Sunday Observations: The Political Column
 

CMC Mayor playing 'Hide and Seek"

While the newly elected Mayor of Colombo, Uvais Imtiyaz plays 'hide and seek' from the moment he took oaths, the city of Colombo is now in a totally neglected state with the Council yet to kick off its inaugural sessions.

The Municipal Commissioner is not empowered to approve amounts over Rs.100,000. This has put the council in a dilemma with recipients going after the staff for overdue payments. Garbage piles up in the city with contractors fighting to get their payments.

At a time the CMC administration is in a mess, the Independent Group 3,elected to run the CMC is experiencing internal battles. The Deputy Mayor resigned last week. He was to be replaced by Stanley Jansz, a longstanding UNPer who contested on the Independent list. Jansz is backed by the Milinda Moragoda-Mohamed Maharoof combine. The independent group leader, Suppiah Rajendran remained loyal to this combine till last week.

In a dramatic turn of events, Rajendran turned his back to the Moragoda-Maharoof combine this week. He told the duo that he would fill the deputy mayor's post. Now, it's a battle between them.

Maharoof who had spent his time and money to keep the independents with him to save face over the 'tippexing' charges is now in a quandary. He, however keeps control over the Mayor, Imtiyaz.

Maharoof rushed Imtiyaz to Apollo Hospital last week. He was discharged on Sunday and the man went missing. Now it is reported that the Mayor is holidaying in the South while the CMC is in turmoil. The CMC episode has certainly brought discredit to the UNP say, party stalwarts.

As trouble brews with regard to the CMC administration, senior UNPers have now got the opportunity to take Maharoof and Moragoda to task. Last week they pressurised UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to table the two-member committee report that probed the rejection of the UNP nomination list which was 'tippexed'.

It also included an underaged youth recommended by Maharoof. That led to the disqualification of the list. Due to pressure by the rank and file, Wickremesinghe has announced that he would table the two-member report at the meeting of the Working Committee before the end of this month. This will be a turning point in the UNP as Wickremesinghe's confidante Moragoda too is mentioned in the report.

Early this week Maharoof was involved in another issue. This time it was with his former Private Secretary, Mohamed Minzar who also handled legal matters of Maharoof. Minzar defected from Maharoof last year over a boken promise by the latter. Minzar was given a leased car in his name by Maharoof for which Minzar claimed he paid the instalments through his salary.

Minzar had not been paid his ETF and EPF, he alleged. Since he defected, Maharoof complained to the police and took possession of the car. But, Minzar continued to pursue the matter to reclaim the car as he had paid the instalments. Early this week,Minzar complained to the Fraud Bureau. Detectives seized the car at Borella on Tuesday. Papers pertaining to the ownership and registration is said to be under Minzar's name. Therefore, he is declared as the lawful owner of the vehicle.

Maharoof was requested by the Fraud Bureau to appear on Wednesday to record his statement. Till Friday he had not turned up, Bureau sources disclosed. He is reported to be seeking legal advice on the issue. In the meantime, the Fraud Bureau has decided to put the case before court on Monday.

Maharoof has been involved in many a controversy in recent months. The majority of the UNPers are reported to be against him as he(Maharoof), they say was flexing his muscles claiming to be the sole financier of the party. Senior UNPers blame Milinda Moragoda, whom they claim is a man of intelligence and integrity for moving closely with Maharoof.

It is now learnt that Moragoda's private secretary, Collure had been hired for the 'tippexing' job on the nomination list without the knowledge or consent of Moragoda. Well informed sources revealed that even leading bhikkhus in Colombo too have warned Moragoda to keep away from 'bad company' in politics. Sources close to Moragoda revealed that he has now realised the value of advice after being centred in controversies where he had been dragged in by 'interested' colleagues.

Wickremesinghe is now in India on a private visit where he will have an audience with Sai Baba. Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya is in China on an official parliamentary visit. MPs sought the assistance and advice on party matters from M. H. Mohamed, the seniormost man in the party.

Mohamed was treated as the acting leader though he was not appointed. Mohamed has told the MPs that the CMC issue must be pursued after Wickremesinghe returned to the country today. Mohamed is another anti-Maharoof man who even challeged Maharoof for a walking race when the latter challenged him to show his fitness. But, Maharoof who is 55 in age failed to accept that challenge thrown at him by the 86 year old, Mohamed Haniffa Mohammed, the oldest, active UNPer in the party.