Big, bigger and the biggest: The Cabinet grows

brother of EPRLF MP Suresh Premachandran, Kandiah Sarveshwaran, a university lecturer has not been considered for a ministerial appointment. The new fissures which began on Thursday among the TNA partners will continue to simmer with strong indications that some councillors may not extend support to Wigneswaran.

The dissident group in the TNA held a news conference at the Green Grass Hotel in Jaffna yesterday. Among those present were Suresh Premachandran MP, NPC members Dharmalingam Siddharthan and M.K. Sivajilingam.

Premachandran said that the nine councillors boycotted the swearing-in ceremonies only because the ITAK has reneged on its promises. However, he said that they would fully support Chief Minister Vigneswaran and will remain within the alliance.

Yet the TNA's celebrated victory at the polls, that signalled unity on an unprecedented scale by Tamil voters, has fractured. That would also be a huge disappointment to the Tamil diaspora which funded and supported the TNA's polls campaign.

Thus, both for the UPFA and the TNA the exercise in cohabitation is threatened not only by one another's compulsions. There are also the internal divisions on both sides. The major cog wheels and the minor ones would have to turn harmoniously for the new détente between the Government and the TNA to continue. Otherwise, it would only become a recipe for disaster. That cracks have begun to appear in less than a month after polls also shows another important divide, one between hardliners in the TNA and the moderates led by Sampanthan. It is the hardliners who first disliked the choice of Wigneswaran as the Chief Minister candidate and now the idea of him taking his oaths before Rajapaksa. Added to that are those groups disappointed that they did not get any place in the board of ministers (according to the Provincial Councils Act, each council can have only four ministers plus the Chief Minister). Sampanthan defended Wigneswaran's choice saying it was made after the bio data of all councillors were obtained. He told the Sunday Times, "Nine councillors kept away. Cabinet formation was based entirely on the judgement of the Chief Minister. Competence, cleanliness in public life and adequate representation to districts were among factors considered. We could not surrender administrative discipline for political expediency by complying with the wishes of certain individuals. We have to think of the best interest of the public. The nine councillors who kept away will realise their mistake."

It is in this backdrop that India's External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid arrived in Colombo last Monday on a two-day visit. As revealed in these columns last week, two aspects of his visit were significant. One was his talks with President Rajapaksa last Tuesday. The other was the signing of the agreement for the "Coal Fired Power Facility at Trincomalee." A third came in later in the form of talks Khurshid held with the TNA whilst in Colombo at the visiting Minister's hotel and with Chief Minister Wigneswaran in Jaffna at the Trico hotel in the main Jaffna town area.

Khurshid told a news conference on Monday after his talks with External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris: "The Government of Sri Lanka has on many occasions conveyed to us and to the international community, its commitment to move towards a political settlement based on the full implementation of the 13th Amendment, and building on it. We look forward to an early resumption of the dialogue process, in order to address this issue in a timely manner. We will continue to work with the Government of Sri Lanka, and help in whatever way we can, to take this process forward, in a spirit of partnership and cooperation……."

Khurshid also referred to the fishermen issue, the poaching in Sri Lankan waters by Tamil Nadu fishermen. New details of how this is a multi-billion rupee industry in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu were reported in INSIGHT Reports of the Sunday Times (Sept. 22, 29 and Oct.6 issues). Khurshid said, "We also discussed the fishermen's issue and agreed on the need to deal with it in a humane manner without resorting to violence under any circumstances. In this regard, we agreed to encourage fishermen's associations on both sides, which had met in the past and reached some understandings, to meet again to work on developing this further." His Sri Lankan counterpart Peiris maintained a deafening silence on the issue of the thousands of Indian fishing boats breaching Sri Lanka's territorial integrity thrice a week at the cost of the Sri Lankan fishermen's livelihood and the marine resources of the North.

President Rajapaksa met Khurshid on Tuesday morning. Later, the Presidential Secretariat said Rajapaksa told Khurshid the Parliamentary Select Committee should come up with a solution in keeping "with what the people want."

