Anura takes the fight to the 
hidden forces in government

People who claimed that there were many problems within the UNP are now saying that the problems among the ministers in the government are more serious. With the talk that UNP MPs were to cross-over to the government and get ministerial positions, the problems within the SLFP became even more serious.

The disagreements  between government ministers have  now become an open  issue in parliament with the fight over the seating arrangements for the UNP jumpers.

Step-motherly treatment

However, the main problem at present is the issue with Minister Anura Bandaranaike. Bandaranaike, who was popular for promoting the country overseas, is being given step-motherly treatment by the government. A large section of SLFPers still believe that the Bandaranaikes should not be treated  this way.

Many ministers including Bandaranaike were against the reshuffle of the  cabinet. Bandaranaike was not happy at the way Rajapakse treated him during the cabinet reshuffle since the tourism portfolio was taken away from him and replaced with the insignificant National Heritage Ministry in the reshuffle.

Due to these reasons Bandaranaike did not participate in the Independence Day celebrations this year. Samaraweera and many other ministers too did not participate in the Independence Day celebrations. Rupavahini officials were told not to show  the empty chairs at the Independence Day celebrations by higher officials.

Threatening calls

A few days later Bandaranaike received threatening telephone calls to his residence. He  was threatened with abduction. "Your body will be hung on a lamp post in Attanagalle and Samaraweera's body will be hung on a lamp post in Matara," were the messages conveyed over the phone.

Bandaranaike received seven to eight such phone calls. However, Bandaranaike claimed that the threatening phone calls were not from the opposition and requested additional security due to the calls.

On February 8, Bandaranaike dropped yet another bomb in parliament. He said, "Mr. Speaker I made a special request from you today. The question I'm about to ask you is an important and serious one. I have been in politics for 30 years and served under four Presidents in the county. J.R. Jayewardene, R. Premadasa, D.B. Wijetunge and Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Anura's stance

"I opposed some of the decisions taken by these four presidents. However I never received any threatening telephone calls during that period. I thought I would at least receive threatening telephone calls during Premadasa's time. For the first time in my life I received a threatening phone call yesterday.

"I cannot remember the time I received the phone call. I was told there was a call for me from parliament some time after 9 a.m. I   answered the phone. The person on the phone told me that if Samaraweera and I go against Rajapakse, they would abduct both of us. The person also said they had abducted another person the previous day.

"At that time I did not know whether a JVP person or a journalist was abducted the previous day. I was not aware that so many people were being abducted these days. 'We will abduct you, skin you and hang you on a lamp post in Attanagalle and hang Samaraweera on a lamp post in Matara,' was what they said.

Not a joke

"Mr. Speaker at first I thought this was a big joke. However five minutes later I received another call. But this time the voice of the person was different to the previous caller. The same threatening remarks were made by the second person.

"Five minutes later I received a third call where the same threats were made. I got angry and scolded the person in filth. The person on the phone scolded me in filth and hung up. I do not think these calls are a joke since I received three calls. I then went to Horagolla on some personal work. While away my telephone operator had received more calls of the same nature.

"Mr. Speaker, look at what is happening in the country these days. The letter written by Samaraweera says a person is abducted every eight hours. When considering the present situation in the county, abducting us is not a difficult thing to do. Mr. Speaker abducting you is not difficult as you are a small-made person, but abducting me would be difficult.

"However, abducting a person is not a joke. These people have threatened to hang me on a lamp post in Attanagalle and Samaraweera on a lamp post in Matara. I won with 20,000 votes in Attanagalle and Samaraweera won with 17,000 votes in Matara. If we did not receive the majority votes in these areas we would have had to go for a recount at the presidential election.

Investigation

"Now these people are threatening to hang us in the areas where we won with majority votes. When I received those calls I realised that another person was prompting the person talking to me as to what he should say. I told my OIC to make a complaint to the head of the MSD. I think the IGP has asked for an investigation into the incident. I have to thank President Rajapakse for looking into this matter.

"There is no point in talking to ITN and Rupavahini. They never give the correct story. They always lie. On the 7 p.m. news ITN announced that SSP Sarath Lugoda had met me and asked me to come at 11 a.m and give a statement. But on the 9 p.m. news it was announced that when the officials came to meet me, I said I was not well. There is nothing wrong with me. I have known Rajapakse for the past 34 years. He will never do something like this.

Government involvement

"It is the people working closely with Rajapakse who are doing these things, having taken power into their hands. I know the UNP and the JVP will never do something like this. Samaraweera and I were instrumental in clinching an agreement between the JVP and the government.

