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| Sunday, 29 May 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Politics take back seat as Vesak comes to the fore Political Commentary by Spectator
Last week was relatively quiet on the political front as the country prepared for the Vesak celebrations. There were religious ceremonies throughout the country. The President, Prime minister and the Leader of the Opposition participated in many such ceremonies. There were several religious ceremonies at the President's House itself. The latter included a special program of Bhakti Gee (devotional song recital) in which many Ministers and members of the diplomatic corps participated. Ranil - Akil duo in Galle Meanwhile Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe spent the Vesak day in Galle with his close buddy Akil Viraj, an upcoming young UNP politician. He participated in a religious ceremony at Renumulla Sri Sumanaramaya to commemorate the tsunami dead where he pledged to rehabilitate 57 places of religious worship in Galle that were affected by the tsunami. Later in the day he partook of a special meal prepared at a dansela organized by the Galle Municipality and toured the district with UNP MPs Vajira, Gayantha, Hemakumara and Lionel Premasiri. Mangala's reception Minister Mangala Samaraweera hosted a reception at Beira Walk, Colombo on May 19 to which many media personnel and several ministers including Douglas Devananda, Pavitra Wanniarachchi, Dinesh Gunawardena, Jeevan Kumaratunga, A.H.M. Fowzie, Anura Yapa, Deputy Minister Sripathi Suriarachchi, and parliamentarian Mervyn Silva participated. The rest of the invitees were mainly from the business community. Yet nobody knows the exact reason for the reception. Perhaps ministers need not have a reason to party. Of politics and backbones Outside the precincts of parliament it is at receptions in five star hotels and diplomatic conclaves that politicians from rival parties exchange pleasantries. On May 22 there was a wedding reception at Hilton attended by Ranil and several senior UNPers as well as several UPFA ministers. It was the wedding of a close relative of Kabir Hashim one of Ranil's close confidantes. Besides Ranil it was attended by Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara, Chief Opposition Whip Mahinda Samarasinghe and Hemakumara Nanayakkara, MP among others. From the government ranks one could see Deputy Minister Professor Wishwa Warnapala and Ministers Pavitra Waniarachchi and A.H.M Fowzie. Other notable personalities present included Rupavahini Chairman M.M. Zuhair, Dr. Mushin and WPC Member Muzamil. While Mahinda, Wishwa and Muzamil were seated at one table, the adjoining table was occupied by Ranil, Fowzie, Hemakumara, Pavithra and some others. The conversation drifted naturally to the proposed post tsunami operational management structure in the North East. Mahinda Samarasinghe in reply to a question suddenly posed by Wishwa Warnapala said "Chandrika is a real man. Some though men are actually eunuchs". Some one queried "Does that mean your leader has no backbone"? "No, what I mean is only Chandrika has a backbone" he replied. The tsunami structure was also a subject of conversation at the adjoining table too. Ranil deftly avoided answering whether the UNP would support the structure but they could consider supporting if it extends to include a broad perspective on a solution to the ethnic question. A birthday with a difference On Vesak Day Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and Ms Rajapakse were invited to the Speaker's residence for a special occasion. The Premier after finishing the usual Poya Dhamma Desana ceremony at Temple Trees attended by several ministers left for the official residence of the Speaker. Many parliamentarians including Mahinda Samarasinghe, Susil Premjayantha, Wijedasa Rajapakse and many members of the Parliament staff were present when the Premier reached there. They had come to attend religious ceremonies at the place. The invitation to the PM was somewhat different. It was for a birthday party. It was when Ms. Shiranthi Rajapakse was invited by the Speaker to cut the special birthday cake that those present knew what the occasion was. It was the 22nd birthday of the Speaker's son. At the tea party that followed the two Mahindas were seen discussing an embarrassing situation that the PM had to face a few days back. It was only two days before that the helicopter in which the PM was travelling to Anuradhapura did a sudden unscheduled landing at a paddy field in Panduwasnuwara due to a mechanical failure. "I felt a difference all of a sudden. I thought the chopper was crashing down. Before I could inquire it had already landed safe. My hair stood on end,' said the PM in reply to the other Mahinda's query. The pilot had not warned the PM earlier not to cause panic. Anura in India Industry, Tourism and Investment Promotion Minister Anura Bandaranaike together with a host of officials participated in an official function in Bangalore, India where a branch of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka was opened on May 22. The function was attended by Indian Industries Minister D.D.R. Sindia and over 150 entrepreneurs from India. Besides delivering a lecture and giving a press conference the Sri Lankan minister also participated in the Buddha Purnima Vesak Program at the Sai Baba Centre in Bangalore. Karu Jayasuriya meets Sai Baba Incidentally the Purnima Program was organised by the UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya, a devout Sai Baba follower and an enthusiastic member of the Sai Baba Centre at Barnes Place, Colombo. He had gone there with about 2000 accomplices. Spending a lot of money he replicated the Dalada Perahera at the Sai Centre in Bangalore with the help of dance maestro Ravibandu Vidyapati. Also seen at the Purnima program was Tissa Attanayake, the Deputy Secretary. He had also gone to meet Sai Baba with the intention of getting some solace from his woes. Also seen were Dunesh Gankanda, Maven Dissanayake, Lanka Disanayake and prominent other UNPers. Lal Kantha hits news headlines "Lal Kantha removed from all positions in JVP Trade Unions", squeaked banner headlines in almost all media sympathetic to the UNP. It was repeatedly alleged that this was a move by the JVP to appease the President as Lal Kantha had been openly critical of her in the past. The JVP kept mum as it ignored these malicious and ignorant stories. The decision to relieve him of his TU obligations was an internal matter of the party. Actually it was to relieve him somewhat from the enormous workload he was entrusted with by the party. His assistant from the Gampaha district