India's stand, and progress towards consensus politics

Sunday Observations: The Political Column

The President's flying visit to India -- it was a flying visit, one kept carefully under wraps. It was partly the reason for the fact that there was no acting Prime Minister appointed, to act for Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake, who was also out of the country.

The appointment letter, we gather, was made ready for D. M. Jayaratne, in case any eventuality arose. But, the country functioned nevertheless, with all deputy Ministers concerned sworn in as acting Ministers -- and that including Maithripala Sirisena as acting Minister of Defence.

Why bother DM Jayratne anyway -- the Minister was convalescing from a sickness.

This underlines the understated style of Mahinda Rajapkse, President, who has, in his attempt to build consensus, now lobbed the ball firmly in the oppositions' court.

The UNP was last week -- ahead of its 60th anniversary celebrations -- looking into ways of responding to the President's letter to Karu Jayasuriya, asking him to bring in the UNP's troops into a National Government arrangement.

But, Ranil Wickremesighe in formulating the UNP's reply referred to the so called Bellanwila Protocol, in which a system of government by Committee is envisaged -- on the old State Council model.

That's where the issue of national government stands at the moment, but in the quest for other allies, the SLFP also received a reply from the JVP on the rejection of the JVP's conditions to coalesce.

The JVP had been critical of the SLFP's rejections of these conditions, but it is now reliably learnt that talks will take place next week between the SLFP and the JVP delegations in further pursuit of a coalition.

The President's visit to England, was following his brother Basil Rajapkse's visit to India in which he did some rapport building -- but did not meet any higher echelon officials.

The message from Britain was that the British premier will offer assistance of any sort to Sri Lanka, for ending the conflict. This does not mean that anybody has the details.

The President contemplates a press briefing on arrival, to iron out matters.

The abduction in broad daylight of Sooriyan FM news editor Guruparan was something the President took personal interest in. He called the head of the media institution Guruparan worked for, and expressed his concern. He didn't leave a stone unturned in trying to trace Guruparan's whereabouts.

But when Guruparan was released, this same concern returned to bug the benefactor, the President. Some theorised that if the President's intervention got him released, the state would have had some involvement.

That the kidnappers would have panicked under massive cordon and search - - was never a plausible theory considered by the pundit.

Meanwhile, the Indian government seemed to react to the voice of Vaiko the Tamilnadu firebrand. The Indian premier assured Vaiko that no arms will reach Sri Lanka - - particularly since the refugee influx into India has reached the 10,000 mark.

The next move? We'll have to wait and see -- the President is scheduled to meet the Indian Premier in Havana.