Galle Face blues: Raja May Day force jolts Gov
Crowd at JO rally bigger than both UNP and SLFP rallies President, PM taking action to stop internal battles; joint meeting of parliamentary groups proposed Hig and of e
Neither leaders of the ruling coalition nor those in Opposition envisaged last Monday’s main ‘Joint Opposition’ (JO) May Day rally at Colombo’s popular public promenade, the Galle Face Green, would turn out to be significant in the country’s political history.
Believing there would be a poor turn-out, not enough to fill the vast space, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared the vast expanse by the sea close to the Colombo Fort area should be given to the ‘Joint Opposition’. Even more, he wanted former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security ensured by the Police.
Days later, not to be outdone, President Maithripala Sirisena demonstrated that he too concurred with his Premier that the JO would not be able to muster large crowds. However, in a game of one-upmanship, he made clear it was he who was responsible for ensuring that the Galle Face Green was given to the ‘Joint Opposition.’ He told a meeting of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Ministers and some Provincial Chief Ministers, “I directed that their (‘JO’) request for the venue be allowed.” Empty spaces at the event, a sign that Rajapaksa was now politically weak and no longer had any following, would have become a slogan for both. Each vied to be the architect of the move.
Although the duo had access to reports from different intelligence agencies, not to mention at least some grassroots level organisations of their respective parties, both President Sirisena and Premier Wickremesinghe had underestimated the ‘Joint Opposition’. Not surprisingly though. In the near two and half years of the Government’s existence, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who has given de facto leadership to the main Opposition, had not made a significant impact against the Government on any major issue. The exceptions, if any, were some of his utterances at public events. In an otherwise obscure political environment, it became clear Rajapaksa and his group have been earning the many bonus points from the Government’s misdeeds, inactions, the spiralling cost of living and even allegations of widespread corruption. His May Day rally showed the negative fallout has snowballed in his favour and bolstered his political stock-in-trade.
Some heads of state investigation agencies argue there was as much activity now than during the tenure of the Rajapaksa administration. The absence of action against any high profile case so far has seemingly absolved those in the previous regime. It had led to the feeling that they were only smear campaigns and won public sympathy for those accused. A wide variety of allegations aired publicly have not been matched with tangible action. A main cause has been the divisions within the Government. When one faction is in favour, it is thwarted by the other through many devious means.
Rajapaksa perhaps was sceptical too. This is why he wanted to fix the stage covered by a canopy in the middle of the Galle Face Green. That would have meant crowds standing on either side would give the impression of a larger turnout. However, the Police was not in favour of the move. They insisted that the stage should be on one or the other end of the Galle Face Green.
By Monday night, the news of substantial crowds at Galle Face Green jolted Government leaders. This is how a senior Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Minister, who did not wish to be identified for obvious reasons, described it: “The turnout at the ‘JO’ rally was unexpectedly good and shows there is anti-Government feeling in the country. We have to accept that. This is food for thought. We should not underestimate what took place. The fact that they were able to muster a vast crowd and have a good media strategy makes them a force to reckon with. It is time we get our act together and stop criticising each other…..”
According to Surveyor General P.M.P. Udayakantha, the Galle Face Green (together with the adjacent roads) is 18 acres in extent. The Campbell Park, (where the United National Party (UNP) held its rally) was only 3.5 acres and the Municipal playground in Getambe (where the pro-Maithripala Sirisena SLFP rally was held) was only 2.5 acres, he told the Sunday Times. The extents itself give one an idea of the numbers each venue could hold. It also explains why Sirisena and Wickremesinghe believed the Joint Opposition parties would not be able to fill the Galle Face Green with crowds.
Government intelligence agencies estimated the crowd at Galle Face Green to be well over 100,000 perhaps equalling the crowds that had gathered during the visit to Sri Lanka by Pope Francis in January 2015. During that visit, the 40 foot wide Galle Face Centre Road (from the Galle Face Hotel roundabout end to near the Kingsbury Hotel) was blocked for use by the pontiff ’s motorcade. However, during the ‘JO’ rally, crowds jampacked the roads too. The UNP rally in Campbell Park, according to intelligence assessments, came a second with an estimated turnout of 45,000 whilst at Getambe the turnout was around 40,000.
Arrangements to bring in crowds for the UNP rally were well organised. Banners in the rear of buses hired from state run services bore the same template exhorting support for the winning party. Only the names of the organisers or MPs differed. However, a large number of buses particularly from the Negombo District were half full as they drove along the airport expressway free of toll charges. There was some disarray and the crowds originally expected at Getambe was lower. That proved wrong claims by SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake who said he had ensured payments were made for 2,000 buses to bring in crowds. If his claims were correct, the turnout should have been more than 100,000. That would have been an easy task for the Government since it has all the resources at its disposal. That apart, the estimated figures show that the crowds at Galle Face Green had surpassed both the UNP and the pro-Maithripala SLFP crowds put together. Therein lay the crunch.
It is not just the large crowds at the Galle Face Green that was cause for worry for Government leaders. Some took comfort in the perception that they would not all translate into votes at an election. However, as the SLFP minister conceded, it demonstrated the “anti-Government feeling in the country” or in other words the SirisenaWickremesinghe alliance had become unpopular. Added to that, the turnout showed that the Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP), Rajapaksa’s alternative to the SLFP, had come to stay and now has a substantial following. Thus, the Sirisena-led SLFP is being pushed to a lower ranking. This is expected to exacerbate when party organisers who supported the SLPP are replaced in the coming weeks. If the UNP remains a strong entity notwithstanding issues within, quite clearly the SLFP organisations are cracking countrywide into two groups, the larger one now supporting Rajapaksa and the relatively smaller group backing Sirisena. Thus, it has turned out to be a good political harvest for the UNP.
The crowds at the Galle Face Green had come in private coaches and smaller vehicles since state run buses were not hired to SLPP. Most SLFP ministers and even MPs are conscious of what they believe are disturbing developments. Privately some of these SLFP ministers complained of not being able to obtain appointments with the leadership to discuss issues. One of them, who held key portfolios and positions in the previous administration and represents the Colombo District, told his confidants just two weeks earlier that he was considering quitting politics.
The initial response of the Government to the ‘May Day blues’ at the Galle Face Green appeared to be kneejerk. If Premier Wickremesinghe wanted Rajapaksa’s security ensured at the rally, after it was over, President Sirisena ordered the withdrawal of 42 Police officers, including an Assistant Superintendent, from his personal protection group as news trickled in of a massive gathering at the JO rally. “The Director of the Ministerial Security Division (MSD) sent a letter withdrawing these Police officers. The letter came past 5 p.m. on Tuesday asking them to withdraw before 9 p.m,” Rajapaksa told the Sunday Times. He said he did not wish to make public comments on matters relating to his personal security. However, he said, “I cannot understand how threat perceptions against me have reduced immediately after the May Day. This smacks of political vengeance.” Orders also went out to state investigative arms to proceed with Court action against members of the Rajapaksa family in cases where probes have been concluded.
The turn of events at the Galle Face Green formed the subject of discussion at the weekly ministerial meeting last Tuesday. It was chaired by President Sirisena. Minister John Seneviratne was to raise issue over references to him at the UNP May Day rally. He said ‘ugly’ references have been made by Minister Rajitha Senaratne. Later President noted that even Minister Sarath Fonseka had made some controversial remarks.
Addressing the UNP rally at Campbell Park Senaratne said “……..the President recently remarked that Sarath Fonseka should be given the power to look into these issues. When they heard Sarath was coming, Rajapaksas were in