Take a cue from the President, Laktillake tells Ranil

UNP's Western Provincial Council member Shiral Laktillake has urged his party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to take President Mahinda Rajapaksa as an example on respecting different political opinion.

Laktillake, the Eksath Jathika Paura President has said that Ranil should take the President as a shining example on dealing with people with different opinions in a political party. "A democratic party should give an opportunity to members of different opinion to air their views. Internal party democracy is also important. Those who would believe in fascism and Starling would say that there is only one view in a political party," he has said.

Laktillake has pointed out that people such as Ranil could getter a political lesion from President Rajapaksa. "See how many UNP politicians who did not support him at the 2005 presidential election and even those who criticised him thereafter are with him in the same Cabinet now? Our leader too should try to emulate the President by respecting different political opinion.

"Even in world politics there are enough such examples. Hilary Clinton was contesting Obama in the race for UC presidency. But when Obama became the US President, he offered the powerful State Secretary post to Hilary," said Laktillake who intends to challenge his expulsion from the UNP in the Supreme Court. He added that the UNP leader is taking revenge from all those who express different opinion.

Power struggles

The internal power struggle within the Tamil National Alliance has deepened with the announcement of the elections to the Northern Provincial Council (NPC).

The declaration of elections to the Northern, North-Western and Central Provincial Councils has created internal power struggles in several Opposition political parties, with the UNP and the TNA being the worst affected.

The UNP has been struggling to get out of the Dayasiri saga with Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe becoming a little flexible from his earlier stance.

There have been widespread rumours that Kurunegala District UNP parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera would join the UPFA to contest the North-Western Provincial Council as the ruling coalition's chief ministerial candidate. Though Dayasiri has dismissed such news stories, contradictory actions have been taken by his fellow MPs to retain the most popular UNP parliamentarian who is better known as a singer.

Initially, Ranil had been adamant that he would not have any discussions with Dayasiri, indicating that the Kurunegala District parliamentarian could do anything he wishes. But former UNP deputy leader and Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa had continuously stressed the importance of retaining Dayasiri in the UNP.

Finally, Ranil was compelled to abandon his dictatorial stance and have a 40-minute discussion with the Reformist group MP who has been known as a die-heard Sajith loyalist, on Friday.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the UNP nomination board meeting at the party headquarters, Sirikotha. Dayasiri has clarified certain matters in detail to the UNP leader. Dayasiri agreed to have a discussion with Ranil after the UNP decided to withdraw the disciplinary proceedings against the MP.

Prior to the Ranil-Dayasiri meeting, UNP seniors, lead by General Secretary Tissa Attanayake had an initial round of talks with Dayasiri at the Opposition Leader's office at Jawatte. It was reported that Dayasiri had pointed out various step-motherly treatments meted out to him and that the party should give better recognition to the parliamentarians who wholeheartedly work for the betterment of the UNP.

Earlier during the week, the UNP Working Committee met at Sirikotha on Tuesday and appointed a ten-member nomination board to pick candidates for the forthcoming Provincial Council elections. The UNP Working Committee took several important decisions, including an amicable settlement to the disciplinary hearings against UNP rebel MPs Dayasiri and Buddika Pathirana.

Moderate UNPers saw it as a positive move in a desperate bid to save the party from further eruption.

At the outset of the UNP Working Committee meeting, Attanayake declared the names of the ten members picked to serve in the party's nomination board headed by the party leader. The other members picked are Tissa Attanayake, Joseph Michael Perera, John Amaratunga, Daya Gamage, Gayantha Karunatillake, Ravi Karunanayake, Mangala Samaraweera, Lakshman Kiriella and party chairman Gamini Jayawickrema Perera.

"Dayasiri is an asset to our party. There are rumours that he is going to join the Government. This will have a serious impact on the UNP. Others too could follow him and join the Government, unless we stop this," Sajith told the Working Committee.

After a lengthy speech by Sajith alerting the party on Dayasiri's possible action, it was Colombo District MP Ravi Karunanayake who stood up. "We don't force anybody to leave the party. But we make every endeavour to maintain party discipline. A party can't march forward without maintaining discipline," Ravi said.

UNP Chairman Joseph Michel Perera said, "We made every effort to retain these people in the UNP. We should not push the panic button. There are no short cuts".

UNP Secretary General Attanayake then made a crucial announcement - that the disciplinary hearings against Dayasiri, Buddika and ten others have been settled through negotiations. "The disciplinary hearings against them have now been concluded," Tissa said. Many reformist group members in the Working Committee looked shocked, wondering what had prompted Ranil to make such a move.

