POLITICS

Pushing the Indian factor into the peace process

Inside Politics

By Suranimala

While the government last week decided to put in motion a political agenda early next year together with an aggressive campaign on federalism as a solution for the ethnic problem, the People’s Alliance was exploring all possible avenues to topple the government in parliament.

The People’s Alliance well realises it will be hard put to defeat the government in parliament as long as the peace process is on track since the minority parties want the peace talks to succeed and have committed themselves to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe but President Chandrika Kumaratunga also knows it will be an altogether different ball game if the ceasefire breaks and the country is plunged into a war situation.

As far as President Kumaratunga is concerned, she has to pull a rabbit out of her hat to topple the government and have the executive presidency abolished before her final term expires in 2005 but knows fully well, not only is she running out of tricks to achieve this objective but also time.

Thus, the only option available to Kumaratunga is to scuttle the peace process and despite assurances to the contrary given to the international community, every avenue is being explored for the purpose of achieving her political objectives.

International dimension

It is for the same calculated reason that the President directed Advisor Lakshman Kadirgamar to issue a statement strongly critical of the role played by Norway, USA and the UK in the peace process whilst drawing attention to Indian concerns, thereby adding a new international dimension to the process.

This move was followed by despatching a three member delegation to India comprising Anura Bandaranaike, Sarath Amunugama and Mangala Samaraweera, where once again the brief was to project the LTTE as establishing a de facto separate state and the dangers it posed not just for Sri Lanka’s unity but also India’s.

To buttress this argument, the PA drew attention to the LTTE’s establishment of courts and police stations in Tiger controlled areas, which received a media build up prior to the delegation’s visit to India.

Ironically, some of the severest critics of India’s involvement in the ethnic conflict which led to the signing of the Indo-Lanka agreement in 1987 were now looking to the same country to assert its authority in a bid to play her against the West, hoping it will eventually complicate the situation sufficiently to lead to a break-up of the entire peace process.

At the same time, the government too, fully alive to the geopolitical realities, whilst putting together an international coalition to push the peace process, kept India informed of every development through Economic Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda.

This was done not only through regular briefings given to External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, but also Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee through his Personal Assistant Mishra.

But the Indian factor is not cut and dry as some seniors in government believed and not as simple as Minister Moragoda himself put it, that “India’s support can almost be taken for granted.”

In fact it is no secret that India’s spy agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has spread its tentacles all over Sri Lanka including the political parties, and the RAW agenda is not necessarily that of India’s central government or the External Affairs Ministry either.

This has led to a perception that RAW has had a hand in not only attempts at whipping up public sentiments against the peace process but also the troubles within the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, fears none other than Rauf Hakeem has expressed privately. The Indians on the other hand believe it is the Pakistani spy agency that is active in the east.

Whatever be the dynamics of this situation, it is of course the LTTE which stands to benefit if the peace process breaks due to southern politicking since that would give them the much needed leverage with the international community to take the moral high ground as they did in the 1980s.

For, the LTTE would then be in a position to say, despite their public commitment to settle for internal self determination and not confederation but federalism, the Sinhalese south was unrelenting, thereby giving that much more credibility for their separate state call.

On the other hand, if the government was seen to be bending over backwards to accommodate the LTTE despite all obstacles and the Tigers were to break the truce and resume the war, not only would they once again be reduced with greater intensity to international pariah status but also face the full wrath of the war against terrorism.

It is in this overall context the Indian factor played by the PA can have dangerous consequences for the entire country. It is akin to nudging into action a drowsy giant, all for the sake of petty rivalries in the south.

In this respect, the visit of India’s Foreign Secretary, K. Sibal to Sri Lanka last week attracts significance, since he used the opportunity to bring to the notice of the government Indian concerns with regard to the ongoing process, particularly the role of the international community.

Indian issues

India considers Sri Lanka its own little backyard and while not keen to play an overt role in the ongoing process, is not ecstatic over the increasing influence wielded by the West or Japan for that matter.

There is of course a school of thought in government that Sibal does not reflect mainstream Indian foreign policy and therefore not to be taken seriously but nevertheless coming from the External Affairs Secretary, his viewpoint would necessarily have to be given some credence.

That probably is why Constitutional Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris took pains to explain why cohabitation with President Kumaratunga is impossible, a case Sibal pushed for with earnest during his visit.

