Ranil turns magician amidst political turmoil

The United National Party (UNP) is facing a political turbulence ever since its media wing head and Matara District MP Mangala Samaraweera planned to quit and join the Government in disgust.

But that had generated more problems to the UNP with its Leadership Council chairman Karu Jayasuriya conspiring to oust the party’s national leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to become the party’s presidential candidate.

Karu, together with those who day dream of a common Opposition candidate, is trying to grab that slot with the support of several disgruntled Opposition politicians.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who governed the country for 11 years without any significant development project and pushed the nation towards a dark economic era, is now day dreaming of coming out of her retirement, using the freedom she has got under the 18th Amendment, which the Opposition criticises.

Chandrika, Ranil, Karu and Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera – all are day dreaming of becoming the so-called common candidate. But the people have not forgotten what Chandrika had done when she was at the helm.

In her lust for power, she was even willing to share power with the LTTE terrorists, allowing them P-TOMs after the 2004 tsunami devastation. By the time her second term ended, the Tiger terrorism was at its best and the country’s economy was in a near collapse. The country was heading towards an era of uncertainty when President Mahinda Rajapaksa was first elected as the Head of State in November 2005.

Chandrika’s extraordinary peace deals and sympathy towards INGOs gave more room for the LTTE terrorists to strengthen their military capability and the country was in a near pool of blood due to successive LTTE terror attacks targeting civilians. Despite Chandika’s subtle attempts for a political resurrection, UNP deputy leader Sajith Premadasa has thrown his full weight behind his national leader Ranil. Energised by the unexpected support from Sajith, Ranil is making his own promises.

Ranil turned magician amidst political turmoil in the UNP. When Ranil was the Prime Minister from 2001 to 2004, the then UNP government did not grant a single public sector job. But Ranil seemed to be up from his wild sleep when he said last week that a million job opportunities would be generated under a UNP government within five years by establishing export oriented industries in the country.

Ranil now seems to be attempting to grab credit that was due to former President R. Premadasa, who masterminded the 200-garment factory program in the outstations.

“During the Premadasa Government, I was able to set up five industrial zones and 200 garment factories as the Minister of Industries even when in the midst of a war.

But this is not happening now other than to send for jobs abroad,” Ranil was quoted as saying last week.

Ranil what was more important was to establish industries and seek foreign markets to improve our exports rather than developing roads, ports without ships, airports without planes and power stations without power.

“Our focus should be to set up more industries and seek more opportunities to export our products just like China, India and other countries do. We must do our best to target the European market and expand our range of exports without confining ourselves to apparels or traditional products. We have to reduce custom duties or remove them to be more competitive in markets abroad,” Ranil outlined his strategies.

Though the former Prime Minister who did not give a single job when he was at the helm promised one million jobs through a future UNP government under his leadership and became a joker, Ranil Wickremesinghe said last week that he considered it a joke to seek a Supreme Court opinion on the constitutionality of the incumbent President contesting the presidential election for a third term.

He told a meeting organised by the Green Blood Movement that a Supreme Court opinion had no legal binding because it was not a verdict of the Court. “I regard this as a joke because there is no legal validity,” Ranil said. It will not be difficult for the masses to understand who the biggest joker is!

Mangala in no man’s land

Matara District parliamentarian and UNP leadership council member Mangala Samaraweera seems to have ended in a no man’s land after failing his negotiations for a crossover to the government.

Reports said that his negotiations with a government heavyweight to join the UPFA have failed after he was told that the ministerial portfolio he had requested could not be granted. Hence, he has now turned out to be a persona non grata in the UNP.

When Mangala was negotiating to join the government, the UNP leader made all attempts to persuade his former Royal schoolmate. Hence, Mangala has now laid fresh conditions to remain in the UNP – removal of Sajith Premadasa from the post of deputy leader, appointment of Karu Jayasuriya as

the party leader while Ranil continue to be the Opposition leader, abandon the elephant symbol and the party’s green colour to contest the next presidential election and entering into a coalition with former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

But some of the senior most UNP parliamentarians have vehemently opposed to Mangala’s new conditions and have pointed out that it’s far better to let Mangala to join whatever the political part he wishes.