In other words, Khurshid's talks have made clear both Sri Lanka and India have agreed to disagree on issues related to the 13th Amendment. It is not without significance. Indian concerns appear to have eased with no hurried moves to make changes to the 13th Amendment. Sri Lanka has won more time with the Parliamentary Select Committee moving very slowly to complete its task.

Khurshid's discussions with a four member TNA delegation at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel also related to the 13th Amendment. The TNA delegation comprised leader Sampanthan, Sumanthiran, Suresh Premachandran and Selvam Adaikalanathan. Sampanthan told the Sunday Times in a Q&A (See box story) the talks were "cordial and constructive." Khurshid had congratulated the TNA for its victory at the NPC polls. Sampanthan said, "We discussed activities of the NPC, particularly the situation related to land issues. We explained that the need for an acceptable political resolution is one that is a pre-requisite to genuine reconciliation. Several matters related to the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) were discussed. The resolutions adopted in 2012 and 2013 have been fundamental to reconciliation."

He said the TNA was in agreement that there was a need to be engaged with the Government. "Minister Khurshid said India has been engaged with the Sri Lanka Government and such engagement would continue. He wanted the constructive cooperation of the TNA. We assured that such constructive cooperation would be available."

India and Sri Lanka have been engaged on the thorny issues relating to police and land powers in the 13th Amendment for many months now. It is becoming increasingly clear that the two issues have gone to the backburner. As is now well known, the Government's hurried moves to rush through Parliament constitutional amendments to remove police powers were abandoned. Thereafter, a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) was tasked to formulate a political package, with or without provisions of the 13th Amendment. Only Government MPs serve in the PSC. With the UPFA's pre-occupation with the CHOGM and the budget debate thereafter, going on until December 20, the PSC report, Government sources say, would not be ready until mid-next year or even later. Thereafter, the PSC recommendations would have to be formulated for discussion by Parliament, a process which would be time consuming. This would be in the backdrop of provincial elections and a possible presidential poll. This is supplemented by another factor in India.

The Indian Parliamentary elections would have to be held before April next year. In this scenario, the Government in New Delhi would have other major preoccupations too. This is whilst watching how the NPC, the very instrument of devolution meant largely for the North (and to a lesser degree to the East) would work. In this regard, Khurshid has expressed his Government's appreciation at the conduct of a relatively trouble free and fair election in the North in keeping with the promise given by President Rajapaksa to do so. This has prompted Government officials at the highest levels to say Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would take part in the CHOGM. "He will be present for at least a day's sessions if not more," a senior Government official who wished to remain unidentified said yesterday.

Khurshid on Monday signed the Coal Fired Facility project agreement together with supplementary ones with Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Minister of Power and Energy. The project was approved at the weekly Cabinet meeting on October 3, as exclusively revealed in these columns last week. The agreement for the power project was among eight Khurshid concluded. It also included a Memorandum of Understanding for Technical Assistance in support of the 10-year National Plan for a Trilingual Sri Lanka. The power project was not among the 35 items listed on the formal agenda for ministers the previous week. However, Minister Wanniarachchi placed it in the supplementary agenda later with the approval of the President, as is the normal practice. Among the documents on the facility is the Power Purchase Agreement which runs into more than 212 pages. It is between the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the Trincomalee Power Company Limited, a company incorporated in 2007 on the one hand and the Indian Government owned National Thermal Power Company (NTPC) on the other.

During talks in Jaffna with Chief Minister Wigneswaran, the Indian External Affairs Minister invited him to New Delhi. The Chief Minister said he would accept it if there was an official invitation from the Government of India. He was assured that one would be delivered. There was also an exchange on possible areas where Indian assistance in the North would be most required. Chief Minister Wigneswaran had also raised the issue of difficulties caused to local fishermen as a result of poaching by their counterparts in Tamil Nadu. It was the first time the TNA had raised this issue concerning a fair section of the Northern population. Khurshid had assured that the matter would be resolved through dialogue between Indian and Sri Lankan sides.