The very Sunday, December 8, that Sibal arrived, he had a luncheon meeting with Moragoda where the issue of cohabitation surfaced and later in the night at a dinner hosted by India’s High Commissioner, Nirupama Sen, Sibal was to once again raise the issue. Present at the dinner from the government were Ministers Karu Jayasuriya, G.L. Peiris, Milinda Moragoda, Rohitha Bogollagama and Foreign Secretary Nihal Rodrigo.

The contention of Sibal was there should be cohabitation to prevent the LTTE from playing one against the other and gaining some advantage that can be harmful not just for Sri Lanka but also India.

Minister Peiris however said in practical terms cohabitation was not viable since Kumaratunga was out to wreck the process for her own political survival.

Going through all the developments since the UNF assumed office, Minister Peiris said the government would be undermining its own process if it worked on the premise of Kumaratunga’s support forthcoming for the peace efforts.

Interestingly, during his two day visit, Sibal also met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, President Kumaratunga with whom Advisors Lakshman Kadirgamar and Anura Bandaranaike were also associated, SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem and EPDP Leader Douglas Devananda.

It is also not without significance that while Sibal met the EPDP, he did not meet any of the TNA members of parliament, who are backing the LTTE on the peace process.

In the course of his meetings, Sibal also raised the issue of radio equipment given to the LTTE through the Norwegian embassy in Colombo. What concerned Sibal in this respect was the possibility of the Tigers beaming to South India through the use of this equipment..

On this issue the government explained that the equipment was brought in legitimately and had only a 20 kilometre radius and should not be an issue for worry by India. (See Page 8 for details)

Sibal also did not fail to express concerns regarding the US involvement in Sri Lanka, not to mention Japan and Pakistan, all of which issues were dealt with tactfully by Moragoda who told India, any concerns they have on the role of these countries should be raised directly with them to ensure there were no misunderstandings. Sibal further said any settlement reached with the LTTE should not have a fallout effect on India.

Japan’s role

What came as a revelation with regard to the Indian Foreign Secretary’s concerns over the increasing role of Japan in the peace process related to Pakistan.

It was the considered view of Sibal that Japan was assisting Pakistan, the implication being that by extension, if Japan is playing a role in Sri Lanka, it would increase Pakistan’s influence in Sri Lanka as well.

It is this factor that from Sri Lanka’s point of view gives rise to serious concern since it could well be that both India and Pakistan are using the eastern situation to satisfy their own geopolitical interests with the people of Sri Lanka from varying fields mere tools in the game of cloak and dagger politics.

Given this thinking of Sibal, President Kumaratunga in her meeting with the Indian Foreign Secretary upped the stakes stating the LTTE is using the ceasefire agreement to set up a de facto state with serious consequences for the entire country.

Kumaratunga, who did not fail to advert to the possible fallout effect of such a situation from the Indian perspective, also said she did not know what form of federalism the government was planning to concede to the LTTE and stressed the need to have one of her representatives at the talks.

Once again, in a bid to fuel Indian concerns, Kumaratunga’s point of view was that a federal system in Sri Lanka should not go beyond the scope of the Indian model.

It is after the meeting with Kumaratunga that Sibal met Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, which appointment scheduled for 12 p.m. had to be postponed for 2:30 p.m. due to Kumaratunga’s meeting having not unexpectedly run late.

Be that as it may, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also explained to the Indian Foreign Secretary cohabitation was not a one way street and that while he kept the President briefed of the ongoing process, he was not in a position to standby idly and allow the process to slip.

The Prime Minister by this time was fully convinced the President will not support the process but instead would do her utmost to sabotage it and did not hide the fact even from his ministers.

It was all the more evident after the President dodged meeting Minister Moragoda to get the regular briefing after every round of talks, instead asking Kadirgamar to do the honours.

Not only was Kadirgamar asked to meet with Moragoda but also Norwegian Ambassador Jon Westborg, with the President indicating to them through her advisor, she was too busy at this point of time to meet with them. One of the reasons cited for her busy schedule was the impending arrival of her children from England.

But the President was not too busy to proceed to Attanagalla on Sunday, December 8, where Prime Minister Wickremesinghe came under a stinging attack, making any talk of cohabitation — be it from the Indians or the Americans — a joke.

Accusing the Prime Minister of wielding a gun and threatening her with death unless she toed his line, the President said she swears to God Wickremesinghe resorted to such tactics, not once but thrice.

