Karu’s sincerity questioned

Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last week ruled out the possibility of the UNP supporting anybody outside his party at the next Presidential election. Ranil said that the UNP would definitely field its own candidate for the next Presidential election, thus ruling out the possibility of the main Opposition supporting much talked about common candidate.

Though Ranil had earlier declared that it will he who would contest the next Presidential election from the UNP, he was careful with his words this time and only said that the UNP would field its own candidate.

He did so with a plan as there could be a debate within the party, had he emphasised about his own candidature. Instead, he thought it would be better to keep it open until he works the ‘line’ to get the nod from the Working Committee loyal to him.

But the Chairman of the UNP’s leadership council Karu Jayasuriya had smelt something fishy in Ranil’s statement. Karu left for London, no sooner Ranil returned to the island after his month-long stint in the US. Since arriving in the UK, Karu has been in close touch with his confidants, drawing a secret plan to keep his chances alive.

As an initial step, his loyalists, though the UNP Bhikku front, have pointed out the most suitable candidate the UNP should support is Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera.

At the same time, several UNP front liners loyal to Karu have pointed out that the leadership council chairman is the most eligible for the UNP ticket as he could command the support of the Sinhala Buddhists better than Ranil.

Ranil did not have any clue regarding the plot when he chaired the UNP’s parliamentary group meeting at Committee Room 2 of the Parliamentary Complex.

Their discussion was focused on the no confidence motion which the UNP had brought against the Government in the Parliament.

They also discussed the Bharathiya Janatha Party’s (BJP) landslide victory at the recent Indian general elections. Most of them were of the view that their political dialogue with India would be easier as the BJP has maintained close links with the UNP.

But the things changed in a few minutes after Ranil’s mobile phone started ringing. Though he normally answers such calls then and there, Ranil identified the importance of the call and walked away from the meeting with his mobile phone to answer the call. His tone and approach looked different on his return to the chair at the UNP parliamentary group meeting.

“Most people say it was Modi’s victory and a singular honour for the Prime Minister-elect. It is not true. It was a win achieved through the contributions of all leaders of the BJP,” Ranil told his parliamentarians.

“Our leader has started attacking Modi also,” a young backbencher whispered to another.

While they were discussed the UNP speakers at the no-confidence motion debate, Ratnapura District UNP parliamentarian Thalatha Athukorale drew Ranil’s attention on the statement made by the UNP’s National Bhikku Front, that Ven. Sobhitha Thera should be their candidate at the next Presidential election.

“Last time they told us to form a leadership council and now they have suggested who the UNP should field as its presidential candidate. Has the party approved their views?” Thalatha queried.

Ranil appeared to be shocked and shaken by Thalatha’s ‘news alert’.

“We don’t know anything about this. We are not responsible for the statements made by the National Bhikku Front. They could only advise us. Let’s decide on the candidate once the Government declare an election,” Ranil said.

Meanwhile, Ranil met Democratic People’s Front leader Mano Ganesan yesterday and the two party leaders decided to start a dialogue among opposition political parties in this regard. During the talks with Mano Ganesan, Ranil had expressed his desire to bring in the TNA, JVP and Fonseka’s Democratic Party under one umbrella. Ganeshan had already met JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Former Army Commander Fonseka.

Informed sources said that Ganesan has secured a secret meeting between Ranil and TNA leaders, including R. Sampanthan.

But a common Opposition front is highly unlikely as Ranil has already declared that the UNP would field its own candidate at the next Presidential election. But Fonseka has demanded that the UNP and the JVP should accept him as the common candidate as they had done at the 2010 Presidential election.

The UNP, which is notorious for secret pacts with the TNA and the LTTE in the past, appears to go that extra mile in their lust for power. A senior TNA leader said that they have set conditions to the UNP and that they could sit with their leader Sampanthan only if they are agreeable to those conditions. A Reformist group MP from the UNP was optimistic that his leader would agree to all those conditions. “He has no shame and would surrender to the demands of the TNA which had been controlled by the Tiger terrorists,” he said.

