UNP Working Committee strengthens Ranil's hands

The United National Party makes a big hue and cry over democracy but the party itself seems to have forgotten the basic principles of democracy. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe strengthened his grip by obtaining a mandate from the party's working committee on various policy matters which will strengthen his position which is challenged by Deputy leader Sajith Premadasa.

Instead of annual elections, an amendment that was brought to the party constitution recently, was abolished by the UNP Working Committee that gave further sweeping powers to the party leader. The UNP Working Committee decided that election of the party leader will be held once in six years - a decision that would enable the incumbent leader Wickremesinghe to hold on to his seat for six more years.

Wickremesinghe consolidated his position in the party on Thursday, after the UNP Working Committee did away with the annual secret ballot for the election of its leader and other office bearers. Instead, the party decided to hold such elections only once in six years. The UNP also decided that the appointments to the posts of General Secretary, Treasurer and Chairman should made at the discretion of the party leader.

It was only last year that the UNP introduced amendments to its constitution, to appointment office bearers through a secret ballot among working committee members whenever there was no consensus. Under these amendments, the party held its first secret ballot in December, at which Wickremesinghe was reappointed as the leader along with Daya Gamage as the national organiser and Sajith Premadasa as the deputy leader.

However, a committee headed by President's Counsel Srinath Perera later proposed that the party should do away with the new system as it affects the unity of the party. According to UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, President's Counsel Tilak Marapana moved a resolution, based on recommendations of the Perera Committee, calling for the abolition of Section 8-I of the party constitution which introduced annual secret ballots.

Attanayake said that it was the unanimous decision by the party to appoint the UNP leader, deputy leader, assistant leader and the national organiser once in six years and the approval of the Working Committee had been obtained.

The new amendments would mean that the UNP will have to face the next Presidential Election and General Election scheduled for 2016 under his shaky leadership. Whether the UNP stalwarts would allow Wickremesinghe, who has lost two Presidential elections before and lost 23 other elections under his tottering leadership, is yet to be known.

UNP seniors banned from DNA meetings

UNP seniors have been banned from attending meetings of DHA, presided over by Sarath Fonseka. It was the UNP that took Fonseka on a political fantasy ride by naming him as the so-called common candidate and extended support to him at the 2010 Presidential election. It was a public secret that the UNP leadership isolated Fonseka during his election campaign which ultimately turned out to be a nightmare.

Day after day news reports say that Fonseka is ready to work with the UNP on three conditions. The UNP Working Committee dropped a bombshell by banning its members having discussions with Fonseka and his party or attending joint political events. It appears that such a drastic decision has been taken to push Sajith Premadasa and his UNP Reformists away from Fonseka.

Referring to Fonseka's claim that he would join the main Opposition party on three conditions, Wickremesinghe had said that Fonseka could do so by paying Rs. 20 and obtaining a party membership card. When questioned by Hambantota District UNP parliamentarian Dilip Wedarachchi at the Working Committee meeting as to why the UNP is not taking any effort to get Fonseka into the UNP, Wickremesinghe had declared that the retired Army commander, who was defeated at the last Presidential election, could do so by obtain a membership.

But DNA parliamentarian Jayantha Ketagoda has said that it is unfair for the UNP to treat Fonseka in such a manner after putting him in trouble. Replying to Wickremesinghe's claim that Fonseka should pay Rs. 20 and obtain membership if he wants to join the UNP, Ketagoda had said that the entire UNP membership should go to Fonseka and invite him to join the UNP.

Unconstitutional, says Maithree

Meanwhile, Southern Provincial Council UNP member Maithree Gunaratne claimed that the recent amendments are against the UNP constitution. Comparing the UNP leader to dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini, Gunaratne had said that 90 percent of members in the Working Committee danced to the tune of the party leader. He added that such controversial decision at a time the party is preparing for Provincial Council elections would demoralise UNP seniors and supporters.

The UNP last week decided that its Members of Parliament cannot hold individual meetings in the lead up to the Provincial Council elections. However, Deputy Leader Premadasa is not going to abide by the decision taken by the party. Accordingly, Premadasa addressed a 'solo meeting' in Eheliyagoda and was scheduled to have his own series of public meetings in Deraniyagala, Ruwanwella, Yatiyanthota and Bulathkohupitiya in support of certain UNP candidates contesting the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council. While some claim that Premadasa's deputy leadership is in danger, the reformist group is of the view that such action would pose a severe challenge to Wickremesinghe's leadership. But one thing is crystal clear - that the internal power struggle with in the UNP would intensify in the weeks to come.

SLMC decision upsets Muzzamil

Many in the Opposition were initially overjoyed by the SLMC decision not to contest the Eastern Provincial Council with the ruling UPFA. But days later, they realised that such decision would further strengthen the UPFA as the members who will be elected under the SLMC ticket would join the UPFA after the election. This was clearly evident by the SLMC decision to contest the North Central Provincial Council with the UPFA. UNP's Colombo Mayor M.J.M. Muzzamil was among the first in the Opposition to realise the advantage the UPFA gets through such a move.

The SLMC has reiterated it will be with the Government even though the party contests separately at the Eastern PC election. SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem said the decision to contest separate was taken by the SLMC Executive Committee after a series of discussions with several Government Ministers, including Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena and Petroleum Industries Minister Susil Premajayantha.

