Opposition ‘chefs’ still churning out the ‘common’ soup

The Opposition has still not come out of its ‘common candidate’ dream. Ever since the speculation of an early presidential election, there has been much dialogue to find a common Opposition candidate with more than ten names being proposed.

But even after months of discussion, the Opposition has still not found that ‘dream’ common candidate. The so-called joint Opposition has been fixing various deadlines to announce the name of their common candidate but day-by-day they have been compelled to postpone it.

One wonders whether they could find that common candidate they have been boasting of even by the day nominations close.

It all began with a high drama under Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera but was immediately shot down after a fraction of the UNP declared that the party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would contest the next presidential election.

The UNP later said that would support a common candidate but the selection should be within the party and that they would not support any outsiders.

But the so-called joint Opposition got a fresh lease of life a couple of weeks ago when the UNP agreed to support a common candidate even outside the party. Some political observers said it could be a ‘tactical withdrawal’ by Ranil to show that he is ready to forgo the opportunity on behalf of the Opposition and its call to abolish the Executive Presidency introduced by none other than the UNP.

The Sajith faction of the UNP is showing an extraordinary interest in fielding Ranil as the party’s presidential candidate for obvious reasons. Another defeat for Ranil could well make Hambantota District parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa the leader of the UNP overnight. But a wily and veteran politician such as Ranil knows what in store.

Though some JVP seniors were seen on the common front platform to support a common candidate for the next presidential election, the party’s general secretary Tilvin Silva has said that they are not part of the common candidate debate.

Ranil’s strategy

Even though he attended the last meeting of the joint Opposition, he could well make a strategic ‘U’ turn. Even if the Opposition finds somebody to become the common candidate, Ranil could strategically reverse the decision, stating that the consent of the UNP Working Committee is needed to go ahead with the decision.

There is a strong possibility of Ranil instructing his confidantes who form a majority in the Working Committee to oppose the idea, so that Ranil could be the party’s candidate, having earned a good name for his willingness to sacrifice the opportunity on behalf of the Opposition.

Nevertheless, finding a common candidate has turned out to be a never-ending battle for the Opposition, thereby hampering the UNP’s preparations for the election and planning party strategy.

Two independent surveys done by the Opposition has pointed out that any common candidate could not poll more than 39 percent of votes, making President Mahinda Rajapaksa the clear winner of the next presidential election.

Knowing that their candidate is a mismatch and could not come anywhere near the immense popularity of President Rajapaksa, they first thought that they could evade a direct contest by disqualifying President Rajapaksa from the presidential race through former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva’s theories. But all those daydreams went for a six after the unanimous determination by the full bench of the Supreme Court that the incumbent President could contest future presidential elections.

Fonseka discloses the stark fact

Although political parties in the common Opposition front show that they are united to field a common candidate and abolish the Executive Presidency, they have never been united and have separate political agendas.

That was clearly visible during the 2010 presidential election when the joint Opposition fielded retired Army Commander Sarath Fonseka as the common candidate. The UNP had no option but to support Fonseka along with the JVP.

But the UNP did not throw its full potential and support behind Fonseka and it was the JVP which ultimately played a significant role in carrying out the propaganda. However, it was later disclosed that a staggering sum of money that came from various hidden corners here and abroad, was under Fonseka and was not disclosed to the other parties in the joint Opposition. Perhaps that could well be a reason for the other parties in the Opposition to desert Fonseka immediately after his humiliating defeat.

Addressing a joint Opposition news conference last week in support of the common candidate, Fonseka spoke more negative things than positive.

“None of you have the experience of being the common candidate. Only I have the firsthand experience,” said Fonseka, recalling how the other parties in the joint Opposition front abandoned him after the defeat. He said he had to make his own battle after the defeat with hardly any support from parties in the joint Opposition.

Chandrika deserts Opposition camp

Former President Chandrika Badaranaike Kumaratunga has been playing a key role behind the scenes ever since the idea of common candidate came to light. She was in close touch with the leaders in the Opposition.

She was fully backed by her confidante and the head of the UNP media unit Mangala Samaraweera who worked tirelessly to bring his old madam back on the saddle. When he found that the chances of Chandrika’s political resurrection are slim, he negotiated to join the Government. But the ministerial portfolio which Mangala requested was flatly rejected.

