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National govt. in the making?

23 Dec 2018

The end of the 51-day political coup has now brought about a new struggle. The struggle is for the United National Front (UNF) Government to work with President Maithripala Sirisena, who is calling the riot act at every turn. From the functioning of the Cabinet of Ministers to the assigning of state institutions to each ministry, the President is bound to make it difficult for the UNF Government. Sirisena initially shot down a proposal by the UNF to form a national government together with a group of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members among the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) parliamentary group. After saying there will not be a return to the pre-26 October, 2018 status quo, the President called on the UNF to abide by the 30-member Cabinet as outlined in the Constitution for a single-party government. The President also noted that he would hold on to the Police Department until the conclusion of the investigation into the alleged plot to assassinate him and several opposition VIPs. All this drama aside, the UNF is continuing discussions with a group of SLFP MPs to form a coalition government. Albeit the SLFP Leader, President’s Sirisena’s hard line stance against a national government would obstruct the SLFP MPs from entering into any form of official agreement; several new possibilities are being explored by both parties to form a UNF-SLFP government. The plan is to have a Cabinet of a total of 45 ministers. However, the issue of including SLFP ministers in the new Government would be broached once the interim order issued by the Court of Appeal on the Quo Warranto applications filed by 122 MPs is withdrawn through a motion to courts next month when courts resume after vacation. The interim order prevents any member in the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government from holding office as a cabinet minister until the case is concluded. The group of 21 SLFP MPs have discussed the possibility of contesting the next general election as a faction of the SLFP under the National Democratic Front (NDF) which is an UNF initiative currently in the making. Without forming a government with members of the SLFP, the UNF will always have to rely on the support of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for its support to pass legislation in the House. Be that as it may, President Sirisena, with his ambitions of contesting the next presidential election with the support of the Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka Podujana Party (SLPP), is now focused mainly on forming an alliance between the SLFP and SLPP with the aim of preparing for elections. The group of 21 SLFP MPs met President Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday. The meeting was called on a request made by the group of MPs. However, by then, the President had already held several rounds of discussions with individual MPs in the group. The discussion was centred on the current political situation and the future course of action of the SLFP MPs in Parliament. A majority of the group has informed the President that the SLFP MPs needed to join the government as a group. The likes of MPs Wijithamuni Soyza, Lakshman Seneviratne, and Indika Bandaranayake were of the firm view that the group of SLFP MPs had no other option but to be part of the Government. After expressing their views to the group, the three MPs had not attended the Monday evening meeting with the President. After listening to the views expressed by the group, Sirisena stated that he would not allow any SLFP MP to be assigned a portfolio if they joined the Government. The President, on an earlier occasion, said he would not allow MPs A.H.M. Fowzie, Piyasena Gamage, and Manusha Nanayakkara to be appointed as ministers. According to him, whatever the decision is, it should be reached as a group and not individually. The group of 21 MPs also referred to the President’s previous statement about decisions to be made by SLFP MPs. However, the President said that there was a necessity to build a strong opposition in Parliament against the UNF Government. The group of MPs has explained to the President that the SLFP legislators needed to join the Government and work for their electorates proper since the continuous infighting earlier resulted in the inability to do so. After discussing issues for nearly two hours, the President proposed that the SLFP group should also remain in Opposition along with the rest of the UPFA MPs and that MP Nimal Siripala de Silva be appointed Opposition Leader and MP Mahinda Amaraweera Chief Opposition Whip. According to Sirisena, such an arrangement would make it more comfortable for the SLFP MPs to function in the Opposition as it would empower them and curtail the need to work under Rajapaksa. After hearing the President’s proposal, a majority of the SLFP MPs have started to express their approval and said they were agreeable to sit in the Opposition for a while and observe how things would progress. MR’s new post The UPFA parliamentary group met at the Presidential Secretariat the following day, Tuesday morning. The meeting was chaired by Sirisena. However, before he presided over the group meeting, the President had two meetings in his office room at the Secretariat. The first meeting was with several MPs in the UPFA group loyal to Rajapaksa. The likes of MPs Thilanga Sumathipala, S.B. Dissanayake, and Dullas Alahapperuma were the key members in the discussion. The topic of discussion was the appointment of Rajapaksa as Opposition Leader. Sirisena, after explaining the discussion with the group of 21 SLFP MPs the previous evening, observed that a decision needed to be reached in order to keep the UPFA parliamentary group in tact without divisions. However, the Rajapaksa loyalists did not agree with the decision of appointing MP Nimal Siripala de Silva as Opposition Leader saying that Rajapaksa should be appointed opposition leader since he has just relinquished the post of prime minister and he would also be able to muster the support of the grassroots in the campaign against the UNF, targeting elections. The group has however agreed to Amaraweera’s appointment