A TASTING FROM WIGNESWARAN AND A ROASTING FROM CBK

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district MP Mavai Senathirajah, made some emotional remarks at the party meeting held on Monday. Mr. Senathirajah, the General Secretary of the party was seeking to be TNA’s chief ministerial candidate at the upcoming Northern Provincial Council election. But the party leadership did not favour him, and eventually, the TNA decided to nominate Justice C.V. Wigneswaran for the vital slot.

Senathirajah who had already been nominated to the post by three allies of the TNA was visibly dejected by this turn of events, but nevertheless, he rose to the occasion and said, “I will give up my candidacy for the unity of the party and support the party’s choice.”

The Eelam People’s Revolutionary Front (EPRLF), Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) had earlier nominated Mr. Senathirajah as candidate for the chief minister’s post at the NPC election.

Sampanthan’s handpicked special

However, Mr. Sampanthan, the leader of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) which is the main ally of the TNA, handpicked Justice Wigneswaran for the NPC chief ministerial candidacy despite Mr. Senathirajah being a senior member of his own party.

Eventually, the representatives of the three parties, which had favoured Mr. Senathirajah in the beginning, fell in line with Mr. Sampanthan’s decision, citing the importance of respecting the party leader’s nomination for this vital post.

A learned presenter

It was speculated in political circles that the TNA leadership was looking for a chief ministerial candidate with sound academic achievements -- preferably a law academic, competent enough to present the party’s case internationally as the party holds sway in the North in terms of political dominance.

It was also heard in political circles that the TNA decided to field Justice Wigneswaran in the election tussle with the backing of the United States and the European Union (EU).

The formation of the Northern Provincial Council has been a matter of interest for cer- tain sections of the international community. In fact, the United States (US) sponsored resolution, adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March this year, endorsed the government’s decision to hold this election in the North. A taster from Wigneswaran The intention of the TNA to push for more autonomy to the provinces was obvious by what Mr. Wigneswaran told the Daily Mirror soon after his nomination.

“The 13th Amendment is an incomplete piece of legislation. The chief minister of a province cannot do anything without the assent of the provincial governor. We have to discuss this issue with the government and try to sort it out,” he said.

Rumblings of discontent in TNA

Mr. Wigneswaran’s nomination, however, has created rumblings among the rank and file of the ITAK. It is learnt that the ITAK rank and file are disgruntled over the move.When this question was put to ITAK Vice Chairman Professor S.K. Sittampalam, he admitted there was dissent among a few members of the party over this move. “Such rumblings are part and parcel in any political party. What really matters is that our chief ministerial candidate is widely respected by our people because of his academic achievements, and for being a retired Supreme Court judge,” Prof. Sittampalam said.

Anyway, it is widely expected that the party would be able to sort it out without leaving any room for rifts, in the run up to an important election.

CBK testing the waters

It is rumoured in political quarters these days that former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will make a come back to politics either as an open activist or as a backstage conductor. A lot of politicians from different hues met her at the function held to mark the French National Day on July 14.

They exchanged pleasantries with her, and were seen jabbering freely. She, at one point, said some Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs who had not even looked at her in fear of political witch hunt or vindictiveness from the incumbent government, have now started talking to her openly. She reportedly told government members who were at

The intention of the TNA to push for more autonomy to the provinces was obvious by what Mr. Wigneswaran told Daily Mirror soon after his nomination

this event that the MPs in touch with her had complained to her about the present state of affairs. In a statement released to selected media houses, she hinted that she would, however, play a behind-the-scene role using the SLFP vote bloc loyal to the

Bandaranaike family as her clout.

Loud and clear

Her office, in a statement, said, “She (Mrs. Kumaratunga) states she is a Member as well as the Patron of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party. She began her political life in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and has no intention of ever leaving it. Her political life has been spent as an activist and then leader of the SLFP. She wishes to remind all those who wish to hear, that she and her husband Vijaya, together with respected, senior leaders of the SLFP, such as T B Ilangaratne, Hector Kobbekaduwa, Ratna Deshapriya Senanayake and next-in-line leaders such as Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, D M Jayaratne and Dharmasiri Senanayake and many others made huge personal and political sacrifices to protect the SLFP, at a time some others in the party who today hold high positions, conspired with President Jayewardene to destroy the SLFP”.

