|
|
|
| Sunday, 9 October 2005 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
SLMC, CWC
keep somersault option open
Campaign trail by Ranga Jayasuriya Rauff Hakeem likes suspense, both in literal and political sense. So does his counterpart in the Central Hills, the Ceylon Workers' Congress leader Arumugan Thondaman. The two politicians kept the Sri Lankan electorate in suspense for weeks, if not months. But, when Thondaman walked into the press conference at the Trans Asia Hotel to announce his party's decision, everyone already knew what it is going to be. It was the same with the SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem as both of them, despite their political strategy, could not stand up against temptation when media people rang them; they hinted where their support would go. When Hakeem spoke on a radio news channel last week, in the middle of a party central committee meeting, to decide on the party position, he said the party supporters are insisting that the SLMC throws its weight behind the UNP candidate, Ranil Wickremesinghe. "But we have not decided yet, we will continue inter-party deliberations," he was quick to add. Ask the SLMC President Hasan Ali, he would say: "We have decided to support Ranil, but we haven't yet decided to announce it". So the electorate is compounded with a sense of suspense. On Wednesday, Thondaman decided to call it a day on his part. Back from New York, he was privileged to attend the UN General Assembly along with the President Kumaratunga, he summoned a media briefing to announce his party's support to Ranil Wickremesinghe and added CWC parliamentarians in the Cabinet would tender their resignations soon after the President returns from France. But, he too is playing safe. Thondaman said CWC would continue its good relations with SLFP Presidential hopeful Mahinda Rajapakse. So he keeps room for future political somersaults whoever wins the Presidential Election. Hakeem would follow suit. That means Ranil Wickremesinghe had secured the support of two main minority parties. But, with all respect to Hakeem, we all know that the Muslim vote is fragmented. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress is no longer the party it was to be under the founding leader, A. H. M. Ashraff. Ferial Ashraff, Ashraff's widow and her National Unity Alliance have thrown their weight behind Rajapakse. And the SLMC has faced crossovers by a number of MPs, some of whom are now Cabinet ministers. Eastern Muslim vote base is no longer a unified group. November 17 Elections would reveal the real strength of Hakeem and his party. And the media is occupied with the two main contenders, understandably to the dismay of the others who have joined the race expecting publicity for their cause, like most of the candidates of tiny left wing factions of the kind of Sirithunga Jayasuriya of the United Socialist Party, Wijaya Dias of Socialist Equality Party and Chamli Jayantha of the New Left Front. But, undoubtedly there are also proxy candidates, who will donate their free air time to one of the main candidates. And there are business tycoons like Dr. Victor Hettigoda campaigning for a different cause. We have seen him lecturing to youth on television on the path to success. That program could have cost him a lot. But, no longer does he need to pay for air time. He, as a presidential candidate, is entitled to free air time on the State TV. Walking on the streets, the presidential aspirants are staring at the public from the city walls. But, if the Elections Commissioner exercises powers bestowed on him under Elections Act and 17th Amendment, these life size cutouts of beaming future Presidents would not last much longer. The Elections Commissioner, Dayananda Dissanayake has announced that he would order police to remove election related decorations once nominations were closed on October 7. Back to the two main candidates, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe are making a gamut of promises. A week ago, the UNP released its manifesto which pledged to provide 3 million jobs in the next 10 years and to achieve 10 per cent economic growth. (The Rajapakse camp is still working on their manifesto, which will be released after the nominations) The Prime Minister has already promised to increase pensions by 70 per cent and reintroduce the pension scheme. Both Hakeem and Thondaman have announced their support and the JVP and JHU are already on Rajapakse's election platform. But one uncertainty remains unresolved: Whom the LTTE proxy Tamil National Alliance would support. The TNA MPs would say they are not interested in the outcome of the election. Because, their masters in Kilinochchi do not want to accept the sovereignty of the Sri Lankan State. But, they would have to make up their minds and decide on their support. Perhaps they may have already done it. But, like Hakeem and Thondaman, they are also keeping the electorate in suspense. |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Produced by Lake House |