Reproduced below verbatim in Sinhala is what Kumaratunga said and which for the record is on video tape:

It will be recalled, the President earlier accused the Prime Minister, while Education Minister in the 1980s of soliciting a bribe from her to admit son Vimukthi to Royal College.

Denial

But hardly 72 hours lapsed after this statement received television coverage that Kumaratunga denied accusing the Prime Minister of threatening her with death. Addressing another meeting in Anuradhapura on Thursday, Kumaratunga said she only accused the Prime Minister of intimidating her but never mentioned a death threat.

Given this plethora of lies and behind the scene manoeuvres of the President, together with the more public agitation by the JVP against the peace process, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe himself proposed at the pre-cabinet meeting the need for the government to set in motion its own political agenda.

In fact several ministers including, G.L. Peiris, S.B. Dissanayake, K.N. Choksy, Ravi Karunanayake, Rajitha Senaratne, W.J.M. Lokubandara amongst others have for some time been agitating for the government to run a political campaign but were resisted by the Prime Minister stating it would jeopardise even a remote possibility of cohabitation.

But on Wednesday, December 11, at the pre-cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister said the government must move forward with a political agenda from January and also launch an aggressive campaign to educate the people on the concept of federalism.

Initially, the Prime Minister explained the outcome of the peace talks and the donor meeting in Oslo stating substantial progress has been made on the road to peace but cautioned there was still a long way to go.

Thereafter he assessed the performance of the government in its first year and said the public must be educated on the achievements made despite the state of the country at the time of assuming office.

“We have achieved much more than any other government has done in its first year. Some people said the worst government to be inherited was from President Premadasa. What we inherited is far worse,” he said.

Political agenda

Continuing, the Prime Minister said it is now time for the government to get into its political agenda and towards that end told all ministers he will arrange a one day retreat for all of them to have a brain storming session in January, after which the plan evolved could be put in motion.

Having listened to the Prime Minister, Commerce Minister Ravi Karunanayake drew his attention to the President’s murder threat allegation and stressed the importance of countering it.

Responded the Prime Minister: “Let us not dignify her allegation by replying it. She has made a fool of herself through those remarks.”

While agreeing with Wickremesinghe, Minister Karunanayake said there was the danger of the President acting irrationally given her state of mind to which the Prime Minister replied stating the decision to proceed with the government’s political agenda was to meet that very situation.

And in a bid to assert his authority, the Prime Minister two weeks back directed Defence Minister Tilak Marapone to issue a gazette notification in terms of the Army Act extending the service of all majors general until they reach the age of 55.

This decision followed moves by President Kumaratunga to force the retirement of Major General Lohan Gunawardene, whom the government earlier requested the President to appoint as army commander.

Instead, with the extension of Major General Gunawardene due to expire on December 2, the President prevaricated on the issue forcing the Prime Minister to checkmate her, thereby winning the battle and asserting his authority over Kumaratunga in an issue concerning the military.

He followed up this move last week by writing to the President on Wednesday, December 11, on the appointment of Sarathchandra Rajakaruna as minister of disaster management.

Face saving formula

Providing the President a face saving formula, the Prime Minister wrote to Kumaratunga calling for Rajakaruna’s appointment as minister of indigenous medicine and disaster relief.

With this appointment, the Prime Minister has indicated all eight recommended could take oaths together.

And with the government now to proceed with its political agenda, former PA stalwarts, Ministers, G.L. Peiris and S.B. Dissanayake will also formally join the UNP in January, a month after the party sessions, in December.

At the same time, the President is also continuously wooing UNP members, not to mention those from the SLMC, hoping she can make up the numbers in parliament to recapture power.

However, the biggest deterrent for Kumaratunga to proceed with this agenda is the disunity in her own camp exacerbated with the entry of Anura Bandaranaike into the party.

It is now evident to Mahinda Rajapakse loyalists that the President is grooming her brother to be the party presidential candidate at the expense of Mahinda Rajapakse and the clearest sign of it came with her appointing him as president of the SLFP district organisation in the Gampaha District. She also made it a point to say everyone who held the post ended up leading the country.

This move, coupled with the removal of Jeyaraj Fernandopulle as district secretary, were not lost on the Rajapakse loyalists who now realise they will be completely marginalised politically if Kumaratunga reigns supreme again.

