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MR seeks talks with Modi, as TNA sets January 1 deadlineThe
Sundaytimes Sri LankaBy Our Political Editor-Sunday, September 14,
2014No confirmation yet of a New York meeting, while main Tamil
party plans Gandhi-style satyagraha for New Year - UNP crisis
persists as Deputy Leader-designate Sajith exchanges fire with
MangalaBoth for the UPFA Government and some major Opposition
parties, it appears to be transition time. What it portends with a
presidential election round the corner remains a critical
question.In the UPFA, some major issues relate to the foreign
policy front. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has sought a meeting with
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when they attend the 69th
sessions of the UN General Assembly in New York. Initial responses
from New Delhi through diplomatic channels were that there were
scheduling difficulties.
Modi is also to meet President Barack Obama on September 29 and 30.
The Sri Lanka External Affairs Ministry has hence offered to
re-schedule Rajapaksas itinerary in a bid to ascertain whether a
meeting was still possible. EAM officials are hopeful an engagement
would be possible. Rajapaksa is due to address the UNGA on
September 25 and Modi on September 27. The keenness on the part of
the UPFA Government stems from the meeting a six-member delegation
from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) held with Modi in New
Delhi.President Rajapaksa in anticipation appears to have laid the
groundwork for such a meeting with Modi. That is through an
interview to the Chennai-based The Hindu newspaper. It was
conducted out by Suhasni Haider, the daughter of Bharatiya Janatha
Party (BJP) politician Subramanian Swamy, who maintains close ties
with Rajapaksa. He is not an Indian parliamentarian as erroneously
reported earlier. Rajapaksa expressed willingness to discuss the
13th Amendment to the Constitution with the TNA. That would of
course be without Police powers being devolved on Provincial
Councils as listed in the Concurrent List to the 13th
Amendment.Rajapaksa has insisted in the past that talks should be
with the Parliamentary Select Committee that has been tasked to
formulate a package to recommend and report on Political and
Constitutional Measures to Empower the People of Sri Lanka to live
as one nation. However, he did not make clear in the interview
whether there would be a departure from this requirement. He
complained, I am ready to talk to the TNA, but they refuse to talk
to me. Without a dialogue how can I discuss devolution or anything
else.Yet, his remarks make clear that despite the mandate to the
PSC, provisions of the 13th Amendment could still remain. The TNA
has declared that any such talks should have an international
presence. Its leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan told the Sunday
Times, Though not at all a pre-condition, given the fact that we
have had talks for such a long time, an international presence
would be essential. This is the only way such talks can become
successful.Thus, even if Rajapaksa succeeds in meeting Modi,
efforts on the reconciliation front would become a tricky issue for
him. There is little doubt Premier Modi will point out that the
issues he raised with regard to the meeting in New Delhi on May 27,
during talks after his swearing in, have still not been given
effect. Indias insistence is based on the assertion that the 13th
Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution is the result of the
Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement of 1987. During the TNA delegations talks
with Premier Modi, the subject figured prominently. Details of the
talks were revealed exclusively in the Sunday Times (Political
Commentary) of August 31.With the prospects of a UPFA
Government-TNA direct dialogue unlikely, particularly ahead of a
presidential election next year, other new developments could also
cause a strain between the two sides. TNAs main partner, the
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) held its four-day annual
convention in Vavuniya from September 5. Its outgoing leader
Sampanthan told delegates that the TNA was willing to talk directly
with the UPFA Government on the national question. Such talks, with
an international presence, should conclude within six months, he
said. The agenda for such talks, he added, would have to be
formulated ahead of the talks.
