- Basil’s no. 1 priority is rebooting economy with inclusive support
- President to meet SLPP parliamentary group today to unify group
- SJB helps to unify SLPP alliance with ill-conceived no-faith motion
- Foreign Ministry joins autocrats to open fire on western nations
Basil Rajapaksa, who recently took over the finance portfolio, is working overtime to fulfil his pledge to the public and the Government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa by providing solutions to the country’s economic issues.
Basil seems determined not to leave any stone unturned in his quest to overcome the country’s economic challenges and has set out an inclusive path to overcome the present economic quagmire.
The importance of Basil’s role in the Government was witnessed last week during the weekly cabinet meeting when he had sat next to the Prime Minister. The President presides over the cabinet meeting and the Prime Minister sits next to the President. The rest of the ministers sit according to seniority. However, Basil now occupies the seat next to the Prime Minister, which was earlier occupied by Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris.
Also, the Government is this week provided with a gift-wrapped opportunity to show its strength in Parliament when the No-confidence Motion (NCM) presented by the Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is taken up for a vote. While the past few weeks have seen some sections of the governing Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and several coalition partners at loggerheads following the fuel price hikes several weeks back, the move by the SJB has provided just what government leaders needed to unite the bickering factions for a common purpose.
It is learnt that the common ground is based on the principle of putting forth a united front to ensure the Government’s stability without allowing the governing alliance to split over an NCM presented by the Opposition.
It is in this backdrop that reports of a confidential meeting between Ministers Basil Rajapaksa, Udaya Gammanpila, and Wimal Weerawansa held last weekend started to surface.
The meeting was reportedly organised by President Rajapaksa, who had decided to intervene, to form an understanding between Basil, Gammanpila, and Weerawansa.
It is learnt that Basil had noted during the meeting the importance of all stakeholders in the governing alliance standing together to face the challenges before the country as well as to keep the Opposition divided and inept.
Both Gammanpila and Weerawansa, it is learnt, have agreed with Basil’s statement. It was also agreed that the NCM against Gammanpila that is to be taken up in Parliament this week should be defeated by the governing alliance with the unanimous support of all SLPP MPs.
The target of the Government is to defeat the NCM with a very comfortable majority.
In order to further unite the governing MPs, President Rajapaksa has convened a special meeting of the SLPP parliamentary group today (18).
It is learnt that the meeting is aimed at having an open dialogue on the issues faced by governing party members as well as the NCM against a member of the Government.
Basil’s truth
Basil, who also spearheads the Presidential Taskforce for Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication, has met with the ministers in the taskforce on 9 July at his Ministry and had stressed the need to reopen the country fully after an early conclusion of the inoculation drive to revive the economy.
The Finance Minister had noted the need to revitalise the manufacturing base of the country in order to ensure that the Government would not fall short of money to manage the economy.
Basil had explained the real position of the Treasury. He had also noted that the Treasury did not have sufficient funds to provide funding to most of the proposals presented to the Cabinet of Ministers. Therefore, the newly appointed Finance Minister asked that the ministers be mindful of this fact and refrain from presenting proposals that would result in large-scale funding by the Government for the time being.
The next meeting convened by Basil was with former provincial council members. The meeting that took place on 11 July was aimed at building a dialogue between the Finance Ministry and governing party members in all stages of governance in the country.
Even at this meeting, Basil had been forthright with the participants and had explained the challenges faced by the country and the financial situation of the Treasury.
He had noted that the revenue generated by some of the key revenue-generating institutions – Sri Lanka Customs, Excise Department, and Inland Revenue Department – had recorded low revenues due to the pandemic. This situation, the Finance Minister had said, has posed a challenge to countries globally.
However, he had added that he would work tirelessly to fulfil the pledges made by the Government to the people as well as implement the President’s policies outlined in his manifesto.
After hearing what Basil had to say, the former provincial councillors had expressed their gratitude to Basil for explaining the country’s real financial situation and had noted their confidence in him.
During the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government, Basil Rajapaksa’s contributions to the economic development of the country, managing the war, and maintaining the development of the country at a high level through Gama Neguma and Maga Neguma were highlighted by the former provincial councillors in a statement issued soon after the meeting.
The provincial councillors expressed confidence that Basil would have the strength to easily manage the economic challenges posed by the Covid epidemic.