"The LTTE cannot be responsible for this type of threats. If they want to abduct or kill a person, they won't announce it beforehand. I say it is a section of the government that is making these threatening calls. But President Rajapakse is not involved in this. We are not afraid of these threats. Nobody can scare us with these threats. The two of us have never created a problem for anybody while in politics. Samaraweera's father worked for my mother from 1960 to 1965.

"I spoke to Anura Yapa who is a respectable minister. I told him he was a respectable person and that I signed at his wedding. I promoted his election campaign. Our Opposition Leader told me, 'Anura I do not know what to do. Many people have been introduced to the party and these people are the ones who are causing the problems.' I agree with the Opposition Leader.

Request to Sirasa

"Mr. Speaker I spoke to Sirasa yesterday. A person by the name of Susil answered the phone. I cannot remember his surname. He is a news director. I told him that Sirasa is not biased in their reporting but I do not trust any other channels and asked them to come and get a voice cut from me since the people have a right to know the truth.

"The people need to know that I got 250,000 votes in the Gampaha District. But now Susil is being pressurised by these people to refrain from highlighting the story. Hitler had a minister by the name of Goebbels. Even Gobebbels did not do anything like this. I won't talk for long. I have been in parliament for 30 years. This is all I have to say.

"Mr. Speaker I'm proud to say that my father and mother were prime ministers of the country. My sister was elected twice as president. She won the elections  with a majority of 63%. We won the hearts of the people at that time. But if I'm threatened in this way, what is the position of the common man? People with good reputations will also be threatened in this way. We are not afraid. We know how to deal with this kind of situation.

Secretary's issue

"Mr. Speaker I need to speak to you on another matter that is not relevant to the present problem. My secretary Mallika Karunaratne is a good lady. She worked at the CES. She worked in the Finance Ministry during Chandrika Kumaratunga's time and then secretary during Minister Vijitha Herath's time and worked under Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene. But this lady has no chair to sit on and no table to work from. She does not even have an office or a staff. We might as well sit in the Sigiriya Hotel and look at the half naked frescoes.

"This is the normal form in the government. When a MP makes a complaint we are told that the problem will be looked into. But nothing is done. I know nothing will be done with regard to my incident. But it is my duty to let the people know what is happening. I have a right to tell my supporters in Attanagalle and Gampaha that a respectable senior politician has been threatened.

"If we do not bring these issues up in parliament we have no other place to say these things. This is the most respectable place in the country. I protected this place when I was Speaker. You Mr. Speaker are also protecting this place. So if you do not take any action with regard to this incident, I will not be angry with you. I know the police will not act on my complaint. Let alone Lugoda, even if Bugoda comes nothing will get done. "

Then MP Ranga Bandara said to Bandaranaike, "On a complaint made by you the deputy DIG MSD Solangaarachchi was transferred to Police Headquarters. You should know that this is your government, not ours."

Sacrifices

Bandaranaike continued addressing the Speaker. "Mr. Speaker I will not talk anymore. I have said what I have to say. I have not received such calls in my life until now. There were four presidents in this country. But none of them did this type of thing. I'm not saying Rajapakse is responsible. I know Rajapakse will not resort to such things. It is the people close to Rajapakse who are involved in this type of work. If these people lose the next round of elections, they will use Singapore Airlines and go to the US. We are the people who will be left behind.

"I want to tell you Mr. Speaker it was my father who started this political party. My mother lost her civic rights. A bomb was thrown at my sister and she lost one eye. We, the Bandaranaikes, gave 3,000 acres of land to the SLFP and not the UNP. However compensation for the sacrifices made by us was only paid by the UNP. The SLFP did not even bother to pay compensation to us.

"No matter how much we have sacrificed for the SLFP, those who did not even plant a single blade of grass on behalf of the party are trying to destroy me and Chandrika today. Her security was removed. She has written about this to the papers. So many people have tried to get rid of the Bandaranaikes from politics. But they have not succeeded. Even if anybody stands on their heads and tries to get rid of us, they won't succeed. Nobody can destroy the democracy that my father started many years ago. I will continue to fight within my party. With this I end my speech."

Asked to remain silent

Before making this statement many requests were made to Bandaranaike not to raise the issue in parliament. Comments were made that if Bandaranaike raised these issues in parliament, he could lose his ministerial post. However Bandaranaike said what he had to say in parliament.

Bandaranaike will be able to see the truth behind this incident in a few days. But whatever the outcome of the telephone calls maybe, there is no guarantee that the problems within the SLFP would disappear.

The battle over seats in government benches

With former UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya and a group of MPs joining President Mahinda Rajapakse's government, the government that functioned as a minority became a majority government with 120 MPs.