as the chief opposition whip. Sirisena, who now harbours a desire of being named as the presidential candidate of the alliance between the SLPP and UPFA, immediately started to make the calculations on the impact the appointments would have at election time. It was then agreed that Rajapaksa would be made opposition leader and Amaraweera the chief opposition whip. Amaraweera at the time was seated with the rest of the UPFA parliamentary group in the meeting room. The President asked Amaraweera to be summoned to his office. While walking into the President’s office room, Amaraweera realised that all was not well and the consensus reached the previous evening might have changed. After making his way to the office, Sirisena informed Amaraweera of the discussion with the Rajapaksa loyalists in the UPFA and said that the best move to keep the UPFA group in tact was to appoint Rajapaksa as opposition leader and Amaraweera as chief opposition whip. Amaraweera expressed concern over the change, referring to the agreement reached the previous evening. However, the President has insisted on the appointments. The UPFA parliamentary group meeting commenced thereafter and Sirisena announced the final decision reached prior to the group meeting and asked necessary arrangements to be made to inform the Speaker of Parliament. Accordingly, Amaraweera was assigned the task of informing the Speaker of the UPFA parliamentary group’s decision to appoint Rajapaksa as the Opposition Leader. Sirisena has also told the group that a broad alliance needed to be formed to rally against the UNF Government. Therefore, he has said that a strong Opposition was the need of the hour. The group of 21 SLFP MPs was flummoxed by the last minute change of heart of the President. Some of the MPs discussed after the meeting that the President was now working purely according to the agenda of the SLPP and had little or no desire to build the SLFP. All these events compelled Soyza, Gamage, and Seneviratne to hasten their decision to join the UNF Government. Objections to appointment When Parliament convened on Tuesday afternoon, the first order of business was to appoint the Leader of the House, Chief Government Whip, Opposition Leader, and Chief Opposition Whip. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced the appointment of Minister Lakshman Kiriella as Leader of the House, Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka as Chief Government Whip, MP Mahinda Rajapaksa as Leader of the Opposition, and MP Mahinda Amaraweera as Chief Opposition Whip. The UNF immediately raised objections to Rajapaksa’s appointment as Opposition Leader. Kiriella noted that some of the UPFA MPs seated in the Opposition rightfully could not occupy their seats in Parliament since they were no longer eligible according to the Constitution. The explanation was that Rajapaksa and his loyalists in the UPFA who contested under the alliance as members of the SLFP had taken membership of another political party ceasing the membership of the SLFP through which they have been elected to the House. Therefore, by taking membership of another political party, Rajapaksa and his loyalists have ceased functioning as SLFP members and thereby lose their eligibility to hold a seat in the House. The TNA also objected to Rajapaksa’s appointment, stating the violation of the Constitution as well as noting that the UPFA was part of the Government since its Leader President Sirisena held three portfolios of the Government. MPs Susil Premajayantha and Udaya Gammanpila tried to counter these arguments. They claimed that in 2001, Mahinda Rajapaksa functioned as Opposition Leader when his Party Leader Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was the President holding several portfolios in the UNP Government. However, none of the Rajapaksa loyalists in the UPFA were able to counter the issue of obtaining membership of another political party in early November. Posts and photographs in social media uploaded in early November claiming they had taken membership of the SLPP “leaving behind the SLFP” started to make the rounds last week again. However, the UNF handed a letter to Speaker Jayasuriya calling on him to appoint a parliament committee to inquire into the issues pertaining to Rajapaksa’s appointment and announce a final decision. Meanwhile, UPFA General Secretary Amaraweera has, in writing, informed the Speaker that Rajapaksa continues to be a member of the UPFA and is thereby eligible to hold the parliamentary seat and the post of Opposition Leader. The Speaker on Friday informed Parliament that he would announce the final decision soon after perusing the letters and opinions received by legislators. SLFP CC The SLFP Central Committee (CC) met on Tuesday evening. The CC members were informed via telephone calls on Monday night that the CC would be meeting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. On Tuesday morning, they were informed that the meeting has been shifted to 5 p.m. Once the meeting commenced under the patronage of Party Leader President Sirisena, SLFP General Secretary Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa proposed that the President be thanked for the critical speech made by him on Sunday in front of a group of UNF members after swearing in Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister. Western Province Chief Minister Isura Devapriya seconded the motion. The discussion then turned towards the current political situation in the country, party reforms, and the need to launch the party’s political programme on 8 January next year, which is also the Bandaranaike Day. MP Dayasiri Jayasekara proposed that the party reforms programme should be launched at the village level. MP Duminda Dissanayake explained that the reforms agenda needed to be carried out through party organisers and that there are several appointments yet to be made. The President noted that permanent office bearers needed to be appointed in place of the existing temporary office bearers appointed several months back. He said the appointments would be made in January and that members to the 15-member politburo would also be appointed next month. Sirisena further noted that he would appoint new governors to the nine provinces in January as well. He