Black Box by Capt Vasabha The 2020 general election is likely to become a historic poll for several reasons starting from the manner in which low-key campaigns are being carried out by the political parties to the list of candidates vying for a slot in the ninth Parliament. The Election Commission (EC) has been militant about restricting cutouts, vehicle stickers, posters, and most other campaign paraphernalia the country has grown accustomed to over the last several decades. Next month’s general election will also see two former presidents contesting under the same political party to re-enter Parliament. It was a poignant moment when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa participated in a political meeting organised by former President Maithripala Sirisena in Polonnaruwa to launch his official campaign as a candidate of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) for the Polonnaruwa District. President Rajapaksa last week joined the SLPP election campaign from Anuradhapura. The President attended 12 small-scale public meetings during his visit to Anuradhapura on 3 July, before visiting Polonnaruwa last Sunday (5). In Polonnaruwa, Sirisena claimed that the election campaign of the SLPP is similar to the competition between “Guttila and Musila” of the famed “Guttila Kavya”. “I have come first in the Polonnaruwa District list at six general elections. Winning is easy for me. There’s a Guttila-Musila battle in Polonnaruwa today. I was the boss to the Musilas at one time. Today, these Musilas are going around criticising the boss. I will not respond to any of the comments made by these people. I believe the people will respond to these allegations appropriately,” Sirisena has said at a public meeting at Siripura. The Musila that Sirisena is referring to is none other than former MP Roshan Ranasinghe, who is a top contender in the SLPP Polonnaruwa list. Pressure on preparations While the political parties are engaged in campaign work, the preparatory work for the 2020 general election continued through the week. The printing of ballot papers for all 25 districts for the general election has been concluded, according to the Department of Government Printing. According to reports, more than 17 million ballot papers were printed for the upcoming parliamentary election. In the meantime, official ballot papers are to be delivered to the Postal Department and distribution is to begin in due time. Meanwhile, owing to the Covid-19 prevention guidelines, the EC last week decided to extend the polling hours by one hour. “The hours to cast your vote, that were set from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. has now changed to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on 5 August. Accordingly, voters will have an extra hour to exercise their voting rights on the day of the election, allowing them to follow the necessary health guidelines that were announced last month in collaboration with the Ministry of Health,” EC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya told the media. The EC is to follow strict health guidelines during this year’s general election. Several mock polling and mock counting sessions have already been conducted to identify the shortfalls. Therefore, come election day, the EC and its staff will be able to conduct a peaceful and successful election. The counting of votes is to take place throughout the whole of the following day (6 August) and the results will be announced by the end of that day, the EC confirmed. However, the issuance of the gazette related to the Covid-19 health guidelines issued for the upcoming parliamentary election has been further delayed. The gazette was to be issued as soon as the guidelines were issued last month on the request of the EC and public health inspectors (PHIs), as they continuously demanded a legal backing to the guidelines so as to make it easier for them to maintain public health as well as conduct the election. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health is yet to issue the guidelines. When contacted, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Anil Jasinghe said the issuance of the gazette falls not under his purview but under the purview of Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi. Meanwhile, PHIs Union of Sri Lanka (PHIUSL) Treasurer D.Y.S.R.R. Mudalige has said that the decision on whether to withdraw from election-related Covid-19 duties would be taken on 15 July as the Ministry is yet to issue the relevant gazette, even though the Minister had promised to do so several times before. Push for strength On the campaign trail, SLPP Leader and prime ministerial candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa last week reiterated that the President and the Cabinet should represent the same political party for smooth functioning of the Government and continued development of projects. He made these remarks at a meeting in Baddegama. According to Prime Minister Rajapaksa, it would be vital for the SLPP Government to implement President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s policy statements and to achieve development goals. “It is critical that the President and the Cabinet represent the same political party. Otherwise, there will be a clash, which will affect the overall functioning of the Government and it will slow down development projects as well,” he had said. Rajapaksa had noted the previous administration had faced challenges due to different views of the President and the Prime Minister and claimed that it led to the halt of the country’s development projects. He had said the previous administration was the best example of what would be the outcome if the President and