During his negotiations to join the government, Mangala has said that Colombo District UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake too is willing to crossover but the Government has rejected the idea, saying Ravi would not be welcomed to the UPFA.

Mangala, who supported President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the 2005 Presidential election and got key ministerial polio, left the UPFA later to join the UNP. Political observers said that his decision was greatly influenced by Chandrika, for whom he has a blind affiliation. Once again, Chandrika seems to have played an influential role in Mangala’s political career with the Matara district parliamentarian making desperate attempts to bring back his old madam into politics.

However, it seems that Mangala does not have a place neither in the UNP nor in the UPFA due to Chandrika’s wrong advices. Although Mangala thinks Chandrika advocates everything to him in good faith, it is an open secret how much costly those moves had been. Her latest advice would well push

Mangala from pillar to post, being discarded by both the UNP and the UPFA which may well prompt him to settle down overseas.

Chadrika dreams of resurrection

Former President Chandrika, who recently returned to the country from London, is playing a significant role to unite the Opposition parties.

Though the others feel that she is doing that with an open mind, it looks that her ultimate goal would be the grab the common candidature, taking all for a good ride.

However, she has not indicated yet whether she would contest the next presidential election as the common candidate of the Opposition. She is making all attempts to persuade Ranil to abandon his idea of contesting from the UNP.

As part of this exercise to bring about common understating in the opposition, Ven. Maduluwave Sobhitha Thera held separate meetings with the representatives of the opposition parties yesterday. These meetings took place at his Temple in Kotte. Though the Bikkhu was in wilderness without any takers, it was Chandrika who had revived the idea, persuading Ranil to have another round of talks with the Thera.

Chandrika’s attempts to woo support of former SLFP stalwarts have failed. She had telephoned some of her confidants to establish secret links but all of them have either evaded her calls or politely refused her invitations.

Hence, she now plans a dialogue with the TNA which would definitely put forward pre-conditions. It won’t be a surpriseif Chandrika agrees to all, as she did in early 2005 by agreeing to grant P-TOMs power sharing deal with the LTTE terrorists.

Karu’s double games come to light

Ranil gave ‘political refuge’ to Karu when the Gampaha District MP was in political wilderness after being almost kicked out by the UPFA. But Karu is now trying to bite the helping hand extended by Ranil.

It was Karu who was instrumental in the downfall of the UNP when he left the 17 party seniors and joined the UPFA and got ministerial portfolio. Later, Karu was forced to return to the UNP without the team who took to the Government.

Yet, Ranil was kind enough to accommodate him and even made him the deputy leader of the party and later the chairman of the UNP’s leadership council.

But Karu was never sincere with his moves and is now turning ungrateful by betraying Ranil. Karu is ambitious that he could become the common candidate of the Opposition at the next presidential election with the support of a few disgruntled Opposition politicians.

Though he appears to be supporting Sobhitha thero, he has his own political agenda, aimed at becoming the common candidate. Unconfirmed reports said that the Opposition parties have agreed to field a common candidate at next the presidential election.

Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, the convener of the National Movement for Social Justice, held separate meetings with former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, JHU MP Ven. Athuraliye Ratana Thera and its National Organizer Nishantha Warnasinghe, Nawa Sihala Urumaya Leader Sarath Manamenddra, National Unity Alliance leader Asad Sally, Mawbima Janatha Party leader Hemakumara Nanayakkara and Trade union leader Saman Ratnapriya also attended the meeting with Sobitha Thera.

It’s not a joke, Tissa tells Ranil

Scientific Affairs Senior Minister Prof. Tissa Vitarana said last week that seeking a determination from the highest Court in the country, the Supreme Court, on a matter concerning constitutionality, can no way be considered a joke by anyone.

He said so referring to a statement made by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at a meeting organised by the Green Blood Movement yesterday. Wickremesinghe said he considered it a joke to seek a Court opinion on the constitutionality of President Mahinda Rajapaksa contesting the Presidential election for a third term.

“Mr. Wickremesinghe has the right to his opinion. But I cannot agree that seeking a Court determination is a joke. How can the determination of the Supreme Court in the country be a joke?” he asked.