The UNP's Political Affairs Director Mangala Samaraweera addresses the news conference where he said that Sajith Premadasa should convert his words into action. Pic by Ishan Sanjeewa
Jaffna District parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah was elected
leader of the ITAK, the name by which the TNA is recognised by the
Commissioner of Elections. Thus, Sampanthan has become the national
leader of the TNA. Besides the ITAK, other partners in the alliance
are the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), the
Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and the
Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). The convention adopted 15
resolutions.Significant among them is the final one which
said:
If the Government continues with its present programme by
suppressing our people, grabbing more land, destroying our peoples
wealth, abusing our women and children and postponing the achieving
of a political solution so that in due time there will not be any
necessity for a political solution, and does not change before the
end of this year, we will begin a non-violent struggle on the lines
of Mahatma Gandhi from January next year. We appeal to all
progressive formations in the country and the international
community including India to come forward to support us in this
struggle.Quite clearly, the TNA appears emboldened by its meeting
with Premier Modi last month and its outcome. So much so, the TNA
is putting the Government on notice that from January, it would
launch a non-violent struggle. The timing, which influential
sections in the UPFA believe would be when the presidential
election is likely, is thus significant. An aggressive campaign may
force security authorities to resort to counter measures triggering
a confrontational situation. On the other hand, the question is
whether the TNA leadership would resort to such action and court
arrest. Whatever the reasons are, the fact that the TNA, which
represents almost the entirety of the north in Parliament, is
setting a deadline is in itself noteworthy.Another resolution flows
from the meeting that the TNA delegation had with Premier Modi. It
invites all Tamil, Muslim political parties, formations, forces and
all progressive forces within Sri Lanka to join with us in our
struggle on the basis that it is only through a new constitutional
arrangement based on maximum possible devolution can the ethnic
conflict be solved in the country. We also request India, the
international community and the people of Sri Lanka not to permit
the Government of Sri Lanka to continue to breach the provisions of
the Indo-Lanka Accord, which is an international bilateral treaty
between two sovereign states. We resolve that the Indo-Lanka
Agreement be implemented in full. Premier Modi had urged the TNA
during talks in New Delhi to initiate a dialogue with other Tamil
and Muslim political parties.Another foreign policy factor emerged
during the one-on-one talks between President Rajapaksa and
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe was frank enough to tell
Rajapaksa that it was quite difficult for Japan to support Sri
Lanka on some of the issues it faced if the Sri Lankan Government
did not engage the international community including the United
Nations. The remarks appear to have spurred the Government into
action. External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris has already sought a
meeting with Prince Zeid Raad Al Hussein, the new UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights. Sri Lankas Permanent Representative
to the UN in Geneva told the Human Rights Councils 27th sessions on
Monday that he reaffirmed Sri Lankas continued support to the High
Commissioner; to the OHCHR; and to the work of HRC. Nevertheless,
he said Sri Lanka rejected the international investigation into
alleged war crimes.High Commissioner Hussein declared in his
opening speech: I attach great importance to the investigation on
Sri Lanka mandated by this Council, on which OHCHR will report
later in the session. I encourage the Sri Lankan authorities to
cooperate with this process in the interests of justice and
reconciliation. I am alarmed at threats currently being levelled
against the human rights community in Sri Lanka, as well as
prospective victims and witnesses. I also deplore recent incitement
and violence against the countrys Muslim and Christian minorities.
As he declared, an oral report on the international investigation,
mandated by the UNHRC after the third US-backed resolution, is due
possibly on September 25.The transition for the main opposition
United National Party (UNP) appears even more significant. It was
only the previous Saturday (September 6) that the party marked its
63rd anniversary with a meeting in Passara. Its national leader
Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that he would give priority to
Premadasa when appointing a deputy leader for the party. Premadasa
reciprocated by declaring he would heed the call of the national
leader to unite the party and democratically topple the ruling UPFA
Government. He noted that it was a repetition of history. The late
J.R. Jayewardene had similarly invited his late father Ranasinghe
Premadasa to join hands to topple the then government.Young
Premadasa also gave an insight into his thinking with some remarks
he made. When addressing those on the stage, he described one time
Deputy Leader, Karu Jayasuriya as Manthri Thuma or MP. There was no
reference to the fact that he was chairman of the Leadership
Council, the body under Wickremesinghe tasked to run the party.
