TNA leaders clash over NPC portfolios

The joy of winning the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) was short-lived for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) as differences among its constituent parties deepened over the sharing the four ministerial portfolios of the NPC.

All the constituent parties in the TNA had major differences even in the past at it was the late LTTE terrorist leader Velupillai Prabhakaran who brought all these parties under one umbrella at gunpoint and formed the TNA. Leaders of these parties, though reluctant at the beginning, finally agreed to join the TNA due to fear.

Had the leaders of these Tamil parties refused to come under one umbrella to form the TNA, Prabhakaran would have eliminated them has he had done in the past, killing several prominent democratic Tamil leaders such as former TULF leader A. Amirthalingam, Kumar Ponnambalam and many others. Hence, all leaders of Tamil parties, except for TULF leader V. Anandasangaree, had no option but to join the TNA. Ever since, the TNA had been remote-controlled by Prabhakaran from his jungle hideout in Wanni until the terror outfit was militarily crushed in May, 2009.

Anandasangaree was a prime target of the LTTE then and if not for the high security had been given, the LTTE would have assassinated them.

The so-called LTTE political wing leader S.P. Thamilselvan had summoned the TNA leaders from time to time to convey Prabhakaran's orders and all TNA leaders looked mere puppets in carrying out the orders of the terrorist outfit. But the vanquishing of LTTE leadership not only rescued over half a million people from the clutches of the LTTE terror but also gave political liberty to the TNA leaders.

The main accusation of the constituent parties of the TNA was the extraordinary dominance of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) as TNA leader R. Sampandan gave step motherly treatment to the other coalition partners of the alliance.

Though Anandasangaree's TULF too joined the TNA at the recent election, Sampandan has not given due place and recognition to the veteran Tamil leader who had strongly voiced against terrorism even when Parbhakaran was at his peak unleashing terror.

Many Tamil parties did not like retired Supreme Court judge C.V. Wignaswaran coming from nowhere and becoming the TNA's chief ministerial candidate for the September 21 NPC elections. But they had no option but the accept Wineswaran as the Chief Minister following the TNA's resounding win.

The constituent parties of the TNA thought that Sampanthan would treat them well in sharing the ministerial portfolios of the NPC. But they found that they had got a raw deal from Sampanthan and Wigneswaran. They are now up in arms against the ITAK dominance.

Cracks beneath the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) political coalition showed signs of further widening as several TNA constituent party members elected to the NPC boycotted the oath taking ceremony held to appoint its ministers and members to the NPC at Weerasingham Hall in Jaffna on Friday.

EPRLF, PLOTE and TELO boycott ceremony

Members of the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) except its minister, People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) boycotted the ceremony. According to our reporters at least eight of the 30 elected members to the NPC under the TNA banner had boycotted the ceremony.

Some of the constituent parties of the TNA had boycotted the oath taking ceremony in protest against the composition of the Council of Ministers. The TNA announced the following as its ministerial nominees, P. Ayngaranesan - Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Irrigation and Environment, T. Kurukularajah as Minister of Education, Cultural Affairs and Sports, Dr. P. Sathiyalingam as the Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, Deniswaran as the Minister of Fisheries, Transport, Trade and Rural Development.

However, TNA spokesman MP Suresh Premachandran, who held a press conference in Jaffna after the appointments were made, accused the ITAK of assuming an authoritarian role within the alliance.

Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO), Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and ITAK comprise the five-party alliance of the TNA.

Premachandran had objected to the appointment of ministers, claiming that it was an arbitrary decision of the ITAK which had failed to consult the parties representing the alliance on the matter.

TNA party supporters who had gathered near the Weerasingham Hall were visibly perturbed regarding their party leaders inability to reach a consensus on the appointment of Ministers to the council. Visibly upset party supporters questioned the new appointees how they could work towards people's benefit if they cannot maintain unity and cohesiveness within the party ranks.

Though the TNA won the first ever Northern Provincial Council polls held on September 21, in-fighting within the coalition parties, was evident during and after the elections. However, NPC member Ananthi Sasitharan who had earlier stated she would take oaths separately before a Justice of Peace had turned up at the last minute, our area reporters said. The TNA Council members and ministers took oaths before NPC Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, who was earlier sworn-in before President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo.

