The President works for his constituency, and peddles the tough line

Sunday Observations: The Political Column

It's going to be summit time. President Mahinda Rajapakse will be addressing the Non Aligned summit in Havana, and then jetting it to New York to address the United Nations - a case of hi and Bye Fidel, and Hello Uncle Sam.

It's just as well.

He has had grudging battles at home, but however has presided over a somewhat uneasy security situation, but prevailed to win the plaudits - - particularly of the Tamil political community for his efforts at a bi-partisan solution to the national question.

This week he fielded question from the UNHCR chief. The President's position was that the LTTE's latest act of sabotage, ---- the closing of the Mavilaru anicut -- was the last in a series in which the patience of the government - and the people of the north East was tested.

Said he also, that the Muslim community has been so long suffering at the hands of the LTTE, that it was an issue that perhaps required special attention.

The President has reason to be rankled.

He pitched into government Ministers, some of whom were spearheading union strikes or their own political gain.

In Balangoda, inaugurating Maga Neguma, the village re-awakening drive, the President stressed that the state had almost gone out of its way to look after interests of the government servants. Allowances and remuneration packages, were all part of their deal.

His considered view was that this should not be at the expense of keeping the villagers and peasants of this country. The port strikes and the petroleum strike, he said, cost the government money which could well be used for village development.

This was his mantra at the cabinet sessions, where he found the majority of the government parliamentary group in agreement with him that the elements in government who had propped up the strikers had to be given their last warning.

His words for Bharatha Laksham Premachandra were even less that kind as well. He faulted Premachandra who was the President's coordinator for union issues, as having struck a deal against ministerial command.

At the Cabinet sessions, the President's resolve was to play tough.

He was of the firm view that it's the Ppresident who gets the flak when a strike occurs. The buck stops with him.

His resolve was to circumvent the strike action, with a game plan -- but last minute negotiations obviated the need for this course of action.

The Mavilaru episode elicited a reaction that was tough, and at least in this instance, the tough line in his mind had follow through.

But, there is always hyperbole. The speculation in newspapers -- not of this group - - that the JVP will join the government proved to be vastly exaggerated.

The issue is that the JVP needs to create the post election conditions within its fold, to effectively present a platform for its own constituency - - a rationale, more like it - - to join the government ranks.

Even though JVP and government had certain points of disagreement - - even in the Manel Mal campaign which was for raising funds on behalf of the forces, there was no doubt about it -- this was time for considering reconciliation.