added that some new faces may also be appointed as governors. The discussion then turned towards the SLFP members who joined the UNF Government. The previous number of three has by now increased to six with three more SLFP MPs joining the Government earlier that day. While a few members of the CC have called on the President to initiate legal action against those who have joined the Government, a majority of the members have noted that hasty decisions should not be made since it would result in Sirisena as Party Leader having to take action against the party members who have acted as a separate group in Parliament and eventually forming a separate political party as well. MPs Amaraweera, Dissanayake, and Faiszer Musthapha have noted that if disciplinary action was to be initiated, it should be done properly, by appointing a new disciplinary inquiry committee and taking action against all who have violated the Party Constitution. Jayasekara objected to the proposal, saying that such measures should not be pushed at a time when the SLFP had formed an alliance with the SLPP. According to him, disciplinary action should be initiated only against SLFP MPs who join the UNF Government. He also charged that it was the aversion of SLFP members that had pushed the SLPP away from the SLFP, hinting that such members were carrying out the UNP’s bidding in the SLFP. Amaraweera hit back saying that neither he nor anyone at the CC was going to join the UNP and that they were rumours being circulated by “cardboard heroes”. It is no secret that Jayasekara has been constantly calling on the President to appoint him as SLFP General Secretary and that he would completely carry out the party’s reforms process and ensure that Sirisena would be victorious at the next presidential election. Sirisena who is currently being driven only by the thoughts of the next presidential election seems interested only on statements being made in support of his plan and has asked Jayasekara to oversee the party reforms process. Be that as it may, the President decided to convene a meeting of SLFP electoral organisers on Monday (24) in Colombo. The meeting is to be held at the President’s House in Fort at 9.30 a.m. under the patronage of President Sirisena. The message was sent by the SLFP General Secretary. Given the latest issues surrounding the SLFP and its organisers, tomorrow’s meeting would be interesting to watch. Prez’ green light Meanwhile, after Soyza, Seneviratne, and Gamage joined the UNF Government on Tuesday, the remaining 18 SLFP MPs decided to meet and discuss the next course of action. Accordingly, several MPs have noted that it was important for the group to stand together and convince the President of the need to join the Government. An MP from the hill capital asked how the group could receive the presidential green light to form the government. An MP representing the Colombo District responded saying that the group needed to know exactly what the President wanted to do at the next presidential election. He proposed that the group inquire from Sirisena whether he had received a guarantee from the SLPP that the President would be nominated as the presidential candidate of the SLPP-SLFP alliance at the next presidential polls. It was then agreed by all the SLFP legislators to request the President to hold discussion with the SLPP leaders, along with them, where the direct question of whether the SLPP-SLFP alliance would nominate Sirisena as the next presidential candidate would be posed to the SLPP. The SLFP MPs decided that they would move to join the UNF and form a national government in the event the SLPP was unable to give an assurance that they would nominate and support Sirisena at the next presidential election. However, when several representatives of the group made the proposal to the President, he said that this was not the time to initiate such a discussion with the SLPP. According to Sirisena, asking such a question from the SLPP at the current juncture would amount to pushing Rajapaksa against a wall in demand of a response. Interestingly, Sirisena also said that he and Rajapaksa had already reached an agreement on important matters and that they would be revealed in due course. Cabinet blues Amidst all this drama, the need to appoint a new cabinet of ministers came up last week. Accordingly, the UNF submitted a list of 36 names to be appointed as Cabinet Ministers. The list was sent to the President on Wednesday evening. The list included the names of four SLFP MPs who joined the UNF: Fowzie, Gamage, Soyza, and Seneviratne, as well as Sarath Fonseka and Palitha Range Bandara. At around 8 p.m. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, Ministers Rajitha Senaratne, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, and Navin Dissanayake made their way to the President’s official residence on Mahagamasekera Mawatha to finalise the names and sort out matters to swear in the new Cabinet. At the meeting, the President expressed concerns over the inclusion of seven names in the list of cabinet ministers. He explained that while some of the MPs in the list required legal clearance to be appointed to Cabinet, the other individuals had various issues that needed to be addressed. Sirisena pointed out that appointing Arjuna Ranatunga as Minister of Petroleum and Petroleum Resources would create unwanted issues, since the shooting incident at the CPC had caused a death and the workers would not be supportive of Ranatunga’s return. It was finally decided to swear in the new Cabinet at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday. The swearing in of the new Cabinet was also carried out in a new format. The usual tradition was to hold the swearing in at the official meeting hall. However, this time around, the members were called individually to the President’s room to be sworn in. Be that as it may, this week and the next few weeks would pose many challenges to the UNF Government and once the legal impediments that prevent the appointments of UPFA MPs to portfolios is cleared, the drama of forming a national government that would enable the inclusion of more members to the cabinet of ministers will begin. Interesting times are definitely ahead.

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