S. Amarasinghe was also relieved from his TU work as he is to take over organizational activities in Gampaha from Vijita Herath who is burdened with work at this ministry. Yet the UNP is making use of these routine changes to its propaganda advantage. A new Muslim Alliance A new Muslim political party is in the offing. Its objective according to reports is to wean away Muslim youth from undemocratic organizations and methods of struggle that are threatening to emerge in the East. Since the main Muslim political parties - the SLMC and the NUA are linked with the two principal national political parties Muslims at the receiving end of LTTE harassment are feeling somewhat orphaned. Hence the emergence of a favourable ground situation for the new party. The new party is supposed to have a structure akin to the JVP where the supreme leadership will not be parliamentarians or will not hold government office. It is supposed to comprise religious leaders, academics and other intellectuals. Already Amir Ali, Rishard Badiudeen, R.R.R. Zahed, Y.L.L. Hameed, Naushad, Harz and Hasis are reported to be among the leaders of this new party. At present the Convener of this new party is M.M. Mussamil. Panditharatne report It was in the aftermath of the UNP defeat at the last General Election that its Political Committee entrusted to an investigating committee headed by former UNP Chairman N.G. Panditharatne to submit a comprehensive report analysing the failures and weaknesses of the party and recommending measures concerning the party's future course of action. Though the Committee report was handed over to Ranil on November 15 last year it was not presented even to the Political Committee. Malik Samarawickrema was of the opinion that it should not be submitted as it was damaging to the Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. The latter agreed with Malik. However, a copy of the report has reached a senior minister of the government last week as a result of the internal dissentions within the UNP. The report could be out very soon. SB surrenders S.B. Dissanayake currently serving a hard labour sentence in prison is a disillusioned man. He scolds even those who visit him in prison. His anger is mostly directed vehemently at the Leader. He alleges that the UNP leadership has betrayed him and his political ego. Milinda was to meet the President on behalf of SB on May 27 at the President's House. Even he got a scolding from SB when he informed him of the meeting." I asked you to meet H.E. Why did you tell it to Ranil. Ranil made a joke of it with the help of his media acolytes. Only I am placed in an embarrassing situation," he frowned. SB told Milinda there is no point in meeting H.E. after everything was spoilt by Ranil and Co. SB alleges Ranil does not welcome his re-entry into politics and is bent on destroying him. SB's desire is to earn a pardon before June 7 when he completes six months of his sentence. If he continues to be any longer in prison he will forfeit his membership in Parliament. That is why Ranil hesitated to give the party's blessings to SB's plea for a pardon. Ranil prunes Peraliya funds Last Sunday Ranil summoned Malik Samarawickrema and Tushara Guneratne and inquired about the progress of party newspapers and propaganda. The rest of his Special media committee was abroad. Malik gave a detailed report. Ranil inquired about payments to newspapers and journalists. Once again Malik gave a detailed report including even the payment of allowances and bonuses to state and private media personnel close to the party. It was then that Ranil came to the subject. He asked: "How much are you spending on Peraliya - SB's paper'? "Rs. 200, 000," replied Malik. "How many copies are printed"? ""5000". "According to reports received by me the total print order is only 2000. It is not selling. That's why I was against relaunching even the Siyarata. This is a project by SB. The Party has no benefit from it. " "How could we stop it now"? "Reduce the grant by half. Pay only Rs. 100,000. Distribute the rest among our loyal journalists." Malik approved the Leader's proposals. JVP in Japan JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe and Publicity Secretary Wimal Weerawansa received an official invitation to visit Japan. The Politbureau of the JVP was of the opinion that both could not be spared in view of the current political situation in the country and recommended to send Amarasighe and Nandana Gunatilake. However, JVP loyalists in Japan had arranged a series of meetings with Weerawansa and were ready to finance his trip. Under these circumstances it was decided to send him to Japan on a separate visit. A certain TV Channel on hearing the news of their departure sent a camera crew to the VIP gate at the BIA in Katunayake but they had to return empty-handed as the JVP delegation used the normal gate. Thus another propaganda blitz came to naught. Sudath gains Sashikala On May 24, the day following Vesak there was a special party at the Dehiwala - Mt. Lavinia Mayor's residence near the Zoological Gardens. No, it had nothing to do with Vesak. Only a select crowd was invited. Mayor Dhanasiri Amaratunge informed the invitees that it was a party to celebrate Sudath Chandrasekera's victory in the legal battle over Sashikala, wife of Sarath Ranawake, UNP MP. Sarath Ranawake had filed a case in Mt. Lavinia Court against Sudath Chandrasekera for abducting his wife. It was a scandal that rocked the UNP. The Leader had summoned both parties and advised them to come to an amicable settlement. Accordingly the case was compounded by granting divorce to Sashikala allowing her to lead a discreet union with Sudath. Thus Sudath gained Sashikala. It was to this joyful union that the Mayor wanted to celebrate on behalf of his friend. Few friends who stood by Sudath in this difficult hour were present. They included Ravi Dissanayake, Malu Suranga, proprietor of Stardust Casino Ravi Wijeratne and Kithsiri Manchanayake. Of course, Sashikala Hettiarachchi was there too. Yet Sudath's worries were not over. He lamented that he had to pay his entire salary of Rs. 14,000 pr month as compensation to his legal wife Sagarika Lourdes Peiris and children who live at Nugegoda. The friends promised to help him in his need. Yet they reminded him of others who received Sudath's help earlier and have now abandoned him in his hour of need. "Yes, I helped Johnny, Indika, Ranga, Neomal without expecting anything in return. But they have deserted me. Now I am back at work. The boss trusts me. Hereafter, I will be very careful." retorted Sudath. It was past 2 a.m. the following day when the party broke off.
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