No-confidence, a blessing in disguise

Last week’s no-confidence motion against the Government brought by the UNP in the parliament turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the ruling UPFA. Even the die-hard UNPers and their reformist group MPs question the motive of bringing such a shaky no confidence motion. They were of the view that by bringing the no- confidence motion, the UNP enabled the Government to show its strength.

The UNP was under a delusion that it could woo support of some of the UPFA coalition MPs, including those in the JHU and NFF. Perhaps, the UNP was mislead that they could even secure the support of Ministers Wimal Weerawansa or Champika Ranawaka. But none of them supported the UNP’s move and at the end, it turned out to be an occasion that further exposed UNP’s political nudity.

The no-confidence motion moved by the UNP against the government was defeated in parliament on Thursday afternoon with a majority of 94 votes. The government and its allied parties voted against the motion while the UNP, DNA and TNA voted in favour. The motion received 151 votes against and 57 votes in favour.

The NFF and JHU members were absent when the vote was taken. In addition, leading UNP front liners Karu Jayasuriya and Mangala Samaraweera were also absent at the time of voting.

Karu, Mangala skip no-confidence motion vote

Many in the UNP were puzzled as to why the party seniors Karu Jayasuriya and Mangala Smaraweera were not present to vote in support of the party’s no confidence motion against the Government.Even at the point of bringing the no-confidence motion against the Government, the UNP knew that they could not muster enough votes to win.

But all what they targeted was to use its full strength and that of the other parties in the Opposition. They also anticipated that some UPFA parliamentarians too would join with them.

But the no confidence motion ultimately boomeranged on the UNP, even failing to secure the vote of their front liners such as Karu and Mangala. Some Reformists group MPs in the UNP have demanded that the party should hold an inquiry why Mangala and Karu were not present in Parliament at a time the party had presented a no-confidence motion.

Even a senior group of MPs loyal to Ranil have suggested that they could make use of the opportunity to tame Karu and his sinister moves. But sources at Sirikotha said the party leader is not in favour of such a move as it would also affect his confidant and schoolmate Mangala.

US Ambassador at Sirikotha

On Thursday, Ranil discussed the current political situation in the country with the United States’ Ambassador to Colombo.

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Michelle Sisson, who has been extremely busy closely following internal matters, came all the way to Sririkotha, the UNP headquarters, at Kotte on Thursday to hold discussions with Ranil, who has returned to the country only a week ago after a month-long stay in the US.

The discussion focused on the present situation of the country and the UNP's goals for the future. General Secretary of the UNP Tissa Attanayake was also present.Ranil’s discussion with the US Ambassador was held following his recent fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Without revealing any plans for future elections, the Opposition Leader shared his views on the government and Sri Lanka's foreign policy with the Ambassador.

He emphasized that the UNP has always stood for a strong Sri Lanka foreign policy based on the people's interests and needs.

Wickremasinghe informed the Ambassador Sison of the meetings he had during his stay in the US with the senior officials at the State Department, and White House, and the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. But the true sensitive and secret points that they had discussed were not disclosed to the media.

President in China

President Mahinda Rajapaksa made a highly successful tour of China during which he met several world leaders, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

President Rajapaksa and UN Secretary-General met on the sidelines of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Shanghai, China.

The President briefed Ban Ki-Moon on the post-war developments that have taken place in Sri Lanka and on the progress of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

Earlier during the week, the President arrived in Shanghai to attend the 4th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

The President was welcomed at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai by Deputy Secretary-General of Shanghai Municipal Government Huang Rong, Executive Vice President of Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC) Wang Xiaoshu and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in China Ranjith Uyangoda.

President Rajapaksa also attended the welcome banquet and evening performance hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan. External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and External Affairs Ministry Secretary Kshenuka Senewiratne accompanied the President.

The Lankan leader, along with other Heads of State and heads of delegation currently in China for the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) were hosted to a Welcome Banquet by Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed the Sri Lankan leader as he arrived for the Welcome Banquet last evening at the Shanghai International Conference Center. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono are among the World leaders attended the Conference.

