Sirikotha Battle Ends In A Draw Maithripala Breathes Fire

The  UNP internal battles took precedence over the government propaganda last week. The UNP has not had such media coverage in years. The grand old party hogged the limelight for all the wrong reasons. The expected blitzkrieg by the Sajith Group  petered out, though one suspects, to be reopened another day. The government thoroughly enjoyed the unfolding scenario, but was not restricted to being mere spectators. President Rajapaksa’s covert hand was seen in the background and this was clearly in favour of Ranil Wickremesinghe. More of that later.

 

Plans were made early by the Sajith led group to bring pressure on Ranil to relinquish the party leadership. The plans included the canvassing of support from the grass root levels of the party. Towards this end Pradeshiya Sabha members were targetted. The task of reaching such a large base was not as easy as originally thought and the focus shifted to the Parliamentary Group. The Parliamentary Group that met with Sajith at his Rajagiriya residence drafted a resolution though  only eleven parliamentary members signed it. The rest agreed with the resolution but did not place their signatures. Ranil has shown that he is tenacious in hanging on.  And the revamped constitution though made with the blessings of the reformists , places him in a position of great strength within the working committee, which has a majority nominated by him. The on going battle has intensified with the introduction of Karu Jayasuriya to replace Sajith at the helm of the UNP. Karu appears to be the moderate that is acceptable to many. He did not take part in the protests either.

 

Several rounds of talks were held by the Sajith Group leading upto the Executive Committee meeting scheduled for August 17. Each of these were followed up with separate meetings with Karu Jayasuriya to keep him updated of progress. In Sri Lanka not much can be kept under wraps and Ranil Wickremesinghe was fully aware of what was being planned. The Sajith Group had arranged to hold a demonstration opposite Sirikotha where the Executive Meeting was to be held and another at Solis Hall, which is in close proximity to the UNP headquarters. The Solis Hall is owned by a relative of  Gen. Sarath Fonseka. Plans were altered to restrict the demonstration to Solis Hall and all operations were finalised and ready to go.

 

Tissa Attanayake, the General Secretary of the UNP got wind of the plans of the Sajith Group well in advance and informed Ranil. The Ranil faction swung into action with their plan A. Tissa was instructed to inform the Inspector General of Police  N. K. Illangakoon and make a formal complaint which he did post haste. The IGP in turn instructed the DIG to get the Officer in Charge of Mirihana Police to file action in the Gangodawila Courts against a possible breach of peace in the event the demonstration went ahead. The Mirihana Police duly filed action and a court order was obtained to ban any kind of demonstration. Wide media coverage was given to the court order. The court order was against Sajith Premadasa and Shiral Lakthilake. Later on in the day the Mirihana Police armed with the court order made their way to the residence of Sajith Premadasa. The order was delivered to Sajith at his residence, at Royal Park. That done the Sirikotha brigade swung into plan B. This involved the closure of the road leading to the UNP headquarters. The purpose was for laying premix to the stretch of road leading to and beyond Sirikotha which would render that area effectively sealed. One could argue that this was purely coincidental but a bit too much for an inquiring mind to digest. With both plans in place Ranil Wickremesinghe strode into his home base Sirikotha, confident of weathering the storm within it’s hallowed walls. Sajith Premadasa spoke with his confidantes taking cognisance of the unfolding events. “We should be law abiding and not violate a court order,” he said. “We will shift the demonstration to the Vihara Maha Devi Park instead and if this is also stopped we will find another venue,” he added.

On August 17, thousands of demonstrators gathered at Vihara Maha Devi Park by 3.15 p.m. Sajith and Dayasiri Jayasekera made emotive speeches as to why they were seeking a change in the leadership.  With their speeches done they left to attend the working committee meeting promising to bring back good news with them. Rosy Senanayake, Sujeewa Senasinghe, Imthiyaz Bakir Markar, Dunesh Gankanda and Shiral Lakthilleke addressed the gathering thereafter. They were of one voice and one theme. Ranil must step down and Karu must take over.

The demonstrators were in a gay mood. They marched to picket in front of the Opposition Leader’s Office at Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha waiting for Sajith and Dayasiri to return triumphant.

The Working Committee

The UNP Working Committee meeting got underway at Sirikotha at 4 p.m. Ranil Wickremesinghe was in the Chair and Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya was beside him together with Secretary Tissa Attanayake. Around 64 members of the Working Committee were present at this stage. Sajith Premadasa and Dayasiri Jayasekera arrived about ten minutes later.

Sajith at the outset objected that the minutes of the last meeting were not in order as far as the references to the appointment of the National Organiser. Tissa Attanayake said that the National Organiser’s references were from a meeting prior to these minutes, but would take Sajith’s observations down for discussion at the next meeting.

 

Ranil in his opening address said, “Anyone who does not accept the UNP Constitution as it stands at present should leave the meeting”. This brought Dayasiri Jayasekera on his feet. He said he did not accept the Constitution as it stands and turned to leave the meeting which prompted Sajith to ask him to stay back. Dayasiri complied and thereafter Sajith raised the unconstitutional manner in which the National Organiser was appointed. He asked why the Party went to court. Ravi Karunanayake replying said that if Maithri Guneratne went to court against the party, then the party had to go to a higher court in revision.

