st October 1999

Fishing in political waters

By our Political Correspondent

As a prelude to this, the government on Wednesday advanced the GCE O/L exam by one week so that school buildings would be available for use as polling booths or counting centres and also to avoid widespread protest by the 500,000 students sitting the exam and their family members.

Earlier in the week, most reports suggested that a mid-January date for the presidential election with the nomination date being set for late November after elections commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake returned to his desk from his medical leave where he recuperated from a heart ailment.

But by Thursday the situation changed and many analysts linked it to President Kumaratunga's wish for the election to be held as soon as possible, though the date now set comes within the Ramazan fasting period and the preparation for Christmas.

This provoked an outburst from opposition leader and UNP candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe who accused President Kumaratunga of disregarding the feelings of minorities. Some analysts believe government leaders pushed for an early date amidst moves to give UNP frontliner Sarath Amunugama a portfolio after he quit the UNP.

There appears to be much confidence in the Kumaratunga camp. Some ministers and MPs are assuring her she would get something like her record 62 percent majority of 1994 but campaign leaders like S. B. Dissanayake are more cautious and told her that a vote of 52 percent was more likely.

Though the speculation over elections date has ended, there is much speculation now as to when parliament will be dissolved and general elections held.

Many analysts believe the parliamentary elections will be held in late February or early March.

According to opposition sources, government leaders have drawn up a list of so-called pro-Ranil and anti-Ranil UNP MPs and members of local councils. This list is allegedly being used to offer carrots or chairs as in the Amunugama case. Among other anti-Ranil names being mentioned are Nanda Mathew, Chula Bandara, Asoka Wadigamangawa, Sarath Kongahage, Almon Peiris and Susil Moonesinghe. They are reported to have met either the president or those close to her.

Not only UNPers, even members of other parties like the MEP's Bandula Gunewardene are said to be on the list of those being eyed by the PA.

The key figures in the PA's political fishing expedition include ministers Mangala Samaraweera and S. B. Dissanayake along with presidential advisor Sanath Gunathillake. There is even speculation that Mr. Samaraweera had worked out a deal with the JVP, leading to the nomination of a relatively little known member for the presidential race. What is to be offered in return is not clear but something like the southern provincial council is possible. The JVP has often asked for a chance to show its potential in a province to prove itself as a credible third party even at a national level.

The president is reported to have invited some UNP members to Temple Trees while others were contacted on the telephone. They were told that she was aware of their grievances and disappointment with the UNP and they would get a better deal if they joined the PA. The Presidential Security Division was reportedly told that the meeting with UNP members should be kept a top secret.

According to some reports, the position regarding Sarath Amunugama changed from day to day, partly because there was a problem about finding a portfolio for him. Those negotiating the deal had suggested that he be given one of the portfolios held by ministers G. L. Peiris or Ratnasiri Wickremanayake who had several portfolios. By Thursday, gazette notification was issued, separating the Plantations Industry Ministry from the Public Administration Ministry and appointing a secretary to the former. This prompted headlines that Dr. Amunugama would be offered the public admisntration portfolio.

Meanwhile, in an atmosphere of leaks within leaks and Judases all over, the UNP hierarchy also heard about the moves by the PA.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe immediately got through to General Secretary Gamini Atukorale who put frontliner Anura Bandaranaike on the job of contacting and dissuading the MPs on the crossover list. Most, if not all of them, claimed they had no idea of quitting the UNP, but with different people saying different things at different times, anything and everything was possible. For example, Mr. Wadigamangawa who is in charge of Puttalam district had a personal problem with the party leadership and Mr. Bandaranaike assured that he would intervene to settle it.

Another key figure mentioned in the speculations was UNP veteran Wijeyapala Mendis. During the past two years, he has been having a running battle not only with a presidential commission probing corruption but also with the party leader.

Mr. Mendis was suspended from the party and a motion was moved to expel him from parliament. But the Supreme Court overturned the commission's recommendations and Mr. Mendis was reinstated but his relationship with Mr. Wickremesinghe was never fully repaired. Naturally, the Negombo veteran was one of the fish.