During behind-the-scene talks that led to his elevation as UNPs
number two, Premadasa had sought the abolition of this council. He
also declared that he was not a politician who had at any time
crossed over to the Government ranks. Premadasa was alluding to
Jayasuriya who crossed-over with 19 other UNP parliamentarians but
returned to the party fold later. That he began firing within
minutes of being virtually named Deputy Leader designate
underscored not only the reservations he entertained but also his
immediate targets.The Sunday Times telephoned Premadasa to offer
him the opportunity of commenting on this and other related
developments. It continued to ring but there was no answer. He
later responded to an SMS message sent to him. It said @ political
meetings in Hambantota. It is not clear why he was addressing
political meetings in this southern town on a Friday morning when
the UNP polls campaign was under way in the Uva province.The
election of the deputy leader is set for September 23, just three
days after the Uva Provincial Council elections. The partys Working
Committee, the main policy making body, has been summoned for this
purpose. Wickremesinghe told the Sunday Times, The Government has
given us a challenge. I have accepted it. I will be proposing the
name of Sajith Premadasa as the deputy leader at the Working
Committee meeting. I will also be proposing the names of a few
others to hold important positions and thus give a new look to the
party. I have made these announcements at campaign rallies in
Uva.The critical question is whether a new look will change the
image of the party or avert the deepening of the crisis within. A
news conference and the sequence of events that followed highlight
a number of issues. Last Wednesday, the UNPs Political Affairs
director Mangala Samaraweera addressed a news conference at Siri
Kotha, the party headquarters. Here are some edited excerpts of
relevance:After the completion of the war we hoped that we could
achieve the much awaited socio-economic progress. The victory
achieved by the heroic armed forces has been projected as a victory
of the Rajapaksa regime. Since the defeat of separatism, though the
country could function as one nation the Rajapaksa regime has
created two different worlds (classes). One country-two classes is
the most suitable slogan for the time. The first class which I
refer to is enjoyed by less than 0.1 per cent who are close to the
Rajapaksa regime.The Government says there should be heavy traffic
on the expressway. But I noticed about 10 vehicles an hour. I spoke
to the owner of an eatery where I had my lunch with my security
guard and driver. He was telling me that though there are
expressways, the irrigation tanks have run dry. We have fallen back
in our standards. Media freedom remains curtailed. Today more than
42 per cent of the population earn less than Rs. 275 a day. This is
the other side of prosperity. Poverty is running high. Crime
against children is increasing. When parents from the north come to
Colombo to protest against disappearances, they are beaten up by
criminals. Those who were ordinary Pradeshiya Sabha members today
are among the richest.
Our foreign service has become a joke. Today we have 62 diplomatic
missions. This too is unnecessary. This also is being used to give
jobs to those in the first class, particularly those who do not
have qualifications and the henchmen of the Government. During the
late Lakshman Kadirgamars time and my time, we maintained the
proper ratio of 65:35. This is 65 per cent from the diplomatic
service and only the rest were political appointments. Even the
political appointees were those who had some special talent.The
Hambantota Port was opened in October 2010. But it took 34 months
for 100 ships to arrive at this port. That too, some of the ships
were compelled to call over at the Hambantota Port. These ships
were carrying cars and could have unloaded them at the Colombo
Port. Now they pay more to transport the vehicles back to
Colombo.Under the leadership of our national leader we should unite
to defeat the opposing forces. We should be careful of those who
pretend to be friends, but are actually enemies. When the party
leader is making sacrifices to unite the party and fighting bravely
to bring a better era for the UNPers who suffered during the past
20 years, some media organisations cannot bear it. They have got
scared and are worried. They are trying to scuttle this
journey.When it comes close to an election they criticise the party
leader. They use different people, some with robes. I wish to tell
these media organisations that they are working according to the
Governments agenda, may be Maha Rajawarus or Kuda Rajawaru, that
our leader will not bow down to them. Whatever forces come we will
do everything to make Ranil Wickremesinghe the next President of
the country.A Q and A followed. Excerpts:
Q: Did you oppose the proposed appointment of Sajith Premadasa as
the deputy leader.
A: I always battled not persons, but principles. In 2007 when I was
told to re-join the Government I rejected it on principle. When I
was the Foreign Minister I took certain decisions based on
principles. I have no hatred against Mahinda Rajapaksa. Even if I
meet him today I can speak to him as a brother. But I cannot accept
his principles.
Therefore regarding Sajith Premadasa too I have no problems with
him, but take decisions based on principles.Q: He (Sajith) has said
he would dedicate himself for the victory of Ranil Wickremesinghe
as the Presidential candidate. Your comments?
A: We welcome that statement. But I hope that is turned into action
in the future.Q: Inaudible
A: Since 1995 this media organisation has been criticising me.
Thats not new. I do not care about them. I can bear if I am
attacked. I do not go to complain. If at all it is Ranil
Wickremesinghe who has been attacked the most, I get the second
place. But if media organisations block our journey, I will speak
on that.Q: Ranil Wickremesinghe has made a statement regarding Mr
Premadasa being appointed as the deputy leader, but this media
organisation continues to attack.
