Behind Closed Doors

Duminda strikes as rebels weigh war crimes immunity or premiership

by Rasputin

EC’s body blow

The corridors are buzzing over the Elections Commissioner’s request to political parties to desist from accommodating any ‘defeated candidate’ in their national lists for Parliament. Several key figures of the ruling coalition as well as the opposition are now in a state of shock, according to whispers behind closed doors.

It has already been speculated that several key ex-MPs from both sides will fail to secure their seats at the election due to emergence of young and popular faces.

Their only hope, therefore, was entering Parliament through the back door using the national list. All political parties have already made their national lists public and the Elections Commissioner has already instructed political parties to desist from accommodating any ‘outsiders’ when nominating national list MPs.

The positive side of this story is that none of the political parties will be able to hoodwink their voters this time when nominating national list MPs.

On the other hand, those who fail to retain the people’s trust will have to stay out of Parliament at least for the next five years.

Immunity vs premiership

An interesting discussion took place last week at an important Aramaya in Colombo which has functioned as the de facto political office of the former big-boss who fell out of power in January.

The discussion was attended by several prominent bhikkhus who openly supported the election campaign of the blue party over the past five weeks.

The main topic of their discussion was the prospect of passing a law in Parliament granting immunity to war heroes from ‘international prosecutions’.

The discussion has taken place just a month away from the next session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva where a report on Sri Lanka is scheduled to be debated. It is rumoured that 42 names have been included in the report as those facing serious war crimes charges.

“Getting this law passed in Parliament is more important than demanding the Prime Ministerial post for the former President. We should push for this law even at the expense of the ‘PM battle’.

We should allow them to appoint any Prime Minister they want on the condition that they support the passage of this law,” a prominent bhikkhu, who was previously attached to a ‘Sena’, argued at the discussion in the temple.

Central Committee

A large number of Central Committee members of the SLFP face the risk of being axed immediately after the Parliamentary election. According to an enjoining order issued by the Colombo District Court, the Central Committee, the supreme decision making body of the party, cannot be convened before August 24.

A sizable proportion of SLFP Central Committee members are loyalists of the former President who was previously the Chairman of the party. Sources close to President Sirisena whispered in Rasputin’s ears that a major ‘clean-up’ operation is likely to take place in the SLFP after the election.

The chief architects of the operation will be President Maithripala Sirisena and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, and the whole process will be assisted by Duminda Dissanayake, the new General Secretary of the party.

The SLFP is planning to hold a general assembly in September to obtain endorsement for new reforms and new appointments.

Duminda moves to checkmate

Duminda Dissanayake, the new General Secretary of the SLFP, has acted fast to assert his power, party insiders disclosed. He sent a letter yesterday to the UPFA Executive Committee informing them that any action taken by Susil Premajayantha as the Secretary of the UPFA would be ‘null and void’.

The letter has been copied to Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya and SLFP Chairman President Maithripala Sirisena.

Meanwhile, reports from Darley Road say a decision would be taken on the future of the UPFA coalition, soon after the Parliamentary election.

According to murmurs behind closed doors, in the event of a dissolution of the UPFA coalition, the constituent parties of the UPFA will have to act as stand-alone entities in Parliament without any support from an ‘umbrella’ organization.

“This will be the last time outsiders will get to cash in on our SLFP votes,” a Maithri stalwart of the SLFP told Rasputin on Friday, commenting on the present state of affairs in the party.