Basil also assured the former provincial councillors that the long-overdue provincial council elections will be held next year. In this context, he had said he requires six months to get the country’s economy back on track.
“We cannot contest to lose. Give me six months in order to build a winning environment. We will hold the provincial council elections afterwards,” Basil had noted.
Basil last week also met with several foreign envoys in Sri Lanka as well as stakeholders of the country’s industrial sector.
Minister Weerawansa was a notable absentee at the meeting since it was organised by his Ministry, giving way for speculation that Weerawansa had boycotted Basil’s meeting.
However, it was later learnt that Weerawansa had in fact given prior notice of his unavailability that day to attend the meeting, as he had a previously scheduled a visit out of Colombo. Weerawansa and Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne were engaged in an official visit to the Eastern Province that day.
Also, during a field visit to the Kahatagaha mines last week, Weerawansa said that he was prepared to work together with any person who follows a proper disciplined plan. He made this observation in response to a question posed to him on whether he was prepared to work with Basil.
SLFP-GR meet postponed
Meanwhile, the main coalition partner of the Government, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), was to meet with President Rajapaksa last Thursday (15). However, the meeting was postponed and rescheduled for 27 July.
The meeting was scheduled in order to discuss the present economic and political issues faced by the Government as well as issues faced by the SLFP as an alliance partner.
The SLFP is currently facing pressure from its organisers and grassroots members to stand against what they see as attacks by the Government on the welfare and security of ordinary voters.
The last Central Committee meeting of the party held recently also saw a majority of the members calling on the party leadership to walk out of the Government.
The likes of SLFP General Secretary State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara have been openly critical of the Government and have faced criticism in return from members of the governing SLPP.
Some SLPP members also went to the extent of claiming that the SLFP’s contribution in winning national elections and forming a government was minimal.
According to Jayasekara, it is certain ungrateful individuals in the SLPP who claim the SLFP had not contributed to the formation of the Government.
He had noted that while the SLPP was engaged in governing the country while being engaged in politics, the SLFP was involved in neither.
He had said at a news conference in Kurunegala recently that the SLPP would not have been able to record the victory as it did, had the SLFP not extended its support.
However, senior SLFPer Minister Mahinda Amaraweera had said the SLFP is not ready to leave the Government and strengthen the Opposition despite the problems.
The Minister had noted that the problems faced by SLFP members at the grassroots level will be discussed with the SLPP leaders and solutions will be reached.
“There really is a problem. Mainly, our SLFP groups have a problem with not treating activists as partners of the Government. Different groups said different things but the party leaders did not say such a thing. We hope that the President and the Prime Minister will be the leaders to discuss everything,” Amaraweera had said.
Meanwhile, the SLFP Youth Wing last week called on the SLFP parliamentary group to oppose the proposed Kotelawala National Defence University Bill that has been presented by the Government.
Wimal’s salvo
The National Freedom Front (NFF) led by Minister Weerawansa, which is also a coalition partner of the governing SLPP, last week fired its first salvo against the Government. This was when the party announced that it would vote against a bill presented by the Government in Parliament.
Senior NFF member and State Minister Jayantha Samaraweera last week stated publicly that the party would vote against the proposed Kotelawala National Defence University Bill.
Samaraweera had explained that there were several dangerous clauses in the proposed Bill, especially the one that paves the way for the setting up of a private medical university.
According to him, the NFF will be forced to vote against the proposed piece of legislation if it is not amended and that had already been communicated to Minister Chamal Rajapaksa.
Samaraweera had added that the NFF would not support the setting up of private universities in the country.
While it is learnt that the proposed Kotelawala National Defence University Bill is likely to be delayed until next month, given the objections raised over certain clauses, addressing the 11th meeting with the Buddhist Advisory Council held at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday, President Rajapaksa has stated that the obstacles existing in the University Grants Commission Act will be removed and the Kotelawala National Defence University will be brought under its purview.
Meanwhile, Weerawansa last week made a public statement after some time, stating that silence itself was a voice.
He further noted that there was no change in either his or his party’s stance in allowing dual citizens to enter Parliament and that the NFF had clearly expressed its objections to the matter concerning dual citizens in the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.
