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| Sunday, 18 April 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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UNF's Presidential dream and ground realities Behind the curtain by Deepla Why did the former Prime Minister fail to get a decisive mandate to rule at the April 2 general elections, was one of the most relevant questions raised by the BBC News Online Correspondent in Colombo last week. According to the Correspondent Mr. Wickremesinghe's efforts to receive sympathy votes on the Presidents move to take over three ministries from him and going for an early election terminating his two year governing period were entirely futile. A friend of mine asked me "How can a Prime Minister seek a mandate from the people after betraying the country and its people out of greed for power". That is quite right. The former PM gave unnecessary concessions to the LTTE allowing them to bring 11 shiploads of arms and some state of the art communications equipment during his term. Their efficacy was demonstrated in the Prabha attack on Karuna forces, according to the LTTE itself. In fact, the tigers have claimed they have armed themselves to the teeth with the most sophisticated weaponry and communications equipment during the two year ceasefire, a blatant violation to which Ranil Wickremesinghe turned a blind eye despite all the warnings. How the UNF government handled the so-called `peace process' is no longer `secret' as anyone can access worldwide web sites for conversations of UNF representatives and LTTE stalwarts relating to all the deals. The UNF leader's policies which favoured only the rich making the poor poorer was not even admitted to by those within the party. Like no other government the former government slashed subsidies of farmers and the working masses. When the elections came the people had only one wish to defeat the UNF government and bring a people friendly government. The result was that the Freedom Alliance formed in response to the demand of the public won 106 electorates out of 160 and 16 districts out of 22. It was a significant mandate from the public for the Alliance government to work out a program for the betterment of people who brought them to power. It is rumoured that at Siri Kotha the UNF leadership has faced many problems on how to run the party after the defeat at the elections on April 2. The leader had to adjourn the first Working Committee meeting after the elections within five minutes to avert the questions raised over the defeat of the party. The members had not even supported his suggestion to re-organise the party within four months and some of them also had refused to support the party to realise an unrealistic dream of having a UNF President in the country. Some of them had, had discussions not to support the leadership saying that it would be another foolish and inept venture. Compared to the General Elections results - 2001, the UNF had lost their votes by 7.76 per cent Islandwide and it had become 12.68 per cent in North and East. They faced a disastrous defeat at Nuwara-Eliya district with a 14.26 per cent. The Ceylon Workers' Congress (CWC) last week announced that the UNF won the Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya and Badulla districts from the votes received for the CWC and otherwise they would have been defeated even in those three districts. Further, the party Chairman was depressed over the allocation of UNF's national list seats. He has mentioned that being a Sinhala Buddhist he was unhappy over the selection of seven from minority parties out of 11. The party has also sacked the Media Chief replaced by an information type, a double agent, who was earlier a highly placed UNP mole in the PA, whose dubious activities have now be exposed. Their Media Chief had a reputation for being an empty vessel who made much noise nothing else, who also worked as the Chairman of ITN and Lakhanda. The party has brought someone else for the post. Reliable sources confirmed that many more changes in the party will follow soon. However, that is how the UNF's destiny was decided by the general public. The new government installed auspiciously in the traditional new year has already promised to restart the peace talks with the Tamil Tigers without any delay. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Colin Powell had given this assurance. Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage who played a high profile role in UNF-LTTE negotiations has congratulated Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on his appointment and pledged their support to find a permanent solution to the country's burning problem. The LSSP seems to be going through its death or rebirth pangs, (we hope it is the latter) with leader Richard (Batty) Weerakoon throwing in the towel, in what he says is a show of protest against the second rung leadership asserting itself in the form of Prof. Tissa Vitarana accepting a Cabinet portfolio. What was good for Batty the goose surely is good for Tissa the gander! Founders Dr. N.M. Perera, Philip Gunawardene, Dr. Colvin R. de Silva, Edmond Samarakkody, Bernard Soysa, Reggie Perera, no more and among the living Hector Abhayawardene and not to forget the lapsed Marxist Reggie Siriwardene. May all be amused at these high jinks wherever they are. Former Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando is a much aggrieved person. Overlooked for UNF national list membership in Parliament he has come out strongly against those who planned his exit by appointing PA rebel G.L.Pieris as a National list MP and to cap it all another PA renegade as National Organiser of the party. If his position was weakened this was deliberately done by the UNF leadership. For a descendant of `Veera Puran Appu' this must surely be a big come down. At least a few loyalists have shown solidarity with Tyronne by resigning from the UNF which is being deserted in droves. The Constituent Assembly (CA) to be set up soon will take up the major issues of abolition of the executive Presidency, change of the electoral system with the necessary checks and balances to meet the aspirations of the people. The President and the authorities already have had several discussions over the issue and have commented that it would be a mix of the PR and the first past-the-post system envisaging a system of multi-member constituencies. The Ambassadors for Japan and America in Sri Lanka paid courtesy calls on Dr. Sarath Amunugama; new Finance Minister of the Freedom Alliance government. Both of them have assured the Finance Minister that aid for Sri Lanka will continue to flow. The newly appointed Cabinet is geared to move strongly against corruption. This might send shivers down the spines of some. The suffering masses will soon benefit from the restoration of fertiliser subsidy, salary increments, and better employer-employee relations. Poverty alleviation will receive priority. The mood of a new year just dawned will prevail throughout under such promising conditions. Labour Relations and Foreign Labour Minister Athauda Seneviratne has already promised 15 per cent salary increase for coconut sector employees. Finance Minister Dr.Amunugama also has instructed his Ministry officials to formulate necessary action plans to immediately reduce the Urea fertilizer prices. "The UNF government, during the past two years had increased the price of urea fertilizer from Rs.350 to Rs.1000 and the UPFA government will fulfil its key pledges given to the farmer community within the first three months", a President's office spokesman said. |
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