Mangala’s secret meeting with Tiger cohorts bared

It is a public secret that all those who made a song and dance over the impeachment of Chief Justice Dr. Mrs. Shirani Bandaranayake did so to gain political mileage or put their personal agendas in motion.

Those who had political agendas included local NGO agents who thrive on foreign funding and opportunist Opposition politicians linked to LTTE cohorts and INGOs.

Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera, who has been struggling for his political survival, has been among the Opposition politicians who shed crocodile tears for Dr. Mrs. Bandaranayake attempting to gain petty political mileage.

On whose agenda Samaraweera was working came to light after a leader of an LTTE front organisation claimed that Samaraweera had a recent meeting with them.

It is well-known that the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) has been a front organisation of the now defunct LTTE terrorist outfit. When the LTTE was banned in the US, UK and in the European Union, they formed front organisations under various names to go through legal loopholes and collect funds for the terror outfit which had killed thousands of people during three decades of agony.

The UNP and several other politicians had links with the LTTE from time to time to gain political advantage. It was said that UNP leader Ranil Wickremeseinghe had had some understanding with the Tigers during the 2005 Presidential election and the 2001 general election. This was proved to a greater extent when Wickremesinghe, on assuming duties as the Prime Minister in 2002, signed the controversial Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Now his political buddy and former schoolmate Samaraweera, who are better known for similar activities, has gone a step ahead by beginning a fresh dialogue with LTTE cohorts.

UNP parliamentarian Samaraweera is said to have met the London-based GTF. Spokesman of the GTF Suren Surendiran had confirmed that the MP had met the group, according to the The Canada-based Tamil newspaper Oru.

Speaking to the newspaper about the suspicion in which the meeting was viewed, Surendiran stated, “Understandably, it was viewed with suspicion. Firstly, this was a meeting that wasn’t a formal GTF meeting but was private in nature”.

“Unless we engage with people within and outside our community, we will not achieve our desired aspirations. In many conflicts around the world including ours many engagements are and were made of which some are/were disclosed and others not. Some were recognised and others were not” he was quoted as saying.

Does that mean that Samaraweera was willing to help the LTTE cohorts to achieve their desired aspirations? If he is innocent, he should have disclosed what he discussed, why and for what reason and also whether the Opposition leader was aware of such a meeting.

But to which extent Ranil would reward Mangala and take revenge from Sajith is left to be seen as the appointments to senior party positions are to be made tomorrow.

On the other hand, both Mangala and UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake have contradicted the statement made on the impeachment of Shirani Bandaranayake by the UNP leader in Parliament. While Ranil’s stance was that the legislature is supreme and the judiciary cannot meddle in parliamentary affairs, both Mangala and Tissa have expressed different views regarding the impeachment.

Hence, Ranil loyalists have demanded that disciplinary action be taken not only against Mangala but also against the General Secretary of the party.

UNP disciplinary committee sources, meanwhile, said that parliamentarians Ranjith Maddumabandara and Sujeewa Senasinghe have submitted their explanations for making controversial statements to the media on party matters. The duo have been accused of violating the UNP Constitution by making various statements to media about party matters, thereby criticising the party and its leader in public.

The much looked forward to appointments to senior positions in the UNP will be made tomorrow at its Working Committee meeting, which was postponed earlier this month. Among the top most positions to be filled are that of deputy leader, assistant leader, national organiser and general secretary.

Though Tissa Attanayake has aired different views to that of Ranil on the impeachment, he is expected to retain his position as the General Secretary. Tissa has more affiliations to Ranil’s camp than that of Sajith in the UNP’s internal power struggle.

The UNP Working Committee meeting, scheduled to be held at the party headquarters Sirikotha at Pitakotte at 4 p.m. tomorrow is expected to be a crucial one as the party plans to take legal action against its parliamentarians who voted in support of the impeachment.

But legal experts said that it will be another futile exercise by the UNP leadership as there had been previous such cases where the MPs had gone scot free.

Though Ranil manipulated through his confidants in the Working Committee to extend his leadership of the party for six more years at the UNP Convention held earlier last month, appointments to other senior positions will be made only for a period of one year, that too directly by the party leader and not through an election. That means Ranil has put an end to internal party democracy while cementing his position and taking full control of all other major appointments.

Under the circumstances, Sajith’s position as the UNP deputy leader is in the balance. Sajith will obviously have to fall in line with the party leader if he is to get the nod for another year.