Chandrika’s name was rejected by the UNP majority seniors, stating that it was she who ruined the UNP government in 2004. But that was not the only reason for Chandrika’s sudden exit from the Opposition’s dialogue.

She knew that there is legal implication which could disqualify her from contesting, even after the implementation of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. The judgement in the Water’s Edge case ordered her to pay Rs. three million and last week’s media reports suggested that the conviction would make her ineligible to contest for the presidency again.

On the other hand, she is unaware of the full the Supreme Court determination to the President and the date from which the clearance has been given. These factors would have forced Chandrika to abandon her plans. Moreover, there has been no positive response from her old hands in the SLFP whom she called to woo support. None of them have endorsed her idea.

Meanwhile, Ven. Sobitha Thera was hospitalised on Friday morning following an illness. Sources said that the Thera had been feeling ill for some time and was admitted to a private hospital in Malabe after his cough and chest pain got worse.

Paba says even she could beat Karu

Gampaha District MP Upeksha Swarnamali, better known as Paba after her famous role in a popular tele drama series, has said that even she could beat her fellow Gampaha District parliamentarian Karu Jayasuriya.

In a newspaper interview with a Sinhala newspaper, Upeksha has said it will be a big joke if Karu is nominated as the common Opposition candidate to contest President Rajapaksa at the next presidential election. “Karu even lost to a political novice like me at the last general election. Hence, one could imagine how he would fair against a political heavyweight such as the President.

There is no point in talking how pathetic he would fare against the President when even I could beat him,” she was quoted as saying.

When Upeksha contested the last general election on the UNP ticket from the Gampaha District, she polled 81,350 preferential votes to finish a close second to Ruwan Wijewardene (88,850) whereas Karu finished way behind with only 60,310 preferential votes.

Meanwhile, Upeksha was appointed Monitoring Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare by the President last week.

“Following a request the President appointed me as monitoring MP. My duties include the overseeing the work of the Foreign Employment Promotion Ministry,” she was quoted as saying.

Malik accuses Tissa

Former Chairman of the United National Party and a close ally of the UNP Leader, Malik Wickremesinghe has accused Tissa Attanayake, General Secretary of the party, of ruining the party structure by his disastrous moves and creating further divisions among its top level members, according to the Asian Mirror.

The website reported that Attanayake had devised the ‘peace pact’ between Ranil and Sajith which came as a surprise to many. However, Malik, a longstanding member of the party, was of the view that Attanayake's intervention has now created fresh problems in the party.

Although Premadasa was appointed as the Deputy Leader of the UNP, under Attanayake’s instructions, the former never distanced himself from his personal agenda and acted as if he had an axe to grind with certain top level officials of the party, the report said.

Attanayake is accused of attempting to disrupt the ongoing efforts to field a common candidate and to consolidate the party’s leader’s position as the UNP’s ‘presidential hopeful’. Though Sajith had earlier said that Ranil was not capable of winning an election of any scale, he now promotes Ranil’s name as the party’s presidential candidate.

However, with the large majority of the UNP Parliamentarians and Working Committee members working towards fielding a common candidate, Sajith finds himself in an isolated position. He is left alone with only three other UNP parliamentarians.

Malik had lashed out at Attanayake’s conduct as the General Secretary of the party saying he created further divisions in the UNP camp. Despite being a close confidant of Ranil, Malik has strongly backed the idea of bringing Chandrika as the common candidate with the support of the UNP – which has been opposed by the majority of UNP stalwarts.

JVP’s Tilvin concedes defeat

The JVP has well understood its political bankruptcy and are showing less interest in contesting the presidential polls. That is the main reason which had prompted the JVP to join the common Opposition after the party, after supporting Fonseka at the last presidential election, had clearly stated that it would not support common candidates in future.

General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva said last week that the forthcoming presidential election will not be a fair race as President Rajapaksa has already started the race and run half way through.

He made these comments at JVP’s 25th Il Maha Viru Samaruwa, commemorating its fallen insurgents including founder leader Rohana Wijeweera. The former JVP leader was killed in unclear circumstances during the UNP regime - on November 13, 1989, after being arrested by security forces during the dying stages of the armed rebellion by the JVP.