For the TNA, the PC elections in the North could not have come at a better time. It is ahead of CHOGM and has brought about a visit from Indian External Affairs Minister Khurshid who conveyed his Government's best wishes and offer of help. The PSC deliberations are moving slowly. That gives them time to demonstrate that the NPC could function within the present confines, like other Provincial Councils, and produce results. Internecine tussles, a malady for most political parties today, no doubt are a cause for worry. For the TNA, it is more so. Now that it has won the votes, it would have to govern, and govern effectively. Otherwise, it is not only the south that is watching the TNA but the whole international community. My dear new deputy ministers, I thought I must write to congratulate you on your appointment as deputy ministers this week. I am sure Mahinda maama has very good reasons to appoint you to these posts and that you fill a long overdue need to make our country a true paradise!

With your appointment, Sri Lanka now has one President, one Prime Minister, ten senior ministers, 54 Cabinet ministers, 38 deputy ministers and two project ministers, rounding up a grand total of one hundred six ministers of some sort or the other.

I am told this is a record that is in the Guinness Book of world records. I am sure, dear deputy ministers, that we can even better this record because we still have only 38 deputy ministers for the 66 cabinet ministers, which means there is still room for 28 deputy ministers!

I am also sure that each of you, dear deputy ministers, will be given privileges like an office, personal staff, telephones, vehicles and bodyguards. After all, without these you wouldn’t be able to function properly and provide value for money while serving the country in your new roles, would you?

I’m sure that Mahinda maama knows best because even in deciding Cabinet ministers he has decided on ministers for ‘public relations and public affairs’, ‘Botanical gardens and public recreation’ and ‘productivity promotion’ but some of the subjects allocated to some of you have puzzled me.

Sonna boy has been appointed deputy minister for postal services. It wouldn’t surprise us if he was appointed deputy minister of sports. I was wondering whether Mahinda maama said ‘sports’ and the person typing the letter of appointment got it wrong and typed deputy ministers for ‘posts’ instead.

This champion cricketer who delighted us with his batting and won so many games for us almost single handedly, has now been asked to look after delivering letters and parcels and that too while he serves as chief selector of our cricket team.

Sonna, we know you showed good all-round skills at cricket but I can’t ever remember seeing you delivering drinks as the twelfth man so I’m not sure how you will fare delivering letters. But then, if you can try your hand at Bollywood dancing, this might not be that difficult to handle!

It is much easier to understand the appointment of Mohan Lal as deputy minister of education. After all, he has been dabbling in education all his life, first a tuition master teaching physics and then as the owner of a chain of international schools.

So, now we have Bandula as the minister of education and Mohan Lal as deputy minister. Isn’t it great that this country, which boasts of free education up to the university level, has two tuition masters in charge of education? Ah, we will be an even better educated nation in a few years more!

Then we have the most delightful appointment of all, our beloved ‘Muthu’ being appointed as deputy minister for ‘minor export crop promotion’, whatever that means. It is difficult to imagine anything related to Muthu being ‘minor’ but I’m sure Mahinda maama has picked the right man for the job.

One of those reasons, I suspect, was that he wanted to balance the Cabinet of ministers with the team of deputy ministers. Why, since the Cabinet has Mervyn, what better way to balance it than appointing Muthu to the team of deputy ministers?

Many will criticise this appointment saying Muthu is not fit for the job but he is the only man in the current government who was ordered by court to have his head examined and was declared as being of sound mind! If everyone in the government took that test, I’m not sure how many would pass!

Even with all these ministerial appointments, I’m sure there will be a few who would still be unhappy and wonder why they were not appointed. After all, now only a few dozen government MPs are not ministers and they must be feeling left out.

For example, there is Doctor Sudarshini, a ‘real’ doctor at that, who has not been appointed as a deputy minister while Muthu has been appointed a minister. But then, Mahinda maama works in mysterious way and as long as he can win elections, what does it really matter?

For those who are disappointed at not being appointed, my advice is to wait in hope. There is speculation that the appointment of ‘district’ ministers will follow soon and after all, we are a rich country where a few more ministerial appointments will not be a burden on the general public! Yours truly, Punchi Putha PS: I heard that there are a few questions as to why young Namal was not appointed a deputy minister. I think that is because Mahinda maama wants to show by example that nepotism has no place in his government. And who knows, maybe he also wants to teach young Sajith a lesson to demonstrate that you can’t expect to receive positions just because you happen to be a President’s son!