Dayasiri's fellow Kurunegala District UNP MP, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, better known as an inner circle member of Ranil, then seconded the proposal to withdraw disciplinary action against Dayasiri. However, Tissa said that the abandoning of the disciplinary hearing is subjected to a probationary period. One wonders whether it was a move to silence Dayasiri and keep him tightlipped. Mangala Samaraweera too made a similar move as Akila Viraj. Mangala too demonstrated his extraordinary kindness towards his main UNP political opponent by seconding the proposal to abandon the disciplinary hearing against Buddhika Pathirana.

TNA's problems deepens

The internal political crisis within the constituent parties of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has deepened after its leader R. Sampanthan showed his iron fist and unilaterally named retired Supreme Court judge C.V. Vigneshvaran as the party's chief ministerial candidate for the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) elections.

The Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) ignored TNA's nomination committee meeting at the party office at Martin Road, Jaffna. The three-hour long session ended without reaching at any decision.

TULF leader V. Anandasangaree returned to the country mid last week and was in Jaffna for the second round of the TNA nomination committee meeting.

Earlier the Coordinating Committee of the TNA nominated five-member committees for Nomination,Finance and Publicity by nominating one member from each constituent party of the TNA to each of these three committees. The Coordinating Committee later decided to appoint a 11-member nomination committee - with two members representing each of the five parties in the TNA and one seat for R. Sampanthan, President of the TNA.

The Nomination Committee met to decide on the number of candidates to be allocated for the parties in each of the five districts in the Northern Province. Sampanthan too did not participate in the first meeting as he was touring India.

In the absence of Anandasangaree and Sampanthan, others who took part in the first nomination committee meeting of the TNA were Mavai Senathirajh, David Naganathan of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, N. Srikantha and Selvam Adaikkalanathan of TELO, Suresh Premachandran and Sivasakthi Anandan of EPRLF, D. Sitharthan and Raghavan of PLOTE.

Secret deal to share power

It has now come to light that Sampanthan has secured a deal to settle the TNA crisis by sharing the NPC Chief Minister post with Vigneshwaran, his favourite nominee and TNA parliamentarian Mavei Senathiraja.

A severe rift has erupted within the TNA ranks after Sampanthan ignored popular calls to appoint Senathiraja as the NPC chief ministerial candidate from the TNA and brought Vigneshwaran who has no political experience.

News reports said that a secret deal has been arrived at, regarding the nomination of the TNA chief ministerial candidate for the NPC. It has now come to light that Sampanthan has agreed to share the post between the two - to have Vigneswaran for the first half of the five-year term and then appoint Senathirajah for the balance 30 months, in case the TNA wins the NPC elections.

Yesterday, TNA leader R. Sampanthan, M.A. Sumathiran, Mavai Senathirajah, Suresh Premachndran of the EPRLF met Vigneswaran at his residence and after discussion, they arrived at the above deal.

However, the TULF has not endorsed the names of either Vigneswaran or Mavai Senathirajah. TELO which met at their party office in Vavuniya, said that they would support Senathirajah. In case Sampanthan rejects the TELO nominee, they will be naming a fresh nominee. The PLOTE too adopts the same position as that of the TELO.

Azwer's gesture

Gregory's Road, Colombo 7 was renamed Sir R.G. Senanayake Mawatha by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Tuesday. The President, on his arrival at the venue, was received by the Mayor of Colombo, A.J.M. Muzammil.

Senanayake served as Minister of Trade and Commerce from 1952 -1956 and 1956-1960. President Rajapaksa opened the renamed road at a ceremony near the Maitland Crescent junction. The Gazette notification pertaining to the renaming of the road was handed over to Surangi Senanayake, a member of the Senanayake family.

Ven. Kamburugamuwe Vajira Thera, Western Province Governor Alavi Mawlana, Senior Minister A.H.M. Fowzie, Deputy Minister Geethanjana Gunawardena, UNP MPs Karu Jayasuriya, Ruwan Wijewardena, Mayor of Colombo A.J.M. Muzammil and members of the Senanayake family were also present.

Azwer found that due recognition had not been given to Jaffna District UNP parliamentarian Vijayakala Majeswaran, widow of the late UNP MP T. Maheshwaran who was killed by the LTTE. Azwer intervened and found Vijayakala a front row seat with the other parliamentarians.

Basil clears misconcepts on 13A

Casting fresh light on the Indo-Lanka Accord of 1987 which gave birth to the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka's Constitution, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa has told Indian newspaper 'The Hindu' that devolving Police powers would actually amount to going against the Accord.

He pointed to section 2.10 of the Accord which calls for the government to use the "same organisations and mechanisms" for law enforcement and security in the Northern and Eastern Provinces as in the rest of the country, saying this meant that there could not be more than one police force for the whole country.

"It is very clear in the Accord. It says Police powers have to be with one Police, there is no separate mechanism. So you can't have a separate police force in the provinces," the Minister told The Hindu in an interview.