Thus, from their point of view, their political interests would be served if Kumaratunga’s hand is not strengthened and this has led to a situation where the PA cannot count on all of its 77 members in parliament to vote on a make or break issue.

Therefore, the parliamentary status quo will remain for some time but the question is how effective the government campaign is going to be to promote federalism and the effectiveness of the counter campaign of the PA and the JVP.

Either way, turbulent, if not interesting times are ahead in the months to come as the government also sets in motion its political agenda.

When the Reds breathed fire

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti Our Lobby Correspondent

Points of order, abusive exchanges and strangers in the House dominated proceedings last week as parliament ended an exhaustive budget debate. The government took up three finance bills on Wednesday overlooking the tradition of ending the annual sittings at the end of the appropriation bill debate, and it was the Board of Investment Bill that sought to create five economic zones which earned opposition ire and plunged the House into turmoil and suspensions on Wednesday.

The final sitting day began with JVP's Vijitha Herath raising a point of order that the bill had been presented in violation of procedure. Theatrics began early when Minister G. L. Peiris' attempts to move the bill was aborted as Herath urged his point leading to heated exchanges, shouts and thumps culminating in two suspensions making angry opposition legislators to converge to the isle for an angry sit down and slogan shouting.

In the recent past, it has become evident that there is no love lost between the JVP group and Chief Whip Mahinda Samarasinghe as they often showed a tendency to lock horns, and naturally, the burly minister sprang to his feet to declare that this was "typical JVP nonsense" to which an equally indignant Jeyaraj Fernandopulle shot back saying that the bill certainly had violated procedure. An angry JVP chorus supported him. With Leader of the House W. J. M. Lokubandara also aiding Samarasinghe in defending the constitutionality in the exercise that galvanised the entire opposition into action, Prof. Peiris' next attempt to move the bill turned the House volcanic and a suspension was issued that lasted nearly two hours.

It seemed that the members were in the mood to give one last round of exercise to their vocal chords before they returned to their electorates for a well earned break, and the resumption, despite recurring dramatics continued without hassle until beleaguered SLMC Leader Rauf Hakeem spoke. 

Hakeem has apparently returned to the House after disagreeing at the cabinet meeting on the proposed five regional commissions that effectively made the north-east one zone, and this was fodder to the opposition who prodded and demanded to know whether Hakeem was not undermining Muslim interests by agreeing to the proposal. But Hakeem like A.L.M. Athaulla has his own preoccupations and digressed to state that he was not betraying his community but upholding collective responsibility by toeing the government line.

" I would never have taken the party I love to courts, but the dissidents gave me no choice," he said, prompting cheeky Mahindananda Aluthgamage to ask whether the SLMC came under the BOI, followed by Anura Priyadarshana Yapa who urged that Hakeem should refrain from bringing personal vendettas and internal crises to the House.

" I bring nothing here, except to explain that Minister Athaulla has brought his vendetta here last week and even dragged the judiciary into that," explained Hakeem, promising the instituting of legal action against arch rival Athaulla for contempt of court.

Outlining the history of the ethnic conflict, Hakeem noted that the LTTE at one point refused to recognise the rights of northeast Muslims, but circumstances have compelled them to accept the area as a Muslim homeland too - "One should ask Prabhakaran why it was not identified as a Sinhalese homeland too," he quipped, adding that the SLMC never advocated separatism.

In his usual diplomatic delivery, the Minister said that the SLMC never sought emancipation for Muslims by denying rights of Tamils, but advocated rights of all communities. At this point, MEP's Dinesh Gunawardena wished to know whether he subscribed to the traditional homeland theory, which Hakeem diplomatically sidestepped by saying that people should not be prisoners of terminology.

As the day drew to a close, the debate was overshadowed by the simmering opposition anger and artillery was fired anew when amendments were moved. JVP's Vijitha Herath moved that the north and east districts be treated as separate economic zones, which was flatly turned down by Minister G.L.Peiris amidst vociferous shouting. "There are no geographical, economic and population indicators to prove that the two regions should be economically merged," said Herath, to which the Minister curtly responded that the regional commissions were not political institutions but instruments of economic development, overturning the amendment amidst high pitched opposition shouting.

Amidst uproarious shouting, TULF's V. Anandasangaree stood up to stake the TNA's claim that the north-east stood effectively merged by the Indo-Lanka Accord. "We understand the vicious intention of the opposition," he said, urging that the two provinces be kept merged resulting in more shouting.