the Prime Minister were from different political parties. “If the President and the Prime Minister are from different political parties, that could lead to a clash between them, which will eventually affect the entire nation. We have experienced that during the last four years. Therefore, I call on the public to keep that in mind when you vote at the forthcoming general election,” Rajapaksa had added. He had reiterated that a two-thirds majority was required to repeal the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, adding that many of the issues faced by the country and the main reason for the failure of the previous administration was the 19th Amendment. Rajapaksa had assured that the SLPP would repeal the 19th Amendment to address its shortcomings, which according to him led to controversies during the previous administration. “A strong government is needed to enable the President to continue his policy statement and put the economy on the right track,” he had added. Prime Minister Rajapaksa had said he ruled out the possibility of leasing out the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) to India when he visited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year. “The Mattala Airport is located in my home district. I cannot lease it out. I told this to the Indian Prime Minister when I met him.” The previous Government planned to develop the airport as a joint venture with India. Indo-Chinese conflict The Indian media last week focused on India’s East Container Terminal (ECT) project in Colombo, which they had noted was in trouble after it was put on hold by the Sri Lankan Government, a year after a Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) was signed by India, Japan, and the then Sirisena Government in Sri Lanka to develop the project. Noting that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a five-member committee to examine and report on the concerns about the development of the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) and ECT of the Colombo Port, India Today reported that the development came a day after Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said “there is no final agreement” on the project. As per the press release issued by the Sri Lankan Government regarding the ECT project, the committee will look into “(the) financial implications and cost-benefit analysis of ad hoc decisions taken by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, line ministry, and the Government with regard to 1, 2, and 3 above (decisions linked with the JCT and ECT); identify those who are responsible for the above and recommend actions against them; and recommend the way forward to develop the above-mentioned two terminals to get the maximum benefits for Sri Lanka for the development in trade, shipping, and both domestic and foreign investments.” The Indian media report further states: “While the decision was aimed at earning political brownie points ahead of the parliamentary election in Sri Lanka, many believe it is the Chinese influence among those who are opposing the project. This comes at a time when there have been strikes and protests against the ECT project.” While there has been some consternation about the three gantry cranes and whether they should be placed at the JCT or ECT of the Colombo Port, the bigger cry has also been about not giving the projects to foreign nations. Many political groups and activist groups objected to the foreign role in national assets, including the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a leftist opposition party that has voiced strong opposition against Indian involvement in such projects where the operations would be shared with a foreign country, India Today noted. “Interestingly, while the Indian and American projects, like the proposed Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement, have been stalled, Chinese port projects like the Hambantota Port project, despite objections, have been given a go-ahead,” India Today further opined. A four-member committee on 3 July concluded that the MCC grant was “harmful” to Sri Lanka. Addressing the media, the committee, led by University of Colombo Professor of Economics Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan, said the committee has advised President Gotabaya Rajapaksa not to sign the MCC agreement in its current form. Dr. Gunaruwan said if the “harmful conditions” in the agreement are removed, then Sri Lanka can consider a fresh agreement. Indian sentiment The India Today report further exhibited India’s sentiments on Sri Lanka and the Indian projects in the island in comparison with the Chinese projects. The media report had noted that in December 2019, despite the Rajapaksas promising to renegotiate the Hambantota Port deal with the Chinese, President Rajapaksa had decided against it. “The President had said that the Hambantota Port deal will not be renegotiated as it is a commercial contract. However, he said it is important that the security aspects pertaining to the agreement are analysed,” the report stated. “While India, Japan, and the US will have to renegotiate and engage in the current dispensation in Colombo, it seems like Beijing still has a firm hold on the island nation,” the report added. The Indian media outlet further opined that the cost to the country of Chinese-funded development projects, in terms of repaying high interest loans on commercial terms, is significantly higher than the cost of the sort of joint ventures offered by India, low-interest loans offered by Japan, or the $ 480 million MCC grant offered by the US, which is money Sri Lanka would never have to pay back. Meanwhile, SLPP Founder and theoretician Basil Rajapaksa last week