Troubleshooter Anura Bandaranaike was on his way to Kiribathgoda when his security guards told him there was a call on the cellphone from Mr. Mendis. The matter was so important that Mr. Bandaranaike stopped his vehicle on the highway and the telephone dialogue with Mr. Mendis lasted as much as half an hour.

Mr. Mendis reportedly pledged his loyalty to the party he has served for a life time but by the end of the week, his position was still not clear.

Amidst this crisis and confusion in the ranks of the main opposition party, Mr. Wickremesinghe on Wednesday met district leaders of the UNP – significantly Kandy's Sarath Amunugama. After the main meeting, Dr. Amunugama reportedly had a one-to-one with the party leader and claimed the UNP was like a home for him.

But by Thursday, the wheel had turned again and a portfolio was being prepared for Dr. Amunugama. In party politics, there are no permanent pledges or friends, only personal interests, it seems.

On the left front, a group from different section met at 58, Dharmarama Mawatha, Wellawatte, on Tuesday and decided to field the radical Vasudeva Nanayakkara as a presidential candidate. Mr. Nanayakkara has pledged an immediate ceasefire and all-party talks to end the ethnic conflict. He has also called on the government to hold provincial elections in the northeast along with the presidential elections, saying the denial of provincial administration to the Tamil-speaking people was an act of gross injustice. Among those present at the Wellawatte meeting were Ravaya editor Victor Ivan, film maker Vasantha Obeysekera, Nimalka Fernando, Tennyson Edirisuriya, Abu Yusuf, Siritunga Jayasuriya, E. Tambiah, Patrick Fernando, Sarath Ferando, Dr. Suppiah, P. Amaradivakara and Raja Wijetunga.

Earlier, Mr. Nanayakkara had spoken of a possibility of a common socialist candidate on the JVP ticket. One of the names mentioned as a common candidate was Fisheries Minister Mahinda Rajapakse. While his colleagues were fishing for others, there were some fishing for him. Mr. Rajapakse is known to have been at odds with President Kumaratunga on various matters and she has thrown various charges at him ranging from leaking cabinet news to some kind of conspiracy. Anyway, the quest for a common socialist candidate apparently fell apart with the JVP's decision to go it alone and nominate a symbolic candidate.

With politics and campaigning in full swing, the government group gathered on Monday for a late night meeting at the Presidential Secretariat. The meeting began at 8. p.m. with a unanimous approval of Presidnet Kumaratunga's re-election bid. CWC leader S. Thondaman along with members S. Sathasivam and P. Yogarajan complained to the president of continued harassment of estate youth at checkpoints.

They said many of the youths had no jobs in their estates and needed to come to Colombo but they were being treated as second class or third class citizens on the way. The President said she would refer all these complaints to the anti-harassment committee headed by Minister Lakshman Jayakody.

The President told the MPs that the campaign and the election must be free and fair and there must be no violence.

Meanwhile, the reported row between President Kumaratunga and the once-influential Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle appears to have been settled or at least defused. The go-between was S. B. Dissanayake who arranged the poya meeting at Temple Trees. After a long jaw-jaw, the President and Mr. Fernandopulle appeared to have sorted things out and agreed that the main problem was a communication problem.

If the UNP's position has been shaky upto now, it is likely to be strengthened today when the party holds a special convention at the Town Hall to plan its strategy for the presidential race on the theme of a better tomorrow. The UNP's election manifesto will have three principal features – strengthening the economy with a more equitable distribution of wealth; ending the war and restoring peace and creating an educated society by giving a knowledge of English and computer literacy to all.

Among other strategies, the UNP has invited a group of experts from Britain's opposition Conservative party to advise on election strategy. This is part of an agreement between the two parties. The UNP will also call regular, if not daily, news conferences to give its point of view on various matters.

President Kumaratunga meanwhile was making friends and influencing people. She was so busy during the past week that she apparantely could not find time even for the cabinet meeting. Among those she met were Buddhist prelates, and leaders of other religions, the leaders of the EPDP and the PLOTE. She reportedly told EPDP leader Douglas Devananda to take charge of the northern campaign.

In another important move, the entire trade union movement of the PA is being called for a meeting from November 8 to 10 to discuss ways of rallying the workers behind President Kuamratunga.

Situation Report

Editorial/ Opinion Contents