Despite all the rhetoric and disagreements at the cabinet, Minister Hakeem and SLMC dissidents fell in line with the government and voted meekly, their misgivings of the prudence of this action notwithstanding. 

As much as the legislators demonstrating their penchant for breathing fire in the House, sometimes they could create flat debates out of hot topics such as the Defence Ministry votes. Generally, defence debates provide legislators an opportunity to express nationalistic fervour, proving the extended hours with a three-hour adjournment debate on the 'eastern crisis situation' a drudgery. The lack of such sentiment and appreciation of the valiant soldiers was pointed by an obviously disappointed Rohitha Abeygunawardene, who thought that the nation has turned ungrateful despite the sacrifices made by the armed forces for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

"These are strange days indeed," said Abeygunawardene in sheer disgust, but strangely, the men full of nationalist ardour were missing that day.

Demanding the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act was TNA's Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam. Quoting reputed jurist of the International Commission of Jurists, Paul Sieghart, Ponnambalam Jr. said that the PTA was "an ugly blot on the statute book of any civilised country," urging that this ugly blot be quickly done away with. As there was no definition of terrorism in the PTA, despite its high relevance to the rule of law, prosecuting officers often determined who was to be tried under the Penal Code or the PTA which was, in effect, usurped parliamentary powers, he claimed.

Taking broadsides at Defence Minister Tilak Marapone was JVP's Wimal Weerawansa who waxed eloquent on how the Minister had become the man who betrayed the security of a nation.

"This is the votes on an act of betrayal because the Minister maintained stoic silence while his government played 'pandu' with national security," bit out Weerawansa.

In a harsh delivery that was the only bright spot in an otherwise yawn of a debate, he spat out that the government and the LTTE, in their euphoric declarations of reaching consensus on federalism, have never disclosed the unit of devolution.

"Thamilchelvan has declared that he preferred the Quebec model of federalism - of course he would, because that recognises the right to secede," thundered Weerawansa. Mercifully, Quebec did not have an insufferable guerrilla unit that demanded a separate state, hence Quebec being held by the central government, he declared adding that the government was misleading the country as they have agreed to confederalism under the guise of federalism, he snarled.

While Weerawasna declared that the LTTE was well on its way to establishing a de facto separate state, the 'Eelam Mandapam' or the nineth Chola Province, it was Athaulla who spoke next, and as expected indulged in enough Hakeem bashing.

Clearly overstepping boundaries, the Highways Minister heaped insults on Hakeem and vilified the judiciary despite warnings from Parliamentary Affairs Minister that a leadership battle was now spilling over to the judiciary as well.

Suddenly, the opposition got all warmed up alleging that foreigners were present in the official gallery, and a cornered Minister Marapone was made to disclose the names of the two men - Col. Philip Wilkinson and Dr. Chris Smith, yet the shouting never abated.

PA's Anura Bandaranaike urged that foreigners could not occupy the officials' box, and it was disclosed much later, the government had a hurried job of removing the two gentlemen from the box attracting the least amount of attention.

A much-hassled Minister Marapone glossed over most issues and said that violations of the MoU were largely due to a few miscreants within the LTTE, and not the rank and file of the LTTE. "Let's not attribute all these acts to the LTTE hierarchy," said the Minister, earning the wrath of the opposition.

And as Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe opined during the closure of sessions, hope certainly sprang eternal in the human heart, so, much is expected next year with more hopes being pinned on strengthening the parliamentary system that ensures transparency and accountability, and legislation to serve a nation that deserves much more from their legislators than to pay lip service and to hurl abuse.

From the Order Book

UNF legislator Jayasundara Wijekoon has not returned four out of six vehicles released to him during the previous regime. This transpired in parliament last week in response to a query raised by PA legislator Jagath Pushpakumara on the vehicles issued to MPs who were appointed or attached to the Power and Energy Ministry as supervising members.

Four Members, Jayasundara Wijekoon, Kirthi Mawellage, Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra and M. K. D. S. Gunawardane have served as supervising legislators, while others excluding Wijekoon have not used vehicles belonging to the Ministry.

Wijekoon has returned two vehicles, 32-2761 and 52-0094, belonging to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) when parliament was dissolved in 2001. The CEB has released five vehicles to him where as the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has released a single vehicle.