According to Minister Hakeem, the SLMC decision to contest separately taken with the consent of these senior UPFA members.

He noted that the SLMC is still a part of the ruling coalition and the decision to contest the Eastern Province separately was not a threat to the Government. "The decision to contest the polls separately was based on what was the best for the party and its members. The SLMC will join the UPFA after winning the Eastern Provincial Council and never part from the UPFA," the SLMC leader said.

He pointed out that the UPFA, on many occasions, allowed certain constituent political parties to contest separately, keeping their own identities. "The SLMC has not betrayed the UPFA though it contests separately. The cordial rapport between the SLMC and the UPFA will remain usual," Hamkeem said, shattering the dreams of the Opposition.

Provincial Council polls on Sept. 8

The Elections Secretariat last week announced that the polls to elect members for the North Central, Eastern and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils will be held on September 8. The accepting of nominations for the three Provincial Councils ended at noon yesterday with a large number of political parties and independent groups filing nominations.

There are a total of 3,073 candidates contesting a total of 108 seats in the three Provincial Councils. Several nomination papers filed by political parties and independent groups were rejected due to anomalies. However, nominations filed by major political parties were not among them.

UPFA General Secretary, Minister Maithripala Sirisena said that the ruling alliance will definitely record a landslide victory at the forthcoming Provincial Council elections. "The UPFA is contesting the election with the confidence of gaining victory because the UPFA government has carried out unprecedented development in the provinces during the past four years. The UPFA will launch its victorious election campaign today," Minister Sirisena said He said the Opposition, especially the UNP was fearing these elections as they know they will definitely be defeated. "The Opposition tried to make use of the drought experienced in many parts of the country for political gain. But the government was blessed with thundershowers in the drought striken areas," the minister said. He said after eradicating terrorism, the government has put the country on the course of rapid development.

Minister Dallas Alahapperuma said the UPFA is ready to contest the elections to the three provinces confidently. "The Opposition is very weak while the government is strong and receives the support of other political parties," he said. He challenged the UNP to secure at least six seats at the Eastern Provincial Council election. Addressing a press conference at the Mahaweli Centre, the Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister said UNP leaders were not able to sit together even for a photograph and it was becoming unpopular among the masses as rifts in the party were increasing day by day. "A recent analysis revealed the UNP will obtain third or fourth place at the Eastern Provincial Council election," he said.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa last week had a discussion with share market representatives at the Temple Trees to obtain their views and suggestions to formulate budget proposals for 2013. In his capacity as the Minister of Finance and Planning, the President discussed getting the share market involved in economic development and also how the share market could be modernised to face global challenges.

The discussion also focussed on the share market's involvement in empowering local entrepreneurs. Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Geetanjana Gunawardena, Parliamentarian Sajin Vass Gunawardena, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Finance and Planning Ministry Secretary P. B. Jayasundera also participated.

Unruly incidents in Mannar last week was a good talking point for the Opposition. Though such unruly acts should be rejected in toto, the Opposition was attempting to gain maximum mileage from the incidents even after the President directed the IGP to make a full investigation.

Mannar SP's action hailed

Mannar Police officers exercised utmost restraint in dispersing the crowd protesting opposite the Mannar magistrate's courts. The prompt action taken by the Police to disperse the crowd in a peaceful manner without using force, earned the praise of a wide cross section of the public.

It is learnt that Mannar Superintendent of Police had advised protestors who acted in a violent manner in several places in Mannar town, including the Magistrate's Court premises, to disperse immediately as their action disrupted peace in the area.

Police officers led by Mannar SP had averted a major clash by dispersing the crowd which pelted stones at the Mannar Magistrate's Court. The Police had dispersed the violent crowd in such a manner that no protestor was subjected to harassment during that exercise.

The Police Department received plaudits from a wide section of people, including professionals, at a time when certain segments are making baseless allegations over the conduct of the Police during this incident.

Police Department sources said Police have succeeded in apprehending the suspects who were involved in 13 out of 14 crimes that took place at Kahawatte.

Foreign funding for political parties

Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena made a stunning disclosure last week. Speaking in the Parliament on Tuesday, the Minister that ten political parties among the 64 political parties recognised by the Elections Commissioner, receive funds from foreign countries.

He revealed that the Democratic People's Liberation Front receives Rs 3.6 million annually, while the Padmanaba Eelam People's Revolutionary Front receives Rs. 875,000 and Eelavar Democratic Front receives Rs. 800,000 annually from foreign members.

According to a document table by the Minister, the Ceylon Workers' Congress receives Rs. 593,000, the Eelam People's Revolutionary Front receives Rs. 500,000, the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation receives Rs. 490,000, the National Freedom Front receives Rs. 275,000, the Tamil United Liberation Front receives Rs. 170,000 and the United National Party receives Rs. 49,500 annually from overseas.

The Minister also said that according to the documents presented by the Elections Commissioner, 43 political parties, including the UPFA, did not receive foreign funds. He also revealed that four political parties had not submitted account reports. It is important to investigate whether the money sent by LTTE supporters and diaspora to these political parties had affected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.