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Sunday Observations: The Political Column

Dramatic turn in politics

Local politics has taken a dramatic turn for the better of the people and the nation. The move initiated by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to establish a new political culture devoid of confrontation has proved a success. The President initially got the two major political parties, the SLFP and the UNP to work together on national issues. Accordingly, two committees were set up. These two committees are proceeding in a very satisfactory manner as described by UNP Parliamentarian, Prof. G. L. Peiris.

He was optimistic this week that the success story of both sides will be fruitful to the nation by the end of this month.

The UNP has followed the action set in motion by the President. This week, UNP Parliamentarian, T. Maheswaran sought permission from his leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe to start a dialogue with the JVP on national issues. Maheswaran was in consultation with JVP’s K. D. Lal Kantha and the latter too held the view that both parties should engage in a dialogue to discuss national issues. However, Lal Kantha told Maheswaran that the invitation should first emanate from the UNP. Maheswaran who briefed Wickremesinghe on the outcome of his talks with Lal Kantha moved that a four-member committee be appointed to talk to the JVP. Wickremesinghe told Maheswaran that he was in no way opposed to start a dialogue with the JVP. Unconfirmed reports said Bandula Gunawardene, Vajira Abeywardene, Gamini Jayawickreme Perera and Maheswaran were appointed to the committee to discuss with the JVP. But, UNP Deputy General Secretary, Tissa Attanayake on Friday claimed that no such committee had been named but the UNP had planned to hold discussions with all opposition political parties on national issues.

In another turn of events, the senior member of the JVP, Nandana Gunatilleke relinquished all posts he held in the party on Friday. Gunatilleke, once a presidential candidate and former Cabinet Minister claimed his views were defeated within the party on national issues. He told the media on Friday that he stood for unity among all parties to find a durable solution to the crisis in the country acceptable to all parties and the people. However, Gunatilleke said he would remain in the party and work towards the interests of the nation and the people. He also claimed that there was a section within the party who endorsed his views. Gunatilleke has from the beginning been advocating a moderate path with regard to the ethnic problem.

The UNP’s invitation to the JVP is likely to be made early this week, party sources disclosed. The four-member committee has been told by Wickremesinghe to prepare an agenda for talks.

This agenda is to be put before the Parliamentary group for discussion and approval. Maheswaran was seen campaigning in Parliament this week among the rank and file of the UNP to push the idea for talks with the JVP. Lal Kantha had indicated to Maheswaran the need to strengthen the 17th Amendment to the constitution.

Maheswaran had in turn stressed the need to resolve the ethnic crisis in the country in a fair and just manner with adequate devolution.

Maheswaran has told Wickremesinghe that a dialogue with the JVP was timely when the UNP was engaged in talks with the SLFP on national issues. The UNP leader has said that he would prefer if a time frame was designed to avoid delay and had cited the ongoing talks with the SLFP as an example. The ongoing talks between the UNP and the SLFP are likely to wind up at the end of this month. Thereafter, it is likely that the UNP would take a step further by entering the All Party Conference where the ethnic crisis is being presently discussed to obtain expert views.

In another move towards all party cohabitation, the political parties in the Colombo Municipal Council last week appointed a committee comprising representatives of all parties to work together. The idea was mooted by Opposition Leader, Vasudeva Nanayakkara and it was accepted. The CMC administration was in turmoil as the ruling “Spectacle Group” was in division from the day it got power in the council.

UNPers outside the CMC administration were being charged with this division within the ruling group. All efforts made by the UNP to get the councillors in the ruling group to resign and make way for them proved futile. In that backdrop, former UNP strongman, Sirisena Cooray met the Western Province Governor, Alavi Mowlana to push for a dissolution of the Council. Mowlana told Cooray that he would take the issue before the President after the latter returned from New York. In the meantime, the CMC councillors jointly moved the idea to appoint an all party committee to assist the Mayor in the administration of the Council.

The CMC also approved a proposal by the Mayor to have his Coordinating Secretary, Sham Nawaz within the Chamber during sessions to assist the Mayor. It was the first time that an ‘outsider’ was allowed to be inside the chamber in the history of the CMC. Similarly the setting up of an all party team to run the administration is also seen as a first time feature in the council’s history.

The Mayor, Imtiyaz Mohammed faced the first storm in the council this week when he attempted to penalise workers who did not turn up for an educative workshop.

He ordered the administration to deduct one day’s overtime of the absentees. A workforce of over 400 stormed his office in protest against the move.

The Mayor, then appointed a committee to examine the reasons for being absent from the workshop.

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