One vehicle, it transpired was not in the MPs possession while another was is in the custody of the Wellawaya police station for an investigation. And the plight of the other vehicles remained undisclosed though suitable action was pledged after further inquiries.

Rajapakse fumes after mauling at the vote

Mahinda Rajapakse was not a very happy man last Wednesday when the opposition was routed at the vote on the BOI Amendment Bill. The score was 112 for and 61 against. "These guys don't understand how to get about this," Rajapakse said soon after the vote.

Parliament was suspended twice in the morning when the opposition went up in arms that the manner the bill was being taken up violated the constitution.

At the party leaders' meeting that ensued, JVP group leader Wimal Weerawansa and MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena walked out in a huff when the government refused to postpone the debate. Rajapakse was left to do the compromise job. Some of the opposition members thereafter wanted to boycott parliament and party leaders' meetings. "Then the government will have a free go," was the Opposition Leader's view.

He told associates that it was the government that held the upper hand on deciding parliamentary business and the opposition had to move tactfully.

But, with some PA members going overboard to please the JVP, Rajapakse does not get the full co-operation and on most occasions is leading a divided flock even within the PA.

To make matters worse for the Opposition Leader, President Chandrika Kumaratunga still likes to control the PA lot in parliament. So much so that at times not only has she decided the speakers' list but also the time allocations.

She has also been calling group meetings and various other meetings, leaving the opposition benches depleted during debates.

Dallas blasts Mangala's paper

Former PA MP Dallas Alahapperuma was in parliament last week. He was attending a meeting of former parliamentarians. During a chit chat Alahapperuma openly aired his displeasure at the PA newspaper Lakmina. He was not pleased that the paper edited by Siripathi Sooriyarachchi, a close associate of Mangala Samaraweera seemed to be taking wild swipes at the Opposition Leader while meekly keeping quiet on other issues.

Later in the day even the Opposition Leader was complaining that while everybody else had a newspaper to plug their respective lines, Mahinda Rajapakse's troubles hardly make it to print.

Dilan's nuptials saves Hakeem's neck

Minister Rauf Hakeem has but one person to thank for not being sacked by President Chandrika Kumaratunga. The unlikely figure is newly married man Dilan Perera. Kumaratunga was toying with the idea of sacking Hakeem when she bumped into former ministers cum lawyers Nimal Siripala de Silva and Susil Premjayantha at Perera's nuptial ceremony at the Hilton. Both were equivocal in their assessment that Hakeem should not be sacked.

Kumaratunga later retreated to President's House and listened to the two lawyers argue that the PA had to sit in the opposition because Hakeem was swept up by waves of sympathetic Muslim votes soon after he was sacked last year. "Don't do it, it will create sympathy for him among all Muslims all over again," was the advice, plus Kumaratunga would run into difficulties appointing a new minister without the UNF's consent.

Kumaratunga finally heeded the advice despite heavy lobbying by the likes of Siripathi Sooriyarachchi who wanted Hakeem sacked forthwith.

Maheswaran's booze for MPs

Hindu Affairs Minister, T. Maheswaran last week took the job of Santa Claus. He left each MP a gift pack courtesy of his Ministry and the Palmyrah Board soon after the committee stage debate on his Ministry was concluded. The package came in a nice bag and included bottles of palmyrah arrack for the enjoyment of the members. Some members were happy to take multiples of the brew home.

Others however, like Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie de Mel and Ravi Karunanayake politely declined the gift. The JVP gifted their lot to the parliamentary staff.

But Maheswaran had supplied the staff with a separate consignment of the brew.

Among the goodies was also a plaque of Sai Baba, that most members did not take home. And it was rather   odd that the Hindu Affairs Minister was distributing Sai Baba plaques in parliament.

Opposition and adjournment motions

The opposition added to the burden of an already exhaustively long budget debate by repeatedly moving for adjournment debates.  True to form, the opposition has sought and received a three-hour debate on Monday on what they called the 'eastern crisis situation' following the signing of the truce.

The motion itself seemed somewhat out of sequence with the ground situation in the east having somewhat improved since the truce, barring the occasional bursts of violence and the unrest in Delft. Whether the opposition was suffering from a bout of amnesia or not, six signatories collectively moved for an adjournment debate on the eastern crisis. The signatories were Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse, JVP Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa, MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena, Ven. Baddegama Samitha, NUA Leader Ferial Ashraff and Raja Collure.