While Jayasuriya and his MPs were thinking of joining the government, we highlighted many political problems within the government.

When Rupavahini highlighted the swearing in of 53 ministers to the government, the largest cabinet in the world, nobody thought there would be problems within the government since all the ministers had smiles on their faces when accepting their ministries.

Problems in government

However, the  simmering  problems within the government were revealed soon after the ministers were sworn in. Many people thought the problems within the government were  because of Anura Bandar-anaike, Mangala Samaraweera or Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi.

But what was to take place, nobody expected. With the cross-over of Karu Jayasuriya and his MPs,   the SLFP members who worked hard to ensure Rajapakse's victory at the presidential election suffered an unexpected injustice, which was first highlighted by SLFP  Secretary  Minister Maithripala Sirisena.

Most people believed that Sirisena was the most vocal champion of the Rajapakse government. This was due to his untiring efforts to make Rajapakse president and the work he did on behalf of the party. However, by his announcement about the injustice caused to the SLFP ministers due to the cross-over of the UNP MPs, Maithripala made it clear that he was not a champion of the Rajapakse government anymore.

Mammoth cabinet

In addition, what he indirectly announced was the disenchantment and opposition of the SLFP ministers and MPs towards the re-shuffling of the cabinet. What Maithripala said was that he was ashamed to call himself a minister of this cabinet.

Maithripala's statement heralded the beginning of an opposition force within the SLFP. Hours after Maithripala's statement, Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi said that he was ashamed of being a SLFP minister in the government.

The opposition that began in this manner was further heightened on the day parliament met. This was due to the issue of seats in parliament following the cross-over. According to parliamentary tradition, seating arrangements are done according to the seniority of the ministers and MPs. It was the UNP that was responsible for doing away with this tradition.

Seating issues

When Karu Jayasuriya was appointed UNP deputy leader, although he was relatively a junior in parliament, since he occupied a senior position in the party he could not be given a back row seat and therefore Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe made a special request to the Speaker with regard to the matter.

And Jayasuriya who crossed over to the government in January using the same precedent sat in the front row in parliament on that day though he was no longer the deputy leader. G.L. Peiris, Dayaratne and Dharmadasa Banda sat in the front row with him.

On seeing the UNP rebel ministers seated, Minister Mangala Samaraweera who entered the inner chamber of parliament requested an official in charge of the seating arrangements to bring the document that specified seating arrangements.

Samaraweera's views

When Samaraweera requested the document, many ministers wondered what he was about to do. Samaraweera realised that many ministers and MPs were intently watching him. Samaraweera told the Ministers and MPs around him that his request for the document was to figure out where his seat was and who was seated next to him.

The words exchanged between Samaraweera and the SLFP ministers resulted in them holding their stomachs and laughing. Shortly thereafter, Samaraweera received the document and commented that he did not know "the  Banda" who was seated next to him and  questioned where he came from. After a few more comments by Samaraweera, the SLFP ministers started laughing again.

Samaraweera's comments resulted in further agitation within the SLFP group. While Karu Jayasuriya, G.L. Peiris and Dayaratne were seated in the front row, Dinesh Gunawardena who campaigned strongly for Rajapakse had been pushed to the back row.

Gunawardena pushed back

On entering the inner chamber of parliament, Sooriyaarachchi noticed immediately that Gunawardena had been pushed to the back row and shouted out loud asking who was responsible for the  act.

"Is this the way we are treated after making Rajapakse president? Gunawardena is a respectable politician. Why did these people stay silent while Gunawardena was sent to the back row? This should be corrected immediately," said Sooriyaarachchi.

At this point Gunawardena rose from his seat and started shouting in English as to who took the decision to give the front seats to new comers and pushed the others to the back seats.

Rajitha Senaratne and Mano Wijeratne, the MPs who crossed over from the UNP, were stunned at what was going on. Gunawardena then inquired from Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva whether he was responsible for the allocation of seats.

Heated argument

Siripala, realising the gravity of the situation, denied involvement and said to ask the people who were responsible and left the chamber. Gunawardena who went closer to Jeyaraj Fernandopulle inquired if he was responsible for the seating arrangements. Fernandopulle denied involvement.

While a heated argument  was taking place, Mervyn Silva walked into the chamber. Silva inquired from Sooriyaarachchi as to what the problem was. Sooriyaarachchi told Silva that Gunawardena who helped in Rajapakse's victory was pushed to the back row.

Silva reacting to Sooriyaarachchi's comment started shouting asking who was responsible. One of the ministers then mentioned the name of an official in parliament. Silva said, "Let's go and surround this official's room." Then another minister named yet another official and said he was also responsible for the seating arrangements.