“If at all, the President does not want to be faintly suggestive of violating the Constitution. Hence, the President has rightfully referred this matter to the Supreme Court to get a ruling,” Prof. Vitarana explained.

“The decision of the highest court in the country is no joke in the determination of legal validity of something although it was the opinion expressed by Wickremesinghe that it was a joke,” he added.

President Rajapaksa on Tuesday sought the Supreme Court’s opinion on the constitutionality to contest for a third term under the 18th Amendment to the Constitution.

The Supreme Court is expected to submit it opinion to the President by tomorrow.

The matter was taken up before a seven-judge bench and the Sri Lanka Bar Association was asked to inform its membership to file written submissions by 3.00 p.m. on Friday (7).

The reference sent to the Supreme Court, the President sought clarification on; (a) Whether in terms of Article 31 (3A) (a) (1) of the Constitution, as amended by the 18th Amendment, I as the incumbent President, serving my second term of office as President, have any impediment, after the expiration of four years from the date of commencement of my second term of office as President on November 19, 2010, to declare by Proclamation my intention of appealing to People for a mandate to hold office as President by election, for a future term.

(b) Whether in terms of the provisions of the Constitution, as amended by the 18th Amendment, I, as the incumbent President, serving my second term of office as President, and was functioning as such on the date of the 18th Amendment was enacted, have any impediment to be elected for a further term of office”.

Extraordinary Gazette on Nov 19, says Yapa

Investment Promotions Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana told a media briefing at the SLFP head office last week that President Mahinda Rajapaksa would issue a gazette extraordinary on November 19 instructing the Elections Commissioner to conduct a presidential election.

Commenting on speculations about crossovers from the government to the opposition and opposition to the government, the minister said a large number of opposition members were expected to crossover to the government.

“The list is long. But I cannot reveal all the names in the list as it will disrupt the ongoing interaction with the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and the opposition members who are expected to crossover to the government,” he said.

Responding to a journalist on speculation in political circles about a possible crossover to the government ranks by UNP’s propaganda head and Matara District parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera, Minister Yapa said there were no permanent friends or enemies in politics and anyone and everyone who supports the government and ensures the victory of President Rajapaksa at the forthcoming presidential poll was welcomed.

He said the government had no issues about welcoming Samaraweera although he criticised the President Rajapaksa, his family, the government and its policies in a virulent and atrocious manner and sometimes even on a personal level.

Ranil will contest, assures Sajith

UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa said last week that the party has already decided to field its National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as their candidate at the forthcoming presidential election. He said that she was no argument about the decision.

“There is no point in arguing about who is going to contest at the next presidential election from the UNP because the party has taken a decision to field Mr. Wickremesinghe as its candidate,” Sajith said, adding that it was only a UNP government that could ensure the rights of the working people.

“This government is shattering the hopes of the working people from election to election and from budget to budget,” said Sajith when he addressed the 19th Annual General meeting of the National Railway Services Union last week.

He said the unions affiliated to the UNP were revealing the attempts by the Government to provide substandard services to the people such as substandard medicine and power stations.

Security tightened for PM’s India vist

Tight security arrangement was implemented by the Indian authorities for Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne’s visit to Mangalore this weekend, according to the Superintendent of Indian Police P. Rajendra Prasad.

Prime Minister Jayaratne was invited as the chief guest for the 19th convocation of Manipal University to be held at KMC Greens in Manipal yesterday. Prime Minister Jayaratne was expected to travel by road from Mangalore airport to Manipal yesterday and from Manipal to Mangalore airport today. The cavalcade was to pass the National Highway 66.

Hotels and lodges were asked to collect all information of all lodgers staying with them during this period and submit it to the jurisdictional police stations. They should gather all details of lodgers from other districts and States. Hotels and other business establishments have been told not to allow parking of any vehicles during the period when the cavalcade travelled on the national highway.

Hotels and lodges were also told not to let out rooms facing the highway and to keep the windows of these rooms shut. In addition, all culverts and bridges on the national highway would be secured by the police. Bomb disposal squads and anti-sabotage teams would be pressed into service for thorough checking of the national highway on the two days.

“We are providing tight security to the Sri Lankan Prime Minister with minimum inconvenience to the local people living by the side of the national highway,” Prasad was quoted as saying.