said that they are prepared to renegotiate agreements Sri Lanka has already signed with other countries. Rajapaksa said that bilateral agreements cannot be simply terminated. He said that a future SLPP-led government will renegotiate any agreement not suitable for Sri Lanka and sign a fresh agreement, if required. Rajapaksa noted that a committee has already proposed amendments to the US MCC Compact agreement. SLPP-SLFP at loggerheads Apart from the governing issues, the SLPP and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) are engaged in a bitter battle for supremacy despite contesting as an alliance. Several SLPP candidates have openly made statements against the SLFP and its candidates contesting under the SLPP at next month’s election. However, the SLPP hit a raw nerve of the SLFP by saying that the agreement reached between the SLPP and SLFP during the presidential election was no longer valid. The statement was made by Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga. The SLFP charged that Ranatunga was misleading the people by claiming the agreement the party has with the SLPP was invalid. SLFP General Secretary and former parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara told The Sunday Morning that Ranatunga was an uneducated individual making baseless allegations. “Ranatunga has only passed grade eight. He has no education. He has no knowledge of contract law and he’s talking nonsense,” Jayasekara said. He added that the agreement signed between the SLFP and the SLPP prior to the 2019 presidential election is still valid. “That agreement will stand continuously. It didn’t expire after the last presidential election and it won’t expire after the upcoming parliamentary election either,” Jayasekara said. Meanwhile, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam said that another agreement had been signed between the two groups earlier this year. “Another alliance agreement was signed with the SLFP this year in lieu of the forthcoming general election,” he said. Addressing a political meeting a few days ago in Beliatta, Ranatunga claimed that the agreement signed between the two parties prior to the presidential election in 2019 was invalid. Easter attack accountability Over the last week, a number of witnesses have painted an appalling picture of ignorance and inaction of national security in the run-up to the Easter attacks by former President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Former Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Kapila Hendawitharana, who was Director of Military Intelligence (DMIA) during Wickremesinghe’s 2001-2004 stint as Prime Minister, told the Commission that even then, Wickremesinghe had no interest in or patience for intelligence or the spy services. After the 52-day coup in 2018, Wickremesinghe was excluded from National Security Council (NSC) meetings, as was IGP Pujith Jayasundera, and both sought to use this fact as an excuse to pass the blame on to President Sirisena, rather than raising any protest at the time they were excluded. The impression painted was of a President and Prime Minister who were complacent with having someone else to blame, rather than taking responsibility for keeping the country safe. The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the Easter Sunday attacks was last week informed by a witness that the sole responsibility of the Easter attacks lay with the former President and Prime Minister. When questioned on how such a claim could be made if the main heads in the country were not informed about the attacks in advance, the senior intelligence officer had said during that time there were several issues and rifts with regard to the main heads in the country and they were not interested in national security. “After the formation of the 52-day Government, the clash between the former President and former Prime Minister intensified and this had a direct impact on the country’s national security,” the witness had said. The witness had said that several attempts were made by CNI DIG Sisira Mendis to meet former Defence Secretaries Kapila Waidyaratne PC or Hemasiri Fernando and brief them of the threats posed by radicalism, but the efforts had failed as the Defence Secretaries were focused on different matters. “I suggested that the CNI needs to meet with the defence secretaries at least once a week and we can make presentations. The CNI took our request seriously and tried to meet the defence secretaries with the files we had prepared. But I think due to the workload, the defence secretaries didn't meet the CNI,” the witness had said. The witness has added that he attended a number of weekly intelligence co-ordination meetings and that the issue of radicalism was raised during those meetings. The green battle Meanwhile, the clash between the Wickremesinghe-led United National Party (UNP) and the Sajith Premadasa-led Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) took a new turn last week. The UNP last week lodged a complaint at the EC with regard to the SJB using the colour green for their election campaign. In a letter to EC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam requested the Commission to take steps to prevent the SJB from using the colour, which is the official party colour of the UNP as per the party’s Constitution. He further points out that as per the SJB Party Constitution, the official party colour of the SJB is blue. The use of the colour green by the SJB instead of blue for their electoral campaign is a deliberate attempt to mislead UNP supporters; this adversely affects the election campaign of the UNP, Kariyawasam said. Therefore, the UNP General Secretary had requested the Commission