Tilvin said that any race should have a proper starting point and a starting whistle. However, the person who has to draw the line and blow the whistle, the Elections Commissioner, is still nowhere to be seen. No other candidate has come forward as well. Tilvin’s statement was a deliberate attempt to cover up the joint Opposition’s failure to find a common candidate for the next presidential election. Tilvin is making a disgraceful attempt to put their failure too on the President.

He need not tell that the President has gone half way through when the President has already won in the hearts of patriotic and peace-loving people. There is nobody who could come anywhere close to his popularity.

Opposition ill-prepared, says Maithri

SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena has said that the main Opposition UNP seemed to be ill-prepared for a national election.Without identifying whether it would be a general or a presidential election that would come first, the SLFP General Secretary said the ruling UPFA was expecting a national level election. The minister added that the election will end with a resounding victory for the ruling party.

“I have no intention to be the Opposition’s common candidate,” he told a media briefing at SLFP headquarters at Darley Road on Wednesday. He said no one from the Government ranks would join the Opposition, but those in the Opposition were getting ready to join the Government.The Minister said the common candidate of the opposition, whoever he may be, will represent the policies of the UNP.

Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara who was present at the same news conference said the people wanted to see President Rajapaksa's victory at the forthcoming presidential election.

Ven. Dhammananda Thera warns of NGO mafia

President of the Buddhist Cultural Renaissance Committee, the Ven. Medagama Dhammananda Thera last week criticised the Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera and the Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera and charged that their organisations were backed by non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“Ven. Sobitha Thera and Ven. Rathana Thera have fallen prey to the NGOs today. Their organisations, the National Movement for Social Justice and Pivithuru Hetak Udesa Jathika Sabhawa are also in the same position. It is unlikely that they will set the country on the correct path,” he said.

Addressing a special national convention organised by the Federation of National Organisations in Colombo, the Thera said that it was tragic that national forces had split into so many factions today and also invited the Bodu Bala Sena to team up with the organisation.

He said incumbent President Rajapaksa was a most trustworthy leader and could bring together national forces and save the country.

Meanwhile, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa said the national forces should gather round President Rajapaksa to make him victorious at the upcoming presidential election so that a new Constitution could be introduced by him.

“No one believed that we could defeat terrorism a few years ago but President Rajapaksa stepped in and eliminated terrorism from the country.

This shows what he is capable of. Therefore, we will be able to bring in a new Constitution through the incumbent president,” he said.

Opposition parties were backed byWesterners and following agendas drafted by those who want to annihilate the country, he alleged.

Commenting on the common candidate, expected to be fielded by the Opposition parties against the incumbent President, he said the common candidate was the fall guy, because the party leaders did not want to face the ignominy of losing.

“The United National Party leader evidently knew that he couldn’t win the previous presidential election so he put Sarath Fonseka forward. If Wickremesinghe contested and lost, he could have lost the party leadership and also the leadership of the Opposition. Wickremesinghe is attempting to use the same strategy again to save his position in the party and the Opposition,” he said.

Speaker warns Ranjan Ramanayake

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa last week cautioned UNP MP Ranjan Ramanayake to conduct himself with patience and dignity in Parliament.

The Speaker made this remark when Ramanayake was delivering an impassioned speech on the plight of Sri Lankan women in the Middle East and in Saudi Arabia in particular.

He said fathers were trading their daughters and husbands their wives in certain cases to earn money.

“Most of these hapless women end up in slavery in the Arab world,” Ramanayake said.

During the speech, he used some un-parliamentary words which prompted the Speaker to caution him.

Praba asks TNA not to repeat LTTE actions

Parliamentarian Praba Ganeshan has called on the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) not to repeat the LTTE's actions which visited tremendous calamities on the country.

“The three decades of terrorism is over and the country is enjoying the dividends of the hard won peace,” he added.

Addressing the media at the SLFP headquarters last week, Ganeshan said this is a good opportunity for the TNA to work for the common good of the people by supporting the government's massive development program.

“The TNA should work for the uplift of Northerners instead of playing politics. Serving the people without thinking about selfish gains must be the TNA's primary goal,” he said.

MP Ganeshan said the government has rendered immense service to the people irrespective of their ethnicity.

The votes of the people living in the hill country are for President Rajapaksa. “The people have realised the importance of the valuable service rendered by the government while reaping immense benefits,” Ganeshan said.