A: Our leader has honestly taken a decision on this on behalf of
the party. We should honour that. It is questionable to launch
another attack when such a decision has been taken. The people
should understand this. Whom do they represent? Whose contracts are
they doing? This organisation during the past few years has been
attacking the leader at crucial times. This is to dishearten the
voters. The Uva voters should decide. If the people vote, whatever
the media tells wont be an issue.No sooner the reports of
Samaraweeras remarks at the news conference became public on
Thursday, hell broke loose in UNP circles. General Secretary Tissa
Attanayake was incensed. He told confidants that Samaraweera had
unnecessarily hurt the feelings of the two persons who were helping
bring unity within the party. Attanayake, a staunch promoter of
Premadasas entry as deputy leader, said this should never have been
done and added that he had raised objections with his leader
Wickremesinghe.Premadasa hit back the same day with a strongly
worded statement. Here are edited excerpts of the statement issued
in Sinhala:
A person like Mangala Samaraweera who destroyed the UNP, and who is
not aware of the partys proud history, who does not understand the
thinking and aspirations of the majority of party members, is now
throwing down challenges at me. I am not prepared to accept his
so-called challenges.Matara District MP Mangala Samaraweera has
stated at a media conference held at party headquarters Siri Kotha,
Now it is time for Sajith Premadasa to prove his mettle. This
appears to be a statement made by someone who has not understood
the partys principles, nor assessed the Premadasas or even
correctly assessed himself. It is merely a statement made by a
hatemonger.At the time my father sacrificed his life for the party,
Mangala Samaraweera was one of the main actors who attempted to
ridicule my father by character assassination and, not stopping at
that, he was at the forefront of destroying the UNP and also the
UNP government which was in power at that time.In 1999, when UNP
Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe contested the presidential election,
Mangala Samaraweera destroyed his image by caricaturing him as
Mister Bean and putting up posters all over the country to mislead
gullible voters. Not content with that he called a news conference
and proclaimed through the media, Ranil is incompetent. He also
lured many UNP MPs over to the government side. It is a trick of
fate that this same Mangala Samaraweera is now passing off as the
saviour of the UNP.I showed my capabilities by winning the
Hambantota District in 2000 and 2001. Mangala Samaraweera obtained
UNP membership in 2010 only to include his name in a recognised
party candidates list in order to contest the general elections not
because he had any love for the UNP. He entered the party as a
refugee and came second in the Matara District. During the last
provincial council elections in March he could not increase the UNP
vote percentage in the Matara District. Therefore I am not ready to
accept these challenges thrown down by a person like Mangala
Samaraweera, who destroyed our party, is not aware of the prestige
of the party, has failed to recognise the thinking and aspirations
of the common people and who refuses to accept new trends in the
party. In contrast, I am always willing to consider the views of
anyone who genuinely loves the party and who dedicates himself
towards its success.UNP national leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had
finished campaigning in Uva on Thursday night, had dinner at Nuwara
Eliya and arrived in Colombo only in the early hours of Friday. The
news of new developments caused serious concern for him.
Samaraweera was readying to respond to Premadasa with a strongly
worded statement but had been persuaded not to do so in view of the
September 20 Uva Provincial Council elections.Nevertheless, he
issued a brief statement with plans to issue a detailed one after
the polls ended. Excerpts: Mr. Sajith Premadasa has issued as usual
a vitriolic statement attacking me for challenging him. This could
not be further from the truth: I merely echoed the view of
thousands of UNP activists when I said that his words of total
support for our leader in the lead up to the next Presidential
election should be matched by his deeds in the weeks ahead.Hence,
it is by no means a challenge that emanates from me. It is a
challenge for Mr. Premadasa, to prove his genuine loyalty and
sincere commitment to upholding party unity and discipline; that is
the expectation of every member of the United National Party. That
Mr. Premadasa has chosen to devote all his venom at me at a time
when he should focus on the misdeeds of the UPFA government is
indeed sad. We in the UNP are not at war with each other after all.
Our battle should be, must be with the Government.If indeed
Samaraweera is denying he did not challenge Premadasa, why then did
Premadasa issue such a statement? Was he taking offence at any
references to him or was he, like UNP Secretary Attanayake says,
espousing the cause of others who have been hurt by Samaraweeras
comments at the media conference he had? Whatever the reasons are,
one thing appears clear. The problems within the UNP appear to
weigh more heavily than that of the UPFA Government. That is even
before the party has picked a deputy leader. Even if the UPFA is
dogged by a multitude of issues on many fronts including the
conduct of foreign policy, its poor human rights record, breakdown
in law and order, the virulent campaign against NGOs, spiralling
cost of living, rampant bribery and corruption among others, what
counts at the end is the outcome of the polls.As one UPFA MP said
during a TV debate; while we are building roads, and looking into
the needs of the poor, the UNP is fighting over who should be the
leader, or deputy leader and who should sit in what chair. The
hiccups for the UNP become worse ahead of every election, be it
local or national. The results are a walkover to the ruling party
and total disillusionment to those who want to see checks and
balances in governance.