Informed sources said the appointment to the post of UNP deputy leader may not take place today, though Tissa Attanayake and Daya Gamage will be reappointed as the General Secretary and National Organiser.

But former national organiser Ravi Karunanayake, a confidant of Ranil, is another who is eyeing on a senior position in the party. If the deputy leader’s post is not filled tomorrow, that would keep Sajith in suspense. A stalwart in Ranil’s camp said Sajith will retain the position for another year as the party leadership would not take any hurried action.

In case Sajith gets another term, his conduct during the year will be under a microscope and even a simplest of actions against the party leadership would be a costly exercise for Sajith.

Similarities in 2010 and 2013

The aftermath of the impeachment appears to be a period similar to the aftermath of the 2010 Presidential Election. Anti-Government forces both here and abroad did their level best for a regime change on both the occasions – democratically in January 2010 and undemocratically in January 2013. But the masses stood strongly with the people’s friendly government and beat all those conspiracies.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that patriotic masses defeated elements with vested interests which were waiting for the dawn of an ‘Arab Spring’, as in Libya and many other Arab countries, to overthrow the UPFA government.

He said people in their thousands took to the streets in support of the government, when a handful of conspirators tried to overthrow it by calling for an ‘Arab Spring’ style uprising.

Speaking at the opening of Dikkowita Fisheries harbour on Friday, the President stressed that any person involved in corruption would be severely dealt with irrespective of their position in society.

“The judges in the superior courts or lower courts are no exception in this respect,” he said.

The Dikkowita Fisheries harbour which was built on par with international standards as South Asia’s Fish Exporting Hub was funded by the Governments of the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. The Dutch Government provided Rs. 7,650 million under its ORET grant scheme while the Sri Lankan government invested Rs. 1,350 million for the project.

This fisheries harbour located in the Wattala Divisional Secretariat Division in the Gampaha District has a basin area of 11.7 hectares and port area of 8.1 hectares. The harbour mouth is 50 metres in width and over six metres in depth. It has two terminals with the facility of anchoring more than 40 - 50 trawlers. The mechanized conveyor belt which operates using modern technology will also facilitate efficient unloading of the fish harvest.

This harbour consists of fish processing units, an ice manufacturing plant, cold rooms and many more facilities. President Rajapaksa said the government is committed to protect and promote democracy . “We always respect the Rule of the Law”, he said.

He said that true peace will dawn in the country when the drug menace is completely wiped out from the country. “We should protect the public and the younger generation from the evil of drugs.

This cancerous evil needs to be removed from the country to ensure a better future for our younger generation”, the President said. The President added that the government has a responsibility to ensure a better future free from corruption and the drug menace for posterity.

He said the government has been strengthening the public service in the face of various challenges. “Sri Lanka has the largest strength in the public service as a percentage”, he added. “The government succeeded in facing many challenges including drought and impact of global financial recession effectively.

“Some people thought that Sri Lanka’s economy would plunge into crisis with the suspension of GSP+ facility to Sri Lanka,” he said. The President said Sri Lanka competed more vigorously in the international market in the backdrop of the GSP + suspension .

The President recollected how the progressive governments led by former Prime Ministers SWRD Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Bandaranaike were committed to the uplift of the fisheries industry. “Many fisheries harbours were developed in accordance with international standards under the stewardship of Minister Philip Gunawardena and George Rajapaksa,” he added.

President Rajapaksa added that the government has established banks to inculcate the saving habits among the fishing communities. He said the government launched a housing programme for fishing communities who were living in shanties along the coastal belt. President Rajapaksa was of the view that the children of fishing communities should also have the opportunity for higher education, and stressed the need for creating a more conducive environment for this purpose.

Political mileage from Rizana beheading

It is unfortunate that certain disgruntled Opposition politicians trying to gain political mileage out of the beheading of Sri Lankan housemaid Rizana in Saudi Arabia. The Government and the President did their utmost to save the life of Rizana who ultimately became unfortunate victim of an unfair trial.

Many countries, including the US and Britain, condemned the action of Saudi authorities and Sri Lanka even recalled its envoy in Riyadh.

Many world organizations, including the United Nations and Amnesty International, condemned the action of Saudi authorities. Among them were UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Nevertheless, a few local Opposition politicians make a disgraceful attempt of putting the blame on the Government to take petty political mileage.

Ahmadu Seiyadu Fareena, the mother of the Sri Lankan expatriate worker beheaded in Saudi Arabia said she is not prepared to accept any donation as compensation from the Saudi Arabian government or any other Saudi Arabian person or institution for the loss of her daughter.