The UNP MPs who crossed over to the government were silent while the commotion continued, no doubt wondering what was going to happen to them.

While the shouting continued, a close friend and confidant of Rajapakse, Anuradhapura District MP and Nation Building Minister S.M. Chandrasena walked in. Sooriyaarachchi told Chandrasena that he was responsible for what was taking place in parliament.

"Go and tell your people what I said. I'm not afraid of anybody. We were the ones who went and promoted Rajapakse for the presidency. We were the ones with Gunawardena who went from one stage to another to support Rajapakse. What has happened today? The people who supported Rajapakse are in the back seats while newcomers have taken the front seats," Sooriyaar-achchi charged.

Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa asked Sooriyaarachchi why he was disrupting  parliament by shouting. "Stop this now. We will go and sit in the back row for now and sort out the problem later. Let them sit in the front row," Yapa said.

Sooriyaarachchi told Yapa to sit in the back row if he wanted. "We cannot let Gunawardena be treated this way. Silva then said let's go and sit with Gunawardena and give him our support."

Big fuss

When Gunawardena questioned the Speaker about his seating arrangements, the UNP, Wimal Weerawansa and Jeyaraj Fernandopulle supported Gunawa-rdena's query.

Jayasuriya, Peiris and Dharmadasa started inquiring as to who was responsible for this arrangement. After much discussion the UNP's P. Dayaratne got up from his seat and went to the back row together with Peiris. Jayasuriya remained in the front row.

However the problem was still not solved, as Jayasuriya could not occupy a front seat since he was not a senior minister. A decision was taken among the SLFP ministers to urge the leaders of the political parties to give Jayasuriya a suitable seat.

Crucial time

Even though the government made a big fuss that it holds a majority in parliament, the next few days, weeks and months will be  crucial  as the  problems between the SLFP and the UNP MPs who crossed over are  far from  solved.

When Sarath Amunugama, Silva, Mahinda Samarasinghe and Keheliya Rambukwella crossed over to the government they were accepted with open arms. However Jayasuriya, Senaratne and Peiris have not got the same treatment.

Peiris and Dayaratne had the chance of sitting in the front row for only a few hours. They were forced to go to the back row due to the protests from the SLFP ministers. Who will help and support the crossers-over now?

Sajith cut down to size at PAC

Even as the UNP's troubles subsided with the departure of the rebel MPs, Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa decided to stir the pot and position himself for the leadership stakes in the future.

What President Rajapakse did after accommodating the UNP rebels was plan to keep the UNP on the boil and used the services of a businessman close to both him and Sajith to prompt the Hambantota District MP to start positioning himself straightaway given the vacuum in the party.

Checkmated

At the same time, the President also made it known to selected UNP members the contents of the discussion he had with Sajith's mother so that Premadasa could be checkmated if he got out of hand. With that he hoped Sajith would take the bait and sow the seeds of discontent in the UNP.

And rising to the bait, Premadasa made a hash of it when the Political Affairs Committee of the party met on Friday. The son of the man who was called the one man show in the party charged at the PAC that there was no representation from the NCP in the PAC and made a case for P. Harrison and Earl Gunasekera.

The UNP Leader however told the young MP that members to the PAC were not appointed on a provincial basis and pointed out that he too was a member that was involved in the selection procedure.

"Why are you complaining now, having not raised this issue at that time," Wickremesinghe asked, to which the MP had no answer.

Stumped on that issue, Sajith quickly changed gear and proposed that district committee chairmen should not be consulted when selecting electoral organisers, which again saw the UNP Leader correcting the MP.

Wickremesinghe said the decision to do so was taken at the Working Committee and if the decision were to be changed, it would have to go back to the Working Committee.

Not wanting to take that route, Premadasa said rather than going back to the Working Committee, Wickremesinghe should make that decision. But Wickremesinghe was not about to be accused later of acting dictatorially and told General Secretary Tissa Attanayake to take up the issue at the next Working Committee meeting.

Rapport

Sajith however was persistent, having to deliver on his brief and next proposed developing a rapport with the UNP defectors. Accordingly, he proposed that he be allowed to meet the 18 defectors and discuss the political victimisation of UNP supporters, which was immediately shot down by the other members of the PAC.

Kurunegala District MP Johnston Fernando in particular was hard on Premadasa and said a committee was already going into the matter in consultation with the trade unions and that it would be handled accordingly.

With his mission unsuccessful, Premadasa left the meeting to plan his next line of attack and keep the UNP on the boil.