He said Sri Lanka would never risk a provincial government forming its own 'army' through devolved police powers. Referring to the Tamil National Army - a militant outfit raised by the beleaguered 1988 EPRLF government in the North-Eastern Province in a futile attempt to protect itself against the LTTE that had rejected the Amendment and boycotted the election - he said there was no ruling out that a future Northern provincial government would not do the same: "If the NPC forms another army, can we afford another war now?"

He dismissed arguments that armed struggle by the Tamils was now a thing of the past, and that the 13th Amendment in any case gave the President overriding powers over the province.

Vigneswaran, 'a candidate of external forces'

Minister Rajapaksa questioned the TNA's choice, describing the TNA's chief ministerial candidate C.V. Wigneswaran as a candidate of "external forces" who did not represent the people of the North. The minister was already certain that a TNA government in the North would be on collision course with the Centre.

The government, he said, had given the Tamil people, "everything" - roads, railways, water, electricity, schools and hospitals. The minister said a TNA provincial government would whip up other "emotional issues" that neither it nor the government would be able to deliver.

Minister Rajapaksa sought to explain questions about the credibility of the incomplete panel by saying it would solicit wider opinion by inviting public testimonies. Asked if India - Sri Lanka relations had been affected as a result, he said both countries "understand each other's point of view. It is Sri Lanka's problem, and Sri Lanka must find a solution from Sri Lanka itself".

India's vote against Colombo two years in a row at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, he said, had "very badly hurt our relationship" but Sri Lanka had "managed it very well", understanding that it was due to "internal pressure". "So as two sovereign countries and countries who have been friends for a long time we have to understand each other. Our people have been very understanding of India. India must understand that," the Minister added.

Sumanthiran's futile attempt

TNA parliamentarian T. Sumanthiran made a disgraceful attempt to paint a wrong picture to the visiting European Parliament (EP) delegation to Sri Lanka.

When the EU parliamentarians visited the Parliamentary Complex at Sri Jayewardenepura, Sumanthiran alleged that even the candidates for the NPC polls are being picked by the Security Forces. Sumanthiran said he had doubts about free and fair elections as the Security Forces select candidates for the elections.

But parliamentarian A.H.M. Azwer intervened and corrected Sumanthiran. "Don't come out with wholesale lies for cheep political mileage. The Government has done everything possible to bring normalcy and a better tomorrow for the people in the North. There is no truth whatsoever in Sumanthiran's claim," Azwer said.

Azwer also pointed out that the Government has achieved praiseworthy achievements in reconciliation. "Many LTTE terrorists have been rehabilitated and were given life skill training. Even former LTTE women's wing leader Thamilini has now been released after rehabilitation. She has said that she would like to get married and become a mother soon. If there are eligible bachelors in the European Union, please let us know," Azwer said as the EU parliamentarians smiled.

The EU delegation commended the government's decision to hold elections in the Northern Province. Delegation mission to Sri Lanka, Chair of the EP Delegation for Relations with Countries of South Asia Jean Lambert, said the Northern Province elections would be an important step in the process of bringing together and empowering all Sri Lankan citizens in the same democratic frame work, who have been separated by three decades of conflict.

Lambert said it would be a step ahead in moving the political process forward and in trust building. "We do not underestimate for one moment the importance of these elections in the Northern Province. If there are free and fair elections, where people are allowed to campaign and cast their vote freely, then, it would be a great step forward. This was an election we have wanted to see held. Thriving democracy is important for people's well being and economy, and to take forward this country" she remarked.

Lambert explained that development in the democratic path is important to avoid a return of violence. "Everyone that we have met on this visit, from whatever community, has made it clear that they do not wish to see a return of violence.

Therefore, a course of political settlement and political step forward for confidence building is important. May be the election will be the breakthrough", she said.

The EP delegation which visited Sri Lanka comprised six members from four different countries. They conducted a series of meetings with a wide range of groups, including External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris, National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Resettlement Minister Gunaratne Weerakoon, Environment and Renewable Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha.

The delegation visited a number of EU-supported projects in the North and in the Central regions. She said major progress in terms of infrastructure was clearly visible in the country, including the development of roads, health care, housing, resettlement and electricity supply.

She said the EU support for housing and health etc has been very much welcomed, and they are very much proud to be involved in helping for housing and livelihood improvement programmes. She noted they could observe that there is degree of energy in terms of economic development in the country.

Lambert observed the possibility of Sri Lanka to be a leading country in terms of use of renewable energies with low carbon emissions in its efforts to shift to a greener economy. She looked forward to cooperate with Sri Lanka in this sphere in the future. Commenting on the progress of the LLRC report, she said they were aware of the national action plan for the implementation of its recommendations.

She said more work is to be done on the implications of land titles, accountability and disappearances, adding that they raised concerns on the role and presence of military.