The Opposition Leader went missing soon after he read a prepared text, and the debate dragged on colourlessly for three hours with nothing salient being said by both sides of the House. As the debate drew to a close, it was the solitary Wimal Weerawansa who remained in the chamber, occasionally questioning the Minister, while other signatories were conspicuous by their absence.

PA legislators have been complaining last week to the Opposition Leader that the JVP has effectively overtaken them in the parliament game, and no wonder, if this is the sad example they set with high absenteeism and absolute lack of interest in the affairs of the House.

MPs on calls, under the tables

Speakers since K.B. Ratnayake have attempted to quell the use of mobile phones within the parliamentary well to no avail. These little high tech darlings that come in all sizes and shapes are such firm favourites with the young legislators that often many are seen hiding their heads under the tables and whispering over their dainty machines, a practice more prevalent amongst the governing types.

Once, the mobile phone of Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakshe rang loud as he stood up to make a special statement in the House, and attention was immediately diverted to the ringing telephone than to what was being said. Then it was Tertiary Education Minister Kabir Hashim who was speaking during the votes on the Finance Ministry, with his mobile ringing repeatedly. And perhaps the worst example came from Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Johnston Fernando who was often seen literally under the table, whispering incessantly over the phone.

The ministers undoubtedly need to remain contactable, despite the standing orders and the rules of conduct that debar the use of mobile phones inside the parliamentary well. But not if they ring in shrill tones while  parliament sessions are on and interrupting speeches, including one's own.

Manamalaya's return to the House

The week saw new bridegroom, beaming Dilan Perera returning to the House after he tied the knot last week, and many were the hugs, kisses and handshakes that came his way. At the launch of the new web page on human rights last Monday, Perera attracted much attention as he bore the signs of a man in love.

At the launch, Parliamentary Affairs Minister A. H. M. Azwer greeted a smiling Perera warmly as he fondly referred to the 'new manamalaya' who has turned a new leaf, a fact he thought that all ladies present should take note of.

The cheeky bridegroom quickly shot back that some things never change, and some ladies certainly knew his record!

"The Speaker is coming"

During the exhaustive days of the committee stage debate on the appropriation bill, the services of members on the Speaker's Panel is much needed to handle the long hours of debate. With Speaker Joseph Michael Perera indisposed for a brief period, others had to hold the fort for many hours along with the Deputy Chairman of Committees, Siri Andrahennadi.

The only fair member in the Speaker's Panel is the former Wayamba Provincial Council Member, Larine Perera. Often, the good lady used to announce the arrival of the Speaker in a way that left many wondering whether the members of this panel were given sufficient training on standing orders, conventions and specially - the effective use of parliamentary language.

Throughout the debate, and through the year, she continuously announced the arrival of the Speaker in a bland: " The Speaker is coming." Well, we certainly hope he did.

Fighting cocks

The last two weeks in parliament had its volatile moments, intense debating and aggressive disagreements with members locking horns so often, exasperating the Chair.

With the scenes becoming more regular, JVP's Sunil Handunnetti was displeased about the goings on. The House often resembled an arena for cock fighting, and he told scribes that it seemed that correspondents too had their share of fun as legislators bared their ugly souls and inferior vocabulary during the long debate. All that was missing was a few of them taking bets on the fighting cocks, he quipped.

Wimal Weerawansa the artist

We all know that Wimal Weerawansa  good with words. But he is also good in drawing. During the budget debate, Weerawansa took time out to put his artistic skills to use and draw various postures of Parlaimentry Affairs Minister A. H. M. Azwer. (See box)

Weerawansa sent the signed cartoons to the Minister across the aisle  and the Minister was so taken up that he has now decided to hang Weerawansa's masterpieces in his office.

Some of the comments though are not that complementary. In one cartoon, Azwer is referred to as "parlimentuwe anaya." But the Minister has taken the comments and the caricatures in good sprit.

And no doubt Wimal favourite Mangala Samaraweera would be hoping Wimal will next practise his line drawing using him as a model.

THELMA

A leaf out of Dorothy Parker's book

Darling Satty

When I read a transcript of your speech two weeks ago, where you swore on the gods and told the Paradisians that Ranil had threatened you with a gun, I gulped twice, rapidly.