However, Weerawansa had noted that neither he nor the NFF was against Basil or any others entering Parliament.
Weerawansa had added that it was important for Basil to beat the economic challenges.
“We don’t know if he can overcome the economic challenges. If he can do so, it will be vital,” he had noted.
Udaya shows confidence
Meanwhile, Gammanpila, who is to face an NCM in Parliament this week, has shown much confidence.
Responding to questions posed by journalists last Sunday (11) on the impending NCM, Minister Gammanpila had said that he was not afraid or hurt by the current developments in the political arena.
“I have never been afraid in my life. If you don’t believe me, ask my mother. Have you ever seen fear or worry on my face? I always live freely like this,” he had said.
When questioned about his opinion on whether Basil would support the NCM against him, Gammanpila had said that he doesn’t want to comment on the uncertain future.
“There is a saying in English, silence is also an expression,” he had said.
As for some media reports suggesting that a portion of his energy portfolio would be re-assigned to a member of the SLFP, Gammanpila had responded saying: “I did not bring any ministries when I was born and also won’t take any ministries with me when I die. Based on the Prime Minister’s recommendation, the President has the power to assign or change any ministerial portfolio. All the ministers should abide by this.”
According to Gammanpila, governing party members, including ministers, continuing to question the fuel price hike that was endorsed by the President, is indicative that they (the critics in government) do not have confidence in the President.
However, Minister Gamini Lokuge recently claimed that Mahinda Rajapaksa never brought forward a proposal to increase fuel prices and that the President never proposed to increase fuel prices.
Gammanpila, in response to this claim, had said: “Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Head of State, Head of Government, and Head of Cabinet of Ministers has issued a statement No. 21/146 on 13 June regarding the increase in fuel prices. After the Head of State makes such a statement, there is no need to ask those under him whether it is true. Anyone questioning beyond that is saying that the President is lying.”
It is in this backdrop that SLPP MPs, who were critical of the fuel price hikes, have taken a step back and in some instances retracted statements assuring a reduction in fuel price hikes under the new Finance Minister.
The SLFP has already announced that the party would not support the NCM against Gammanpila.
Meanwhile, senior members of the United National Party (UNP) have proposed that Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe should not support the SJB-sponsored NCM against Gammanpila.
It is learnt that a group of UNP seniors have told Wickremesinghe that the NCM would have been supported if it was a motion brought against the entire government, but it was doomed to backfire by targeting Gammanpila alone.
The party seniors were of the opinion that if the NCM brought against Gammanpila was presented in its present form, it will only help the Government to resolve divisions within. “Therefore, the UNP seniors were of the opinion that Wickremesinghe should support the motion only if it was converted into an NCM against the Government,” highly placed UNP sources said.
TUs form alliance
While parliamentary politics continue to be a hive of activity, trade unions and civil society organisations had last week formed a coalition – Trade Unions and Mass Organisations Alliance [BSM1] – against the alleged government suppression and to act against arbitrary actions of the authorities in the future.
The movement had threatened to resort to a joint trade union action if all the protesters including Joseph Stalin and Duminda Nagamuwa, who were sent to quarantine, were not released after PCR tests were conducted on them by Tuesday (13).
However, Stalin along with a group of trade unionists who were sent to a quarantine centre in Mullaitivu were informed by the authorities on Friday (16) that they will be released since their PCR tests have come back negative.
At the meeting to announce the formation of the new coalition, National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) Chairman K.D. Lal Kantha said the protesters were held in a detention centre rather than in a quarantine centre.
“They have not been subjected to PCR tests or antigen tests (at the time of being taken forcibly to a quarantine centre). If they are to be sent to a quarantine centre, they should have undergone PCR tests and tested positive for Covid-19. It means that they have not been sent to a quarantine centre. It is more like they are held in a detention centre like the Boossa detention camp. This is a move to detain anti-government protesters. There is no law to detain people like that. PCR tests should be conducted on Joseph Stalin, Duminda Nagamuwa, and others today and they should be released on Tuesday. If not, trade unions and civil organisations are ready to resort to trade union action this week,” he had said.
Meanwhile, Government Nursing Officers Association Chairman Saman Rathnapriya had said the right to protest and freedom of speech have been ensured by several acts and added that the Health Services Director General had no right to ban protests.