to look into the matter and take immediate steps. It is unclear what action the EC could take in this situation because it does not regulate the colours used by political parties, only their symbols and party names. For example, both the SLPP and JVP have used the colour red since the 2018 local government elections. The move signals that the party is shaken by the response to statements made by SJB candidates at pocket meetings about saving the UNP. Matara District SJB candidate and Weligama Urban Council (UC) Chairman Rehan Wijeratne has said: “We created the SJB from the UNP to save the party and bring democracy back to it. We wanted Sajith Premadasa as our leader because you the people wanted him. If you wanted Ranil Wickremesinghe, we would support Ranil Wickremesinghe. But now, it has come to this. The only way to save the UNP is to cast your vote for the SJB.” In a similar vein, the Working Committee (WC) of the UNP has decided to expedite disciplinary action against the 99 members who were suspended from the party. The WC has said disciplinary action will be expedited against those who have failed to give an explanation or have asked for more time, from among the 99 suspended members. The WC in May endorsed the suspension of 99 of its members including several senior party members. The UNP had decided to suspend the party membership of members who had sought nominations from other political parties, including the SJB. Kariyawasam had then sent letters to the SJB members at the time, seeking an explanation from them. The SJB however maintained that it had the support of the UNP to form the new alliance. Nevertheless, the UNP maintains that the SJB members have acted in contravention to the UNP Constitution. Despite the UNP’s necessity to act against the party’s local government members supporting the SJB, the party hierarchy is unable to move forward with the action due to the lack of tangible evidence. Therefore, the UNP is steadfast in its stance that action needs to be resorted to against the UNPers contesting the forthcoming general election under the SJB. Another resignation Meanwhile, there was another resignation last week of a former Minister in the UNP National List. It was former Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama who resigned from the UNP. He was listed as a National List member of the UNP. The first prominent resignation from the election race was former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who opted out of his candidacy to the Matara District under the SJB. In his letter to the UNP leadership, Bogollagama had said: “The time has come for me to view the immense pressure and the challenges that are surfacing in the political landscape of Sri Lanka, which I have now studied in great depth and with keen interest. To say the least, the post-Covid-19 pandemic consequences are the worst that one can ever imagine that can befall the country and equally the nation. “This needs both a unified and a collective effort with any government in office in a bipartisan manner. I strongly believe that I have a duty by the country and her people as done by me always in the august offices I have held during the past. I have clearly proved this principle in my roles evidently as Foreign Minister, at the most critical time of the war and even as the Governor of the Eastern Province more recently. “The time has now come for me once again to serve the nation and to be of service to the country on a motto ‘Sri Lanka First’, rather than being confined to the parameters that dictate our party politics. People’s expectations are contrary to our traditional beliefs and moreover sentiments are growing for greater consolidation of national interest.” Border restrictions The UK has announced a change to its Global Travel Advisory, which advises British nationals against all but essential international travel. From 4 July, the UK exempted 67 countries from its Global Travel Advisory. Sri Lanka has not been exempted from the Global Travel Advisory or border restrictions at this initial stage, the UK High Commission in Colombo said, despite the Government claiming to have brought the virus under control in Sri Lanka. Several Asian countries with more severe Covid-19 caseloads have been exempted from the UK advisory, including Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam. This first review is part of a gradual and ongoing process of opening up global travel routes and relaxing border restrictions, and will be kept under constant close review to ensure it reflects the latest situation. The UK hopes to add other countries to the exemption list as conditions allow. The process for considering changes to travel advisories takes into account a wide range of factors, including the entry requirements of that country, the availability of transport options, and quarantine requirements. The UK is also making some changes to border control health measures for travellers arriving from some designated counties. The previous week, Sri Lanka was among the countries that were not included in the list of countries permitted to enter EU countries. However, the EU did open up for travel from Rwanda, Thailand, Tunisia, and Algeria, all of which have acknowledged higher per capita Covid caseloads than Sri Lanka. Both the UK and EU have allowed travel from Australia and New Zealand, whose airports, like Sri Lanka’s, remain closed. However, last week, Sri Lanka reported a new cluster of Covid-19-infected persons which originated from the Welikada Prison in Colombo, where an inmate tested positive last Tuesday (7). Subsequently, over 500 officers and inmates were subjected to PCR tests and all prisons were instructed to ban prison visits.