Master blaster appointed Deputy Minister

Former Sri Lanka cricket captain and current Chairman of the national cricket selection committee, Sanath Jayasuriya was among the nine new deputy ministers appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa last Tuesday.

Though some expected him to get the deputy portfolio for sports, it was not so as it could prevent the Matara District parliamentarian performing his role as the chairman of selectors. Two days after his appointment, Sanath graced the 35th Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year awards ceremony as the chief guest with his younger daughter Yalindi. It was his first public function as the new Deputy Minister of Postal Services.

Sanath has been extremely busy after his father fell seriously ill and is now undergoing treatment at a leading private hospital in Colombo. Nevertheless, Sanath honored his commitment and graced the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year show, exactly 25 years after he won the prestigious Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year (Outstation) title in 1988 as a student of St. Servatious College, Matara.

It was an emotional moment for Sanath when the giant screen showed him receiving the top award. Among the distinguish gathering was Sri Lanka's world cup-winning captain and Kalutara District parliamentarian Arjuna Ranatunga. Ministers Keheliya Rambuwella and Bandula Gunawardena were the guests of honour.

Meanwhile, veteran educationalist Mohan Lal Grero was appointed as the new Deputy Minister of Education. Prior to his new appointment, Grero was the monitoring MP for the Ministry of Education. The other UPFA parliamentarians who were sworn in as Deputy Ministers before the President at the Presidential Secretariat Lakshman Wasantha Perera (Industry and commerce), Sarath Weerasekara (Labour and Labour Relations), Y.G. Padmasiri (Agriculture), Anthony Victor Perera (Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development), Hemal Gunasekera (Cooperative and Internal Trade), Nishantha Mutuhettigama (Minor Export Crop Promotion) and Sarath Mutukumarana (Rehabilitation and Prison Reform).

Newly appointed Deputy Minister of Minor Export Crop Promotion, Nishantha Muthuhettigama said he could now work for the people better and that he intended to work hard towards the betterment of his ministry. "I believe that I can work hand in hand with Minister Reginald Cooray and small crop organisations to promote minor export crop production," he said.

Wigneswaran takes oaths before President

C. V. Wigneswaran took his oaths as the Chief Minister of the Northern Province before President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees last Monday.

Members of the clergy including the Maha Sangha, Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne, Senior Minister Tissa Vitharana, Ministers Maithripala Sirisena, Douglas Devananda, Rauf Hakeem and Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Northern Province Governor G. A. Chandrasiri, TNA Leader R. Sambandan, M. A. Sumanthiran MP, A Vinayagamoorthy and Parliamentarians P. Digambaran, Prabha Ganeshan and UNP Parliamentarian John Amaratunga were also present on the occasion.

Ranil under immense pressure

When will the United National Party would get a suitable replacement for its current leader Ranil Wickremesinghe? That is the million-dollar question for which the UNP rebels are seeking an answer after Ranil declared that he would step down from the top seat "if a suitable replacement is found". But the criteria of finding 'suitable replacement' for the UNP leadership is only known to Ranil and his loyalists.

UNP rebels who demand sweeping reforms to the country's main Opposition party which had lost 27 elections under Ranil's shaky leadership, feel that it was another gimmick by Ranil who last week offered to have a high command to manage the party leadership.

The Jathika Pawra which organised last weekend's protest march in Matara demanding an immediate change in the UNP leadership, reiterated on Friday that Ranil should tender his resignation immediately. Southern Provincial Councillor and Jathika Pawra Co-Organiser Maithri Gunaratne told a news conference on Friday that UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe should follow the suggestions made by the Eksath Bhikshu Peramuna and resign for the betterment of the party.

He said they would take to the streets and even conduct a fast unto death if Ranil refuses to step down after holding discussions with parliamentarians Karu Jayasuriya and Sajith Premadasa. Gunaratne said they were not forcing the leader to leave the party but only seeking his resignation as party leader. He said the UNP rebels have nothing against Ranil working in a party committee or holding another post.

Former United National Party (UNP) Chairman Gamini Jayawickrema Perera offered to mediate if UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Parliamentarians Karu Jayasuriya and Sajith Premadasa hesitated to participate in proposed discussions on party reforms. He said that Ranil, Karu and Sajith should get together on future party discussions and reforms.

The ex-UNP chairman said that he would come forward and decide what course of action they should take if anyone of them tried to get away from these discussions. He said that he could now make such impact on others as he was the only senior party member after stepping down from the chairmanship of the UNP.

. . . offers to step down

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said last week that he has decided to handover the party leadership to any party member who could prove he or she was eligible to lead the party.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, in an indirect hit at Sajith who has said he could win future elections for the UNP if he is made the party leader, said that UNP members should set examples and prove that they are eligible for party leadership.

Tissa said that Ranil is willing to step down if there was such a person to lead the UNP with distinction.

Ranil has indicated his willingness to step down at the last UNP Working Committee meeting held on Monday. At the meeting he highlighted the importance of uniting the party.

Latest reports from Sirikotha said that the Opposition leader is scheduled to meet Karu and Sajith on Tuesday morning. But it was not clear whether the trio would discuss the level of power that would be granted to the new leadership council that would act as the high command of the party.

To which extent Ranil would be willing to share the immense power he enjoys as the party leader by the UNP constitution is left to be seen. Meanwhile UNP rebel Maithri Gunaratne said he and fellow Provincial Councillor Shiral Lakthilaka had requested for special police security from the Police Chief. He said they were attacked and fired upon during the protest march last Sunday in Matara.

Mangala's goons arrested

Twenty two supporters of UNP's Matara District parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera were produced before Additional Magistrate, Matara, Manjula Karunaratne last Tuesday. They were charged with unlawful assembly, causing injury and damage to public property.

Of the 22, seven were arrested by the Police last Sunday while 15 persons including Provincial Councillor Gayan Sanjeewa, Matara former Mayor Upul Nishantha and Matara Pradeshiya Sabha Opposition Leader Lionel Kodikara surrendered at the SSP's office through their lawyers last morning.

But Mangala has said that his supporters attacked those who took part at the October 5 protest march against the UNP leadership in retaliation. While admitting that his supporters attacked the protestors at Matara, Mangala said it happened because his supporters were first attacked while they were carrying out a peaceful walk.

"Matara people are never known to turn back or run away. My supporters were only reacting to being attacked by the protestors," Mangala was quoted as saying. He told a news conference that the conspiracy to conceal the truth behind the Matara attack was not confined to the state media and some private media institutions but it was happening in parliament as well.

Speaker to investigate

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa told the Parliament on Friday that he would investigate and find out as to why the tabled gazettes were not available on the Opposition members' tables while they were available on the government members' tables.

He made this observation in Parliament when UNP MP Harsha de Silva and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that the Gazette Extraordinary No 1821/39 of August 1, 2013 had not been placed on their tables. The Speaker said he would initiate an investigation into the complaint. He said the placing the gazette on the tables was not a responsibility of the minister who presented the order and instructed the gazettes be given to the members of the Opposition. UNP MP Harsha de Silva stated that the copies of the gazette was not place on Opposition members' tables. Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the copies should be placed on tables of all the 225 members. The Speaker said that he was informed that the copies were placed on the tables of all members.

President attends Parliament

President Mahinda Rajapaksa paid a brief visit to Parliament on Friday. He entered the House around 1.50 p.m. and remained seated for about 15 minutes listening to the debate. The Adjournment Motion on the COPE report moved by Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga was taken up and UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya was speaking at the time the President arrived.

The absence of relevant Ministers and Deputy Ministers during the time allocated for Oral Questions was brought to the President's attention by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, when the President stood up to leave the Chamber.

The President at this point inquired whether the newly appointed Deputy Ministers were also absent.

The President left the House around 2.05 pm. The Speaker pointed out the necessity of the presence of relevant Ministers or Deputy Ministers to respond to the questions at the oral questions session, following a Point of Order raised by UNP MP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam complaining of the absence of Government Ministers and Deputy Minister to answer to their questions.