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| Sunday, 11 July 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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UNP kept in suspense From the Kraal Mahout Election fever is now over. The Government and the Opposition are embroiled in a contest to show which side has the majority in Parliament. This contest seems to be interesting at a time election fever is over. The UNP-led Opposition in Parliament boasts of a majority in the House. The 82-member UNP is much dependent on the minority parties that sit in the Opposition. The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), much at loggerheads with the UPFA Government, stands to its position that it would not help the joint opposition to topple the Government. The Government, after its victory in the Provincial Poll yesterday, is in a commanding position. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), which supports the UNP, is in disarray. Three of its parliamentarians have been issued 'show cause' letters. They have sought redress from Courts. Their application was allowed to proceed last week. The 106-member UPFA Government goes up to 109 with the support of these SLMC MPs who are taken to task by the party. With these votes in the UPFA bank, it has to attract only four more members to show their majority. Though the UNP had already announced their majority numbers, government parliamentary group leader, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse has kept the UPFA position a secret till the House meets on July 20. He is confident of a majority in the House that would enable the Government to continue and even pass a budget in the House. Keeping the UNP in suspense all the time has been the strategy of the UPFA Government. The UNP-led Opposition's efforts to pressurise Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara to summon parliament before the due date too failed as the Speaker upheld provisions of the Standing Orders to consult the Prime Minister. Box seat Given this situation, the UPFA Government, after its victory at the provincial level yesterday, looks to occupy the box seat in trying to capture four more votes. The UNP's supporting partner, the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) led by Arumugam Thondaman too has been keeping the UNP guessing about his decision whether or not to join government ranks. Thondaman last week hinted he would make his decision in the interest of the plantation community at the correct time. He had patiently waited for the conclusion of the provincial poll. The results of the Central Provincial Council election, the area Thondaman holds the key to, make his decision known to the people this morning when this column is read. If the UNP succeeds in winning the Central PC, it will be Thondaman who would be the decision maker of both the CPC and the UPFA majority in parliament. Thondaman leads a strong party among the minority parties in all political bodies under the proportional representation system as neither of the two major political parties get a clear mandate under this manipulated scheme introduced by the UNP old fox, J.R. Jayewardene. Political sources close to Thondaman believed on Saturday that Thondaman was likely to make a move towards supporting the Government by July 15. If Thondaman decides so, he would be taking eight members to sit with the UPFA Government to make a total of 117 in Government ranks. The UNP-led Opposition, which claims a total of 118, will not be able to depend on the seven JHU votes as the JHU is not in favour of any move to topple the government. Hence, the UNP-led Opposition numbers would stand at 111 with the support of the 22 Tamil National Alliance members and some SLMC members. Defection Thondaman's defection from the UNP even if the UNP loses the Central Provincial election will be a blow to the UNP strength in both the Parliament and provincial body. In both these fora, CWC numbers help make a strong ruling party. The CWC strongman is expected to meet his party stalwarts on Tuesday to discuss the political future of his party. The victory of the UPFA at provincial level has strengthened the mind of Thondaman who had kept his decision in suspense. It is learnt that five parliamentarians are in favour of the move to join the Government. One of them has urged the CWC leader to request the Ministry of Estate Infrastructure Development. The Government is likely to offer this ministry to Thondaman if he decides to support the UPFA Government. In case Thondaman defects from the UNP, the political future of the UNP will be uncertain. There would be much internal pressure on party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. Yesterday's defeat at the PC elections looks another setback to the party that was defeated in April. Now it looks that the UNP will need at least three years to reorganise the party. The UPFA by that time would emerge much stronger than today with three years in power at state and provincial level. Bomb attack Wednesday's suicide bomb explosion inside the Kollupitiya Police Station shocked the nation as it killed four policemen and wounded a dozen others. None expected that deadly explosions of this nature would make politicians happy. It is learnt that a party leader went into a happy mood for the first time after the April election on hearing the tragic news of the explosion. Close aides of this party leader at his office at Cambridge Terrace described that their leader was in a jubilant mood after three months as he had 'two in one day' to rejoice, with the other being an alleged incident involving the Chief Justice. So this jubilant party leader had left the city to proceed to the hill capital, Kandy to enjoy the cool climate in that salubrious environment that would give him much comfort to his jubilant day. On his way, this gray haired leader received a call from one of his close friends who was a former secretary to a key ministry. This jubilant party leader told the caller, "Charry, get ready and ask others also to get ready". Later in the night he was seen at a party with close associates at his party chairman's residence at a time four police officers had sacrificed their lives. The reason for the suddenly arranged party was not known. But the celebrations continued despite a nation being shocked over the suicide explosion. However, the Alliance Government efforts to bolster security at least prevented the suicide bomber taking the life of Minister Douglas Devananda in an unexpected moment. Some at the celebrations were puzzled at their leader's comment which said "get ready" on the phone. It also meant to some in the gathering that their leader was a man never ready for anything until something tragic happens at the expense of the people and the nation. |
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