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. |