“Thereafter, it was Madam Kumaratunga who brought an SLFP led government to power, after 17 long years of continuous electoral defeats, by dint of her planning and organisational skills. Then she governed the country making it a transparent administration”. “Madam Kumaratunga’s only wish is to see the SLFP progressing once again in the direction that was given to it by its founders, and by her government and to see it again as the great and humane party that respects democracy, fundamental freedoms, honesty in governance and commitment to the people of Sri Lanka, rather than selfish inter- ests of a ruling elite”.

“She states she does not believe in hanging onto power forever, and hence has no desire or vested interests to engage in active politics in the future. If she ever changes her mind, whatever political action she may engage in, it will be as a loyal member of the SLFP”.

The very last line, in this statement, carries greater meaning in today’s political context. She has apparently hinted at the possibility of playing some form of role in politics only in keeping with the identity of the SLFP which her father the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike founded.

SLMC on top of the tree

Despite requests by the government, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) decided on Monday night, it would field its candidates for the Central, North Western and Northern Provincial Councils. The party tries to bank its fortunes on the Muslim vote banks in the three areas.

The party’s high command met on Monday evening, and the meeting went on till 11.30 pm. There were different views. Some members, however, wanted to align with the government for the election. Yet, a majority of them wanted to contest under the tree symbol of the party.

For SLMC General Secretary M.T. Hasan Ali, the Northern Provincial Council Election has some sentimental value. MP Ali was an SLMC member of the merged North-East Provincial Council formed after the 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord.

Varatharajah’s childish antics

The council was dissolved shortly after it was formed in 1988 after an election. Reawakening his memories, Mr. Ali recalled, how the then Chief Minister of the NorthEast Provincial Council Varatharajah Perumal declared the two provinces as an independent state in November, 1989.

“The council session started as usual on that day. During the second part of the session, the then chief minister, in a statement, announced that the North-East would be an independent state hereafter, and the provincial council functions as its parliament. We were dumbfounded. There were eight SLMC members present by the time. We were opposed to the declaration,” he said.

Later, he said, the situation became tense for SLMC members. The room occupied by them was surrounded by the armed cadres of Mr. Perumal’s Eelam People’s Revolutionary Front (EPRLF).

SLMC’s opposition to merger

“They tried to force open the door of our room. They slammed the windows of the room. Luckily, there was a telephone line. We contacted our leader the late A.H.M. Ashraff. He (Mr. Ashraff) called the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF). After that, IPKF deployed its soldiers to rescue us. They came and tapped on the door of our room identifying themselves as IPKF soldiers. After we were convinced, we opened the door. We were airlifted to Colombo for safety afterwards,” Mr. Ali said.

By relating this experience, Mr. Ali tried to drive home the point that SLMC had always been a party opposed to the merger of the North and the East. “Ours is a party that does not want to divide this country at any cost,” he said.

EPRLF factions

Twenty three years after the dissolution of the North-East Provincial Council and seven years after the re-merger of the two provinces following a court order, Mr. Perumal’s EPRLF split up into two groups. The main party is headed by Mr. Premachandran. The other faction has formed a new party named after its founder leader Pathmanabha. Mr. Perumal is also a central committee member of the EPRLF (Pathmanabha Wing) led by S. Sritharan.

Mr. Sritharan said he was in touch with Perumal who is now living in New Delhi.

“He (Mr. Perumal) is in India. He is not interested in contesting this election at all. Yet, he will give us ideological support to push for the devolution of political power to the provinces,” Sritharan said. EPRLF (Pathmanabha) Wing is planning to support the TNA at the election in the North.

Crossing the floor of the House

Ruling party MPs, intending to contest the North Western Provincial Council Election, are perturbed over speculations that an opposition MP from the Kurunegala district, will cross over to their side this time.

The ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) members of the outgoing council categorically asked Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa not to field any outsider as chief ministerial candidate. Also, the Puttalam district members demanded the post be given to one of them polling the highest number of preferential votes. A hint of such a possible cross over was visible in Parliament last week during the question time.

‘Better treatment for Dayasiri’

UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara directed the question at the govern

ment, and Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardane asked for more time to answer it.

MP Jayasekara expressed his disappointment over the delay in lighter vein. But, the Chief Whip remarked, “You are a very good MP. That is why, we are trying to treat you better.”

Govt. seeks CHOGM limelight

Amid the rough-and-tumble of politics, the government has mustered its fullest strength to have the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November in Colombo. The government sees this as a greater opportunity to prop up its image in the international arena, and afford an opportunity for delegates from different countries to see for themselves what the government has accomplished on the ground.

It is estimated that Rs.2 billion will be spent for the mega international event. External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris said this would be the launching pad for many international events on the cards.