He had further noted that according to the Quarantine (and Prevention of Diseases) Ordinance, only those who come from overseas, close contacts of a patient, and a patient who was discharged upon recovery can be quarantined.
He added that there was no law to quarantine protesters and stressed that they would resort to joint trade union action if the protesters were not released.
Voice Against Corruption Convener Wasantha Samarasinghe had said the decision to form the new coalition was aimed at fighting against the Government's suppression of people's rights to protest when the Government failed in its governance.
He had said they (the new coalition) had decided to resort to trade union action.
Meanwhile, United Nations (UN) Resident Co-ordinator in Sri Lanka Hanaa Singer-Hamdy had noted that the right of assembly includes the right to hold peaceful demonstrations and that restrictions imposed as measures against the pandemic should not go beyond the legitimate protection of public health.
She had noted in a Twitter message that the right of assembly helps exercise other rights such as freedom of expression and influence public policies.
“Right of assembly includes the right to hold peaceful demonstrations. It helps exercise other rights; freedom of expression & influence public policies. Vital that restrictions imposed as measures against the pandemic don't go beyond the legitimate protection of public health (sic),” she had tweeted.
Basil’s non-aligned policy
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, apart from working to get the economy back on track, seems to be resurrecting the Government’s non-aligned foreign policy, which during the past few months took a back seat with the Government leaning towards China.
Soon after assuming office, Basil held a series of one-on-one bilateral discussions with seven foreign envoys at the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday (14).
It was evident that Basil was making a concerted effort to strengthen Sri Lanka’s international relations at a time when the country is increasingly becoming isolated due to what seems like a “China first” policy.
Accordingly, US Ambassador Alaina Teplitz, German Ambassador Holger Lothar Seubert, Russian Ambassador Yury B. Materiy, Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong, European Union (EU) Ambassador Denis Chaibi, Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, and British High Commissioner Sarah Hulton paid courtesy calls on Basil to discuss mutually beneficial issues.
The Ambassadors and High Commissioners had reiterated their support to curb the Covid-19 pandemic and had expressed their readiness to optimally use the investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka.
“Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa had informed the foreign envoys that Sri Lanka, while keeping with the country's non-aligned policy, is ready to work closely with all our international allies on all fronts,” a statement by the Finance Ministry had stated.
The British High Commissioner and the EU Ambassador during the meetings have welcomed the Sri Lankan Government’s interest in renewable energy and the green economy.
The British High Commissioner had also appreciated the use of local builders for the construction of the Central Expressway and extended support going forward.
The Indian High Commissioner had commended Sri Lanka’s ability to maintain the economic growth at around 4.7% in the first quarter despite the Covid-19 pandemic and had expressed confidence that the momentum will continue to achieve the expected 5.5% growth in the future.
The Indian High Commissioner had also agreed to further enhance bilateral trade with Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador had assured support to Sri Lanka to combat the pandemic, whilst providing the required vaccine doses to expedite government efforts to inoculate its population.
The envoy had also affirmed to attract high-level investors to the impending Hambantota Industrial Zone, adding that they hope to see the economy return to normal soon.
The German Ambassador had said that the German Government was looking forward to providing more assistance to enhance the facilities of the existing German technical colleges throughout the country and to assist small and medium-scale (SME) industry investors to expand their business.
The US Ambassador had committed to further enhance bilateral co-operation and work with Sri Lanka in mutual understanding.
While welcoming the Government's Green Economic Programme, Ambassador Teplitz had said that the possibility of attracting investors to the Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) Energy Project will be further explored.
The Russian Ambassador, meanwhile, had said that the Russian Government would also continue to support the vaccination programme to combat the virus and had expressed interest in focussing on formulating a joint programme for the production of vaccines.
SL slams the West
While Basil sought to bring stability and balance to Sri Lanka’s diplomatic relations at home, the country’s diplomats in Geneva were busy drawing battle lines and picking new fights with nations Basil sought to soothe in Colombo.
On the instructions of the Foreign Ministry, Sri Lanka’s mission in Geneva joined Communist China to slam the West, accusing them of hypocrisy on human rights and for using individual rights as a “geopolitical tool” to attack countries they don’t like.
