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| Sunday, 12 March 2006 |
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Disce Aut Disce De for Ranil! Sunday Politics by Nandana Vindana The motto of Royal College, Colombo, "Disce Aut Disce De" (Learn or Depart) is likely to become effective if the United National Party (UNP) suffers a defeat at the forthcoming local government elections. Ranil Wickremesinghe, an old Royalist leads the UNP at the fifteenth election after taking over the mantle from from former President Dingiri Banda Wijetunga. Of the 13 polls, Wickremesinghe suffered 12 defeats as against a solitary win in 2002. That victory too was gained by forming a coalition under the banner 'United National Front'. Upto that time, the UNP was able to boast that it formed governments as a single party in the post-independence history of elections. Wickremesinghe's party appears to be fragmented badly. The controversy over the Colombo Municipal Council nomination list stands unresolved with the report of the two member committee on the issue taking cover behind the ongoing inquiry before the Court of Appeal. The UNP leader says he would make public that document only after the elections are held. Messrs; Milinda Moragoda and Mohamed Maharoof are being accused on that issue. Moragoda is a confidante of Wickremesinghe. But, the faction opposed to the combine of Moragoda and Maharoof demand stern action against the duo. There is another faction led by SLFP 'cross over' Mahinda Wijesekere touring the country introducing S. B. Dissanayake as the "Anagatha Nayakathuma" (future leader). The Wijesekere led faction demands that SB should be appointed as a Deputy Leader on par with Karu Jayasuriya in addition to SB's post as National Organiser. Supporters of Jayasuriya vehemently oppose this move claiming that the party should only have one deputy leader. Meanwhile, the Ravi-Karunanayake-Rajitha Senaratne faction opposed to the combine of Moragoda and Maharoof want former UNP strongman Sirisena Cooray out from the crutches of that combine. They feel Cooray is a better commodity compared to Maharoof in Colombo Central at future elections as Maharoof now has a fragmented UNP vote base in the once Premadasa heartland. The battle between Azath Sally and Maharoof has divided the Muslim vote in Colombo Central. Mano Ganeshan who formed the Western Province Peoples Front had grabbed the Tamil vote. The dispute between Maharoof and Sanghadasa has split the Sinhala vote. Therefore, the Ravi-Rajitha faction is of the opinion that appointing Cooray as a Co-Organiser for Colombo Central would be a healthy move. Though Maharoof represents Colombo Central, the electorate belongs to UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. The factions opposed to Maharoof propose that Wickremesinghe should enter parliament on the National List at future elections to pave way for Cooray, a Premadasa loyalist to represent Colombo Central along with Maharoof as Premadasa and Jabir A. Cader did in the past. A secret survey conduct by some analysts at 'Siri Kotha' had revealed that Maharoof's popularity has dropped considerably in the electorate. At the last general election he was placed seventh in the Colombo list and his preferences dropped by over thirty thousand.At the 2000 elections, Maharoof was placed fourth in list with over 80,000 preferences. A survey conducted by SB Dissanayake's faction indicate that the local polls would be another set back to the party as it was likely to lose major municipal councils enjoyed by the UNP over the years. The survey indicates that Chilaw, Negombo, Galle, Dehiwala-Mt.Lavinia and Ja-Ela were some key areas where the UNP is expected lose. In all these councils there 's battle within for the Mayoralty. The former UNP Negombo Mayor has already quit the party to contest as an independent candidate. In Chilaw, the political uncertainty of UNP Parliamentarians within the party has given momentum to the SLFP candidates in local government polls fray. In Galle a similar scenario prevails. The Dehiwala-Mt.Lavinia UNP nomination list has six former Mayors and a former cabinet minister. There's infighting to the hilt. Former cabinet minister, Sunethra Ranasinghe has flexed muscles against the six former mayors. Sunethra, daughter of former UNP minister, late S. De S.Jayasinghe and cousin of former UNP Mayor, Susil Jayasinghe has openly taken on the incumbent mayor, Dhanasiri Amaratunga. Another former mayor, Srinath Lalaka Kumarasinghe, himself a former parliamentarian is on the guard as he experienced Sunethra's 'toughness' at the last general election where the latter stormed one of his pocket meetings, reportedly kicked a stool on which cool dronks and a flower bouquet was kept. She had yelled that though she was Ranasinghe by name, the blood that ran through her veins belonged to the 'tough' Jayasinghe clan from Kohuwala. The crisis in the UNP in the contest for this council has given the edge to the SLFP leader of the Opposition of the Council, Kesaralal Gunesekere and his men in the fray. The UNP's hope in the Colombo Municipal Council is at stake with the fate still hanging in the balance. The Appeal Court is yet to make a determination on the objections raised by the UNP over the rejection of the list by the Elections Department. The issue before court was the inclusion of an under aged boy in the youth list. Over this, another issue surfaced where former councillor, T. M. Sanghadasa's name was 'tippexed' and replaced with the name of Maharoof's Coordinating Officer, Wijepala. Tough action has been called to punish the culprits. But, the UNP leader maintains a low profile. Disgust, dissatisfaction, disunity, disorder and disillusion appear to rule and rein in the UNP. With another defeat at hand, will it be'Disce Aut Disce De" for Royalist Ranil Wickremesinghe? |
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