She said several institutions and organisations as well as Saudi nationals pledged to build a house for their family and help them financially and she would strictly warn them not to visit their home with any assistance as nothing would compensate the loss of her daughter’s treasured life.

Fareena said she even made a request to the mistress of the Saudi residence where her daughter Rizana worked to grant clemency for her daughter but all that was to no avail. However, she would thank the Saudi employer too as she believed everything had happened according to Allah’s wish.

She also said certain sections of the media had published photographs of beheading some others and referred to it as Rizana. She would request the media not to insult Rizana by publishing wrong news and pictures.

Conspiracies after defeating LTTE

Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that all conspiracies against the Government began after the vanquishing of the LTTE and the eradication of terrorism.

"Constitutions anywhere in the world have shortcomings. India amended its Constitution 96 times. Sri Lanka amended its Constitution on 18 occasions.

Some countries amend the Constitution as soon as the judiciary gives an anti-government verdict. The Sri Lankan government never resorted to this practice”, he said.

Minister Aluthgamage said the people’s sovereignty is in the Legislature because people’s sovereignty is people’s verdict. The people had given a verdict deciding their representatives and the representatives are in Parliament. Therefore, people’s sovereignty is in Parliament. No judiciary in the world had given orders to Parliaments.

According to Minister Aluthgmage the war victory achieved by the Government made world giants small before of Sri Lanka. The world giants considered our victory as a defeat for them. That was the start of all the conspiracies.

They all wanted to destroy the country and defeat the UPFA Government but they cannot do it because of President Rajapaksa.

“Our President is the main obstacle that stands in their way. They want to overcome this obstacle. All anti Sri Lankan elements united to attack President Rajapaksa. Their very first ‘mission’ was putting a strong man at the Presidential election, who can offer stiff competition.

That is how for the first time in the UNP’s history, an outsider (former army chief) came as the candidate for Presidency.

But their ‘mission’ failed because the people knew it very well. The second ‘mission’ was using the former Chief Justice,” the Minister said.

“They could not see any other way of toppling the UPFA Government other than using the CJ because the people are with the Government.

The rural people of this country had nothing to do with the CJ or the impeachment motion. It was a handful of persons in the cities who speak English who were behind the whole move to discredit the government,” Minister Aluthgamage added.

Mohan replaces Shirani as new CJ

As we stated last week, the issue of judiciary became a political issue due to the disgraceful conduct of Shirani Bandaranayake. Despite being found guilty by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), she made many sinister moves using the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, to hang on to the position.

She had to bow down to the decision of the Legislature, which impeached her from the post of chief justice. The entire process was carried out in keeping with the Constitution and the Government made every effort to make sure that every step in the impeachment process fall in with the constitutional requirements. Hence, no quarter could find anything unconstitutional in the entire process.

Prior to the appointment of the new Chief Justice, the President had discussions with the Judges of the Supreme Court and members of the Bar Association. The President met Supreme Court judges and briefed them on the Constitutional process followed by him with regard to the impeachment motion.

The President has requested members of the BASL not to engage in activity within the courts precincts that would disparage the dignity of the legal profession and the Judiciary. He made this request when representatives of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka met him at Temple Trees earlier during the week.

The President has stressed the importance of safeguarding the independence and the dignity of the judiciary at this meeting.

The President told the BASL representatives that he had no grudge against Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake, and had to follow the Constitutional process. President Rajapaksa pointed out that he had been left with no other option than taking action when the parliament’s decision was conveyed to him.

The meeting was attended by BASL President Wijeyadasa Rajapakse PC and was conducted in a cordial and amicable setting, he said.

He said that the President apprised the BASL representatives of the procedure followed by him with regard to the impeachment.

Shirani Bandaranayake made sure that every moment of the impeachment motion against her got media attention and posed for pictures and voice cuts before television cameras.

Even when she was vacating her official residence, her car was stopped for minutes, despite police objections, to give voice cuts.

Mohan Peiris, former Attorney General took oaths as the country’s 44th Chief Justice before President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees on Tuesday, ending a month-long impeachment process from which the Opposition and an interested international elements tried to gain advantage.

The Parliamentary Council appointed as per the 18th Amendment to the Constitution met on Tuesday morning and approved the President’s nominee, Mohan Peiris, to the top post of the country’s judiciary.

Meanwhile, all seven petitions filed before the Appeals Court against the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) report on the impeachment motion against former Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayake were withdrawn by the petitioners on the same day.