Indian PM’s swearing-in ceremony

Several South Asian leaders, including President Rajapaksa, are scheduled to attend tomorrow’s wearing-in ceremony of the new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi has invited leaders of South Asian neighbours, including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina for his oath-taking ceremony on Monday.

During his meeting with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Modi reportedly conveyed his keenness to invite world leaders including Heads of State of neighbouring countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

There is no recent precedent for inviting foreign Heads of State when an Indian Prime Minister has been sworn in. SAARC nations include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and the invitation would send out a strong signal of a neighbour-friendly new government.

BJP chief Rajnath Singh has said that about 3,000 people are invited for Modi's oath-taking, which will be held in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace.

Only two other prime ministers - Chandra Shekhar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee - have been sworn in the Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt. The BJP, along with its allies, has won 336 seats in parliament, a more than comfortable majority.

Doubts over Fonseka’s civic rights

Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya last week sought advice from the Attorney General regarding the voting rights of Democratic Party Leader, Sarath Fonseka. Deshapriya told a news conference that the Attorney General's advice was sought as there is a complaint lodged over the vote cast by Fonseka during the Western Provincial Council elections held this March. Fonseka voted at the Western Provincial Council election in March, creating controversy. Some argued that as a person who does not have civic rights following convictions by a court martial and the High Court, Fonseka is ineligible to cast vote at any election.

The Elections Commissioner said that Fonseka's name was not registered in the voters’ list of the addresses given to the Elections Department and his name was registered at a different address.

According to Deshapriya, Fonseka's name was registered at a residence belonging to one of his relatives in Piliyandala. The Commissioner said he would follow the Attorney General's advice to determine the Fonseka's eligibility to be included in the next electoral register.

Globe totting time for JVP leader

New JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has embarked on another overseas tour, this time to Dubai and London.

The JVP national list MP who left the island on Thursday, first arrived in Dubai and took part in two conferences titled ‘our view’. After an overnight stay in the UAE, Anura Kumara flew to the UK.

He was scheduled to address two conferences in London, organised by the JVP’s London branch. It will be another week long stay in the UK for the JVP leader who is also scheduled to tour Birmingham and would return to Colombo early next month.

Though the JVP bluntly criticised even the important overseas travel of Government Ministers, Anura Kumara seems to be having a rosy time since his elevation as the JVP leader even without facing peoples mandate at the last general election. At a time even dedicated JVP trade union leader K.D. Lalkantha was defeated in the Anuradhapura district, Anura Kumara was lucky to remain as an MP, thanks to the national list which they had often criticized.

President at Bala Tampoe’s birthday

One of the first things President Rajapaksa did since his return from China was to visit veteran Trade Union leader of the Ceylon Mercantile Union Bala Tampoe who celebrated his 92nd birthday on Friday, at his office in Kollupitiya.

The President inquired about Tampoe’s health and wished him good health and long life. President Rajapaksa commended the service rendered by the veteran trade union leader for the working class after Bala Tampoe cut his birthday cake.

Meanwhile, President Rajapakse has confirmed that he will be attending the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi's on May 26. “India receives confirmation of participation from SriLanka @PresRajapaksa to attend @narendramodi swearing-in ceremony on 26 May,” read a tweet from Syed Akbaruddin, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Confirmation of Rajapakse's participation came in the midst of a number of political outfits in Tamil Nadu demanding that the incoming leadership rescind its invitation in the light of accusations against Sri Lanka Government for alleged war crimes.

Meanwhile President Rajapaksa also tweeted confirming his participation. “@narendramodi Thank you for the invitation to attend your swearing-in ceremony. I look forward to being there.” Though the extremists and the LTTE rump in Tamil Nadu desperately attempted to pressurise the BJP, India’s Prime Minister-elect Modi has shown keen interest in strengthening ties with its neighbouring countries. President Rajapaksa is one of the first to greet Modi after his election as the Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy.