Opposition In Crisis

By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema

The main opposition party the UNP’s decision to contest the forthcoming general election under the elephant symbol is likely to break the formidable broad opposition alliance formed during the presidential election.

The UNP Working Committee on Thursday (11) unanimously approved the proposal forwarded by the party’s district chairmen to contest under the elephant symbol with the UNF.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told The Sunday Leader that although the party arrived at a decision to contest the election under the elephant symbol, there was room for negotiations with other opposition political parties to form a broad alliance.
“There is room for a change in the symbol, if the need arises,” he said.

He explained that the UNP was still in the process of discussing with other opposition political parties and that the Working Committee has also given power to the party leadership to summon the Working Committee if there was a need to change the decision on the symbol.

Attanayake agreed the need for a broad opposition alliance to contest the general election while safeguarding the identity of the party.

The UNP and the JVP last week exchanged views on contesting the general election under one alliance.

The JVP that met with the UNP leadership on Thursday (11) morning forwarded several proposals in order to join an alliance to contest the general election with the UNP.

The proposals were that the broad alliance contest under a common symbol and not under the UNF. The JVP also proposed that the leadership of the election campaign be handed over to General Sarath Fonseka while the elected members would decide the leader’s post in the next parliament.

JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the party was not ready to negotiate an alliance with the UNP, if the main opposition party was steadfast in its decision to contest under the elephant symbol.

“If the UNP is going to contest under the elephant and wants the JVP also to contest under the elephant symbol, there is nothing to negotiate,” he said. The JVP stance is that a joint opposition should contest under a common symbol.

As for the breakdown in the broad opposition alliance, Dissanayake said the UNP leadership would be responsible for such an eventuality.

With the UNP decision to contest under the elephant symbol, the JVP is to form a separate alliance with General Fonseka and other progressive forces to contest the election. In the event the UNP and the JVP is unable to join forces the consolidation of the power of the opposition in the next parliament would be at stake.

Most opposition political parties see the dissolution of the broad opposition alliance as playing into the hands of the Rajapaksa administration. They say that the opposition parties needed to face the election as one alliance.

SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem says the common opposition must try and maintain solidarity. “The parties while maintaining individual identity need to work together to defeat the government,” he said.

Hakeem said that issues such as the allocation of seats in parliament could be resolved amicably with all parties understanding the need for compromise. As for the policy divergence among certain opposition parties, especially the UNP and the SLMC, he said could be overcome by making a few adjustments to the common minimum programme formulated by the joint opposition during the presidential election.

“The SLMC prefers a broad alliance and believes that the symbol is a negotiable issue,” he said. However, he said that if the UNP were too rigid, the party would be blamed for the breakdown in the opposition.

The SLMC is also looking at arriving at a mutual understanding with the UNP and the TNA to maximize the chances of returning more members to parliament from the north and east.

However, Hakeem said any broad opposition alliance needed to be led by the main opposition party. “We would not support a move to have the General leading the opposition political campaign at the general election,” he said. He further noted that the SLMC would not support an alliance formed by the JVP with the General as the head.

“We are in discussion with the JVP, UNP and other political parties to continue with the broad alliance. We all need to compromise to be together. The UNP has also said its decision on the elephant was not final,” he observed.

“On the day General Fonseka was arrested Mano, Somawansa and I were with him to discuss the issue of continuing the broad opposition alliance and arriving at a consensus. Unfortunately, we could not discuss for long as the Military Police came in and dragged him away,” Hakeem said.

He noted that the opposition contesting under two different alliances was only beneficial to the government.

SLFP (M) Wing Leader Mangala Samaraweera expressed sentiments similar to Hakeem by saying that when there is a huge crisis in democracy everyone needed to get over the issues of symbol and party to create a broad alliance. However, Samaraweera said he was yet to decide on his stance in relation to contesting the forthcoming general election, as the opposition parties were still exploring the possibility of contesting under one broad alliance.

“It is not the symbol, but to maximise the support base of the opposition to defeat the fascist regime. It is possible,” he said. Samaraweera emphasised the need for an opposition alliance led by the UNP.

“However, the UNP needs to be flexible. Through inflexibility we are merely playing into the Rajapaksas. They would like to see a splintered opposition,” he said.
The opposition parties during the weekend were engaged in continuous discussions to form one broad alliance and map out strategy for the election.