The mere thought that Ranil would come galloping to your rooms, whip out a gun cleverly concealed in his bosom, and threaten you into doing his bidding - politically speaking, leaves me speechless.

It would be not too much to say that a sticky moisture began to bedew my brow as if I had entered the hot room of some Turkish bath.

I recall another incident of a similar nature involving Dorothy Parker and another bounder manifesting characteristics you now attribute to the dear old Prime Minister. If my memory serves me correctly on that occasion Ms. Parker looked lazily through half shut eyelids and inquired if indeed the weapon was a gun in the bounder's pocket or merely an expression of his pleasure in meeting her. Next time Ranil bounds in to your chambers wielding a gun of any sort, do take a leaf out of Parker's book.

Your ability to tell a good yarn I have long since acknowledged with humility. Ditto your prowess in getting the gods involved in your little schemes. The gods must scurry around in their togas in abject fear whenever you open your mouth to swear in their names dear. Wondering no doubt, how they would turn the tall stories you tell, while unjustly invoking their names, into anything resembling a fact.

The young princess blackmailed by Rumpelstiltskin to turn straw into gold will not be more challenged than the gods you invoke in their attempt to make your stories ring true.

Zeus when confronted by an irate Leda on her finding out that he had laid an egg with Nemesis, would have not felt such fear as these gods of yours would feel when ever you make speech.

Didn't you accuse Ranil of soliciting a bribe of some paltry sum when he was education minister in order to have your son put into his old school?

Tut. Tut. This pimple running the country seems like a chappie according to you, who could have not done better at bribery and corruption if he had been purposely sent to crime school in his formative years. Maybe you like the bad boy image dear that you keep fantasising about his wicked ways.

The thing I want to know is, was this gun he threatened you with, a rifle, a hand gun, a water pistol or a double barrel shot gun. And how darling did he get past your alert security guys?

And if as you swear by the gods and say, Ranil held a gun to your head and told you to run the country in the manner he wishes or else., Thelma says good on him. Thelma has long admitted your good taste in saris and hairstylists. But if I have said it once I have said it twice, you cannot run a country. You simply do not know how. Leave it alone is my advice. If you can't, then follow the leader in every sense.

But you do not stop there. According to you, Ranil first threatened to bung your supporters and security personnel into prison and/or fell them in their prime. Get in to line or its death or prison, he supposedly said, in your words.

In the days of Oscar Wilde, errant young chappies from aristocratic homes who didn't uphold the best traditions of the English manor were threatened with banishment to hell or Australia. May be all Ranil meant when he said prison was merely down under.

I agree this country could not progress for 30 years dear as you have so succinctly observed. But it amused me to learn that you have made your rule during 1994 and 2000 a model of development. You seem to have commented in passing that Ranil in one year has undone all the good you did for six years. Back to square one is what you wanted to express I think.

I agree darling. The war for peace I know was a flashpoint in your career. The war raged, and peace was quite still. The Elephant Pass and Killinochchi debacles where thousands of soldiers were wiped out were huge military successes. Since we are all brothers in arms it does not matter for whom.

Private parties held at your convenience on independence day while the people of the country were kept under house arrest is another example of progress, and who can forget the five hour road blocks and traffic jams as roads were cleared for your daily drive about town.

None of these manifestations of development and progress have we encountered this past year or so the Paradisians tell me.

But from that to more interesting subjects like the dashing young Mangy who was seen clicking away with an instamatic, while PA women numbering about 200 at a modest estimate, poised prettily at the Kali Amma kovil coconuts at the ready. The coconuts were duly dashed while evil incantations and age-old curses were recited to bring death and famine to those responsible for the cuts in Samurdhi funding. While the dashing Mangy clicked the women dashing coconuts, the president of the World Bank and the chairman of IMF paced up and down in their offices biting their nails.

The PA curses at Kali Amma kovil had reached their flapping ears. Will we survive these deadly curses was the unsaid question knocking about in their worried heads.

Meanwhile Minister of Samurdhi SBD was getting redder than a beetroot. The X' mas spirit of dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh had been taken to unfair local heights he must have felt.

Mangy might have sent him a copy of a photograph of the haphazardly choreographed coconut dashing ceremony. The PA women seemed in an ugly mood. A group of Israelite mothers at a Jewish luncheon could not have been madder if the Rabbi suddenly got up and praised the name of Herod.

I eagerly await the next segment of your fairytale, 'Ranil And I.'