The question of a change in the leadership of the UNP was never going to be taken up at this meeting as it would have been futile. The reformists had been party to the recent changes to the UNP constitution and had accepted it and Ranil’s contention was that the matter should rest there. Ranil saying ‘there is no vacancy’, means just that. Questions were raised about the Sirasa Group attacking Ranil and it drew Ravi to his feet. He explained that the differences of opinion between the Sirasa Boss Killi Rajamahendran and Ranil were over other matters and not over national list slots from the UNP. Ravi went on to add that Killi Rajamahendran had never promoted anyone to the national list and that a personal difference between Ranil and the Sirasa Boss would be sorted out by them soon. Ranil though not making any comment at the time was of a different opinion.

 

With that laid to rest, the focus shifted to the recent statements made by Rosy Senanayake. Tissa Attanayake said that disciplinary action should be taken against Rosy as the Assistant Secretary Senerath Kapukotuwa had drawn his attention to remarks made by Rosy. The disciplinary action was to be extended by bringing in Sujeewa Senasinghe, Dunesh Gankanda and Budhika Pathirana. Confusion reigned supreme at this stage with both for and against disciplinary action raising their voices.  “When the Party is making efforts to unite, these kinds of actions should not be taken,” said Karu.The arguments ended without a firm decision being arrived at.

With Ranil proceeding to read out sections of the constitution which dealt with party discipline, it was Vajira Abeywardene who stood up to ask Karu a question. “Why did you not decline the proposal to nominate you for the Leadership as it is against the constitution?” Karu smiled and replied, “ You and I work in different ways”. Ranjith Madduma Bandara then stood up to speak and Vajira attempted to shout him down. “Thamusay wadiwenawa,” he shouted. Sajith was quick to respond, “Please don’t use language that is unbecoming…this is no place to use Oyi…Boi”, at which stage Sujeewa Senasinghe and Dayasiri took a few threatening steps towards Vajira but were calmed down by Ranil from the Chair. Discussions went on till about 7.45 p.m. and a battered, bruised and tired UNP Working Committee retired, yet as a fractured group.

 

President Rajapaksa returned to the island from China a day earlier. He made the change to his itinerary to pay his respects to his old friend, the late H. K. Dharmadasa fondly known as Nawaloka Mudalali, who had passed away. The President arrived at Katunayake around 2.30 a. m. and was surprised to see Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem awaiting his arrival to confer with him. Hakeem was troubled with the recent unrest in the East with the “grease devil” story disturbing the community, where a frightened people were taking the law into their own hands. According to Police records over two hundred and fifty persons have been arrested as “grease devil” suspects with many among them being military personnel. A tired Rajapaksa advised Hakeem to visit the East and warn the people not to believe such rumours but more so to be calm and let the Police handle the law. He thereafter proceeded  to Alexandra Place, where the remains of Nawaloka Mudalali lay and paid his respects. The late Nawaloka Mudalali’s two sons, Jayantha and Upali were present and the President  promised to visit the residence the next day too.

 

The Darusman Report and the Channel 4 videos are troubling the Rajapaksa regime more than ever. Hitherto the Rajapaksas’ have used the international community’s concerns over these allegations to drum up local support, and very successfully too. There seems to be a change in tact and a concentrated effort is being made to counter the Darusman Report and the Channel 4 videos, within the country in an organised manner. The Secretary Defence, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa himself is leading the charge. Last week Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in an interview with Headlines Today of India said, “since the LTTE has been vanquished there is no validity for further devolution as the current constitution is more than sufficient”. Therefore what another APC  will achieve is beyond comprehension. Thus far, neither the ruling party nor Mahinda Rajapaksa has made any  comment. The TNA and India are both aware of the duplicity of the government given the statement of the Secretary Defence.

 

This government is accused of untrammeled corruption but has been able to suppress it by showing that it is engaged in an unprecedented development programme, mainly in the inward bound leisure sector of tourism. Much money has been spent on improvements to infrastructure. Colossal amounts have been spent  primarily on highways and the rural road network. Though work on the Hambantota Port and the Mattala Airport is being done at a furious pace the dividends will be seen well into the future. The opposition has been saying that this government is the most corrupt in recent history, but as pointed out before, the majority yet basking in the victory over the LTTE has taken little notice. However there is a difference when accusations of corruption in mega projects emanate from within the Rajapaksa administration. Recently, Minister Maithripala Sirisena, was at a function at the Central Bank with Minister Basil Rajapaksa in the chair, when he dropped a bombshell. He said that corruption is rife in the construction of highways and even the public  has become aware of it.  Basil did not utter a word but had watched Maithripala with furrowed brow. Many a Minister and Member of Parliament had congratulated Maithripala for his forthright words. An official present had informed him that a four kilometre stretch of road in the North had cost a staggering Rs 400 million. Maithripala followed this up on a later date in Polonnaruwa, when he held a progress meeting of flood affected areas. Minister Chandrasiri Sooriaratchi and Deputy Minister Siripala Gamlath were present when some heads of  Pradeshiya Sabhas said that the carpeting of roads were done in a sub standard  manner and the people were complaining. “It is better to get the blame for not making roads than to make them and yet be blamed,” said Maithripala. He is the General Secretary of the SLFP.

 

The Rajapaksa government has changed the original stubborn stand of simply thumbing their noses at the international community whenever the Darusman Report or the Channel 4 allegations were brought up, to that of debunking the reports with facts and figures. No less than Secretary of Defence has taken the lead in this operation. The futility of an APC in the backdrop of the Secretary Defence’s statement to Indian TV Channel Headlines Today is not lost on India or the TNA.  The government’s sincerity of purpose or lack of it, towards a political settlement will be exposed  sooner than later. ­

 

(SL)