UNP moves to get its act together

THE group of UNP MPs crossed over to the government and accepted ministerial positions when Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was abroad. Wickremesinghe  fully realised the prevailing political climate upon his return to the country.

However many UNPers were happy that the MPs who were causing dissension within the party had  finally left. The remaining UNP MPs' believed was that now that the trouble making MPs had gone the time had come for the party to move forward and they should give their fullest support to their leader.

Warm welcome

The remaining UNP MPs were planning on receiving Wickremesinghe at the airport and give him the message that the UNP was buoyant even after the cross-over of many of its MPs.

Many calls were received at the Opposition Leader's office as to the time of Wickremesinghe's arrival. Due to the many calls received at the Opposition Leader's office, Bodhi Ranasinghe had to inform Wickremesinghe.

Ranasinghe inquired from Wickremesinghe as to what he should do as a large crowd wanted to receive him on his arrival at the airport. Wickremesinghe informed Ranasinghe that a large crowd does not have to come to the airport and show him the strength of the UNP.

Strong party

"We have to show people we are strong only if we are weak as a party. We are still a strong party and don't have to prove this to anybody. Our UNP MPs will always remain with us. None of the UNP MPs has got fed up with the party. Like the way people are fighting to join the UNP there is a group of people who will always stay loyal to us," Wickremesinghe told Ranasinghe.

However due to the many requests of the UNP MPs, Ranasinghe was forced to accommodate a few of them at the airport. All Colombo UNP MPs, provincial council MPs and Pradeshiya Sabha MPs went to receive Wickremesinghe at the airport.

Wickremesinghe, who arrived at 12:50 p.m. first addressed the media. Then he came to his office at Cambridge Terrace and had tea with the MPs who met him at the airport.

UNP plans

At 4 p.m. Wickremesinghe spoke to the MPs with regard to the future plans of the party. At 6 p.m. Wickremesinghe met the party lawyers and decided to send letters to all UNP MPs who left the party.

On February 6, Wickremesinghe met with the Working Committee. The letters were sent on February 3. Wickremesinghe sent reminder letters to those who had left the party. In the past such letters were sent by post and a call made to see if the relevant party had received the letter. But this time the letters were  personally delivered to the MPs.

Wickremesinghe informed the media of the MPs who left the party and the summoning of the Working Committee. However, nine of the MPs who crossed over informed the party that they could not make it on that day as they had undertaken other commitments. Mano Wijeratne was abroad at the time. The nine MPs informed Wickremesinghe by fax that they could not make it. But strangely all nine faxes were worded  the same way.

Similar messages

The Working Committee meeting began at 4:30 p.m. where it was announced that the MPs could not attend the meeting. However the Working Committee members said that the MPs' excuses for not attending the meeting could not be accepted.

Future plans

"If these MPs' are genuine members of the party they will give priority to attend a Working Committee meeting. The MPs have gone for work in their respective ministries without the permission of the Working Committee," those present at the meeting said.

Wickremesinghe discussed the future plans of the party at the meeting and Sarath Ranawaka, Ravi Karunanayake, Vajira Abeywardene and Jayalath Jayawardena among others expressed their views. Everybody agreed that those who left the party should be suspended from the Working Committee.

Apart from accepting ministerial posts from the government, which is against the party constitution, these MPs have also attended meetings held by government ministers, it was pointed out. 

Kumar and his mission

India has for many years had a close relationship with the Sri Lankan government. Politicians from the government and the opposition frequently visit India to discuss political issues.

However a person not involved with politics went to India recently. The person with his independent views is the head of an NGO and an anti war activist. He is none other than Kumar Rupesinghe, leader of the Foundation for Co-Existence and the chairman, Anti War Front.

Meeting Basil

Rupasinghe was invited to India to express his views about the situation in the country from the point of view of the NGOs. However Rupasinghe met Basil Rajapakse before leaving for India. Rupasinghe told Basil that apart from India he has connections in Europe and if given the opportunity can visit those countries and update them on the latest situation in Sri Lanka.

He told Basil that since he works for an NGO and has independent views he could make maximum use of this opportunity when visiting the European countries.

What Rupesinghe had to face when he went to India is still being reported. An appointment to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Defence Advisor Narayanan failed, as Narayanan was reluctant to give him an appointment. Due to Rupesinghe's security arrangements he missed the opportunity of meeting Narayanan.

Shady deal

Rupesinghe also had his reasons for trying to get close to Basil. Rupesinghe was trying to use Rajapakse's influence to minimise the media reports on his NGO.

However,  it is reported many media institutions are getting ready to highlight the work of Rupesinghe's NGO and his role in running with the hare and hunting with the hound.