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| Sunday, 30 May 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Cardiac problems torment UNP From the Kraal Mahout A clear prediction is now seen of a heavy UNP defeat at the forthcoming election to find members for the six Provincial Councils in the Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa, Uva, Central and North Central regions. The UNP kick-off for this election began with a bad omen. First it appointed a Select Committee on candidates which comprised novices in the party. Secondly, a defeated candidate like Karunasena Kodituwakku was nominated as the Chief Ministerial candidate. Later, Kodituwakku declined the nomination, pushing the party into a severe crisis. Party stalwarts in the six provinces were sidelined due to pressure brought on the leadership by a young group in the party who demands 'restructuring' of the machinery. The UPFA is confident of winning five provinces in grand style while it will also grab victory in the Central Province even by a slender margin. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's Government is sitting pretty with the parliamentary election victory and the triumph gained at the Wayamba PC election. The UNP looks dormant at grass-root level after the parliamentary election defeat. With the UNP house on fire in Colombo, the heart of the party, Ranil Wickremesinghe will witness a humiliating defeat in the Western Province. Wickremesinghe confidante, Milinda Moragoda, unhappy over the manner in which the Select Committee on candidates handled selections, has decided to distance himself from provincial election affairs. He claims that the novices are working towards a strategy towards defeat to mount pressure to oust his leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. Kodituwakku's nomination as chief minister earlier was seen as a bad omen by party stalwarts. He lost the Kaduwela seat and was severely beaten on the preference votes at the April election. Party men say Buddhist monks fell out with the party over a remark made by Kodituwakku as Education and Cultural Affairs Minister when the much respected Gangodawila Soma Thera passed away. According to close aides of the Chief Sanghanayake of the Amarapura Nikaya, the Chief Priest of the Chapter had requested Kodituwakku to allocate Independence Square as the venue for the cremation. They said that Kodituwakku had asked what Soma Hamuduruwo had done for the country to be given a venue like Independence Square. Correct decision Angered by this remark, the Chief of the Amarapura Nikaya had sent a message to Buddhists in the Colombo district expressing his dissatisfaction and calling them to make the correct decision at the April General Election. This appeal was well heeded. The UNP's defeat in the Gampaha district at the July PC election in the Western Province is a foregone conclusion. It cannot match the joint voter power base of the SLFP and JVP in that district. At the April election, the UNP could only return six members to parliament from Gampaha. What is in store for July is a worse defeat. In the Kalutara district, another humiliating defeat for the UNP is in the offing. It is expected to be worse than the outcome at the April General Election. Aspiring UNP candidates say that the boastful Chief Opposition Whip Mahinda Samarasinghe and 'loud mouth' Rajitha Senaratne have nothing to offer towards a UNP victory. Both these so-called powerful men were defeated in their electorates at the April election, having enjoyed important ministerial portfolios. In Colombo, the UNP body looks like a patient complicated with many ailments. This patient is now reported to be under the care of inexperienced "Interns". Late President J.R. Jayewardene once described the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) as the heart of the UNP and the Colombo district as its body. If that was so, the present 'condition' of the UNP ruled CMC looks 'very sick' with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor at loggerheads. The CMC in the past was the machinery for the UNP to win the Colombo district. But, today it has become a patient suffering from cardiac problems. The UNP-elected Colombo district parliamentarian, Mano Ganeshan is said to be leading a separate group under the Western Province People's Front and that will grab the UNP Tamil vote. So, the UNP body in Colombo appears to be suffering from not only cardiac-related problems, but also from ailments like 'blood sugar' that would cause 'hypo-glyceamia' with partymen going in different directions. This scenario could lead to a possible 'hypo-glyceamia' diagnosis necesitating amputation of the UNP limbs. This complicated condition of the UNP heart and body appears to worry party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe very much. His party enters the PC election fray from the Colombo stronghold, unable to nominate a candidate for the chief ministership. Opposition Leader These bad omens indicate that Wickremesinghe now has to be ready to find a man to be the Opposition Leader of the Western Provincial Council. As things are, even this will be a difficult task for him. The UPFA enters the fray in a confident mood with a formidable person to be the Chief Minister. Media Minister, Reginald Cooray was expected to resign and contest the post. As a former Chief Minister and Provincial Education Minister, Cooray had done much more for education than what Kodituwakku did for the teachers and students in the province. Therefore, Cooray is already miles ahead in the contest. There is hardly anytime left to administer treatment to revive the UNP body in Colombo to give the party some strength. Cardiac and blood sugar ailments cannot be cured overnight. The condition is so serious that the UNP heart may need a 'by-pass surgery' to be followed up by a daily course of 'Insulin'. UNP's top 'Consultant', "Professor Ranil Wickremesinghe" will now have to conduct an in depth investigation on the UNP body to find out why the condition deteriorated to such an extent over the past two years despite he being the second in command of the country. He has also to probe whether his "General Physicians" gave him a wrong diagnosis of the patient during that period he was busy with 'channel consultations' from donor countries like Norway, Japan, UK and USA. But now "Prof. Wickremesinghe" will not only have to refer books on cardiology but also books on "Body, Mind and Sugar" authored by the renowned forensic expert, Prof. S.J. Smith. Wickremesinghe's discarded Defence Minister, Tilak Marapana could help him as Marapana being a Chemistry Graduate, has read this book by Prof. Smith and has knowledge on how to administer the drug "Euglecon" to serious patients suffering from hypo-glyceamic conditions. Next week the Kraal Mahout will visit other provinces where elections are due. |
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