According to the Global Times, diplomats, scholars, and representatives from NGOs had recently attended a sideline activity at the 47th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Themed “Human Rights in the West: Lack of International Monitoring and Response to the Human Rights Violations”, the online sideline meeting was jointly held by China, Belarus, Russia, and Venezuela with more than 40 representatives from other countries, officials from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as representatives of NGOs and media joining the event, according to foreign media reports.
Focusing on the interests of its own people, every country should combine universal principles of human rights with the reality in their countries to develop a system that suits them well, Minister of the Chinese Mission to the UN in Geneva Jiang Duan had been quoted as saying at the meeting.
All countries should communicate and co-operate on human rights and should not use it as an excuse to pressure or even impose unilateral coercive measures against others, Jiang had said.
The Minister had noted that some western countries have serious violations of human rights. They have committed crimes against indigenous people and killed innocent civilians in other countries through military interventions.
Instead of repenting and correcting their crimes, those countries lie for political purposes to blatantly interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, Jiang had said, noting that the behaviour had severely violated the UN Charter and principles and greatly damaged human rights in other countries.
Ambassadors and diplomats from many countries, including Belarus, Russia, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, and Sri Lanka had also delivered speeches, unveiling the severe human rights violations in western countries, especially against immigrants, indigenous people, and other minorities.
They had reportedly noted that the multilateral human rights organisations have long been controlled by western counties and have turned a blind eye on these problems.
Some diplomats had said that some western countries sell themselves as “developed” and “democratic” and are eager to lecture others on human rights issues and criticise countries they don’t like.
These countries have been accused of treating “human rights” as their “privilege” while thinking that human rights can only be determined by their western values.
Representatives from NGOs and scholars from China, Belarus, and Italy had also expressed their concerns on race discrimination, police violence, slaughter of indigenous people, and severe human rights violations on immigrants, according to Global Times.
They had pointed out that the democratic system boasted by many western countries is a system for the elites only, and the governments do not care about the common people's rights. Developing countries should be careful before deciding to copy the western system.
Standing against UK
If it wasn’t enough to join China in starting a diplomatic Jihad against all of Sri Lanka’s largest export markets and most critical trade partners while Basil was trying to extend an olive branch to these same countries, matters were made worse when Sri Lanka’s Geneva delegation again joined hands with China in a vicious targeted attack on the entire UK at the same forum.
The Geneva delegation of Sri Lanka had reportedly signed a joint statement initiated by China, assailing the UK’s record on human rights.
The joint statement was delivered during the 47th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“I have the honour to speak on behalf of a group of countries. We express our deep concerns on the human rights situation in the UK. Severe systemic racism, racial discrimination, hate speech, xenophobia, and related violence have long been existing in the UK,” the Chinese delegation in Geneva had said after delivering the statement.
China had said the discriminatory actions are toxic residues of colonialism and trade in enslaved Africans in UK’s history, according to Xinhua.
The delegation had stated that a number of Special Procedures had expressed their concerns, but the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, which was set up by the UK Government, was trying to deny the facts. UK military service men have committed killings of civilians in overseas operations but are at large to this day.
The UK had been accused of trying to shield them from accountability by way of legislation.
“The migrant detention centres in the UK are operating under poor conditions and the rights of migrants are severely violated. In addition, the UK spread disinformation and provoked confrontation out of political purposes, using human rights as a pretext to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs. Politicised acts as such have seriously undermined international human rights co-operation and are deeply concerning,” the Chinese delegation had been quoted as saying.
The joint statement has been signed by China, Belarus, Bolivia, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Iran, Russia, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Venezuela urging the UK Government to fess up to its human rights problems, immediately stop all human rights violations, address the root cause of racial discrimination and hate crime, carry out thorough and impartial investigations into cases of unlawful killings of civilians and other crimes, bring the perpetrators to justice, and provide victims with remedies.
Of all the countries that signed the statement, Sri Lanka stood apart as the only democratic country that has enjoyed free and fair elections in recent years. To send a signal that Sri Lanka stands with dictatorships against democracies severely complicates Basil’s earnest efforts to restore Sri Lanka to a truly “non-aligned” foreign policy.
Given the role that international trade will play in jumpstarting the economy successfully, it is not lost on Basil’s supporters that if he is to succeed, he may also be called upon to bring the Foreign Ministry to heel before there is no turning back.