- Ranil, Sajith, Anura and Dullas to contest amidst major divisions in the House
- Opposition parties agree to nominate Sajith for PM post following RW’s call
- Agreement reached on Thursday for Sajith to be PM and Dullas for presidency
- Vasu objects to Sajith’s nomination as PM, says allowed only after prez appointed
- Sajith and other parties displeased with G-10, say cannot trust Dullas’s agenda
- Dullas calls Sajith to get ok to announce candidature, Sajith says ‘up to you’
- Suma intervenes to resolve misunderstanding, consensus reached on 2nd vote
- JVP under pressure to lead Govt., Anura agrees to presidential nomination
- SLPP split over presidential vote, MPs confused and displeased, infighting begins
- GL and Sagara contradict each other; GL writes to Sagara seeking explanation
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” – Charles Dickens
Sri Lankans last week witnessed several historical events. The first was when one of the most powerful individuals to have held the post of Executive President since the end of the war – Gotabaya Rajapaksa – was forced out of office and also had to make a hasty exit from the country. The next event was when Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed Acting President on Friday (15) at an event held at the Walukarama Temple in Colpetty.
Wickremesinghe, who entered Parliament through the single National List slot secured by the United National Party (UNP) after being humiliatingly defeated at the 2020 General Elections, managed to first get himself appointed as the Prime Minister under then President Rajapaksa after securing the numbers in Parliament through the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). Next, showing his ‘never say die’ attitude, he continued to hold onto his post despite widespread protests calling for his resignation from office along with Rajapaksa.
However, as it stands at present, Wickremesinghe, who holds one seat in Parliament (and a National List slot at that), is the Acting President of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is being closely watched by the international community, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has expressed concerns over the ongoing crisis in the country. “We are closely monitoring the ongoing developments in Sri Lanka. We hope for a resolution of the current situation that will allow for resumption of our dialogue on an IMF-supported programme,” IMF Spokesperson Gerry Rice tweeted last Friday.
India and the US have also urged an early political solution, calling on all parties to work together.
Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has also expressed concerns over the fragile economic situation in the country and the need to move fast to secure an IMF programme and finalise bridge financing. It is in this backdrop that Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to China Dr. Palitha Kohona has stated that China has agreed to provide $ 4 billion in aid for Sri Lanka “at some point”.
Meanwhile, Parliament yesterday (16) officially announced Rajapaksa’s resignation and that nominations to elect an interim president would be accepted on Tuesday (19) with an election on Wednesday (20) in the event of there being more than one candidate seeking the slot.
So far it seems the election for the president will see four candidates coming forward – Acting President Wickremesinghe, main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and SLPP MP Dullas Alahapperuma.
While Wickremesinghe’s candidature is mostly dependent on SLPP votes, his camp is confident of victory at the elections given the split in the Opposition vote bank.
Tussle for supremacy
Nevertheless, the tussle for the interim presidency has intensified, with Parliament heading for divisions.
By Monday (11) morning, the two names that were shortlisted for the posts of president and prime minister were that of Premadasa and Alahapperuma, although it was not clear which office each would settle with.
While a group of SLPP MPs and the group of 10 (G-10) ruling alliance members are supporting Alahapperuma for the post of president, the SJB members believe that their party leader should be assigned the top post.
This comes in the backdrop of Opposition members having decided that the appointments to the posts should be carried out without holding a vote in Parliament, which would further divide the House at a time all members were required to unite.
However, the SJB seems to have ignored the proposals by the Steering Committee as the party has decided to nominate Party Leader Premadasa for the post of president.
The SJB group met Monday evening at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Colombo. Premadasa’s name was proposed by SJB MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara and seconded by MP Sarath Fonseka.
The tussle however has now become more complicated, with the JVP deciding that the party needs to come forward to assume the duties of the top post – the presidency.
The JVP leaders met last Sunday and Monday for several internal discussions on the party’s course of action. Until some consensus was reached within the party, Dissanayake and other JVP leaders refrained from making any public comments. However, given the continuous questions from the media and the public about the JVP’s stance, Dissanayake said the party would play the role required by it in the all-party interim government.
Given the many inquiries from the public – including well-wishers of the party who questioned why the JVP was shying away from taking the lead after continuously claiming that the party had the ability to resolve the ongoing crisis – the JVP leaders decided it was time for the party to take a stand.
Accordingly, the JVP on Monday (11) decided that Dissanayake’s name should also be put forward for the post of presidency and the nomination was announced yesterday (16).
Anyone but Dullas for Basil
The tussle for the top spots also resulted in a clear split in the ruling SLPP – the Basil faction and the Dullas faction.
Soon after the 9 July incidents and Rajapaksa’s decision to finally call it quits, Basil and his supporters in the SLPP discussed the imminent split of the party given the letter sent by a group of SLPP MPs – led by Alahapperuma – last weekend calling for Rajapaksa to step down from the presidency.
Basil and his loyalists discussed that Alahapperuma would break away a part of the SLPP at a time when the party could not afford such a weakening. It was decided that the SLPP (or at least the Basil faction of the party) should place its support behind a candidate who could receive the support of all Opposition parties as well. The final decision was for the SLPP Basil faction to support the JVP and its Leader Dissanayake to take over the government before Alahapperuma and his supporters in the House made a play for one of the top spots.
This decision was witnessed when SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam stated – at the party leaders’ meeting convened by Speaker Abeywardena on 9 July – that the JVP and Dissanayake should be given the lead in the all-party government.
Members of the SLPP also conveyed the message to senior members of the JVP.
Sajith for PM post
While the entire country was awaiting the Speaker’s receipt of the resignation letter, representatives of Opposition parties met at the Grand Monarch in Thalawathugoda to discuss the appointment of the acting president and the new prime minister – along with an all-party interim government – through Parliament.
All parties in the Opposition sans the JVP-led NPP attended the meeting, including the SLPP defectors.
The meeting had been chaired by Premadasa and the discussion had focused on the latest political developments, with Wickremesinghe taking over as Acting President and Rajapaksa not having sent his resignation letter to the Speaker at that time.
The Opposition MPs, especially M.A. Sumanthiran of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), had noted that Wickremesinghe had called on the Speaker to name the prime minister through parliamentary consensus, saying that he would make way for the new prime minister and the interim government. All Opposition members had agreed that it was a move by Wickremesinghe to placate the growing concerns among the international community.
By the time the Opposition parties met on Thursday (14), several foreign missions in Colombo had already expressed concerns over Wickremesinghe’s appointment, questioning his mandate to hold the post given that he was firstly appointed by a President who has been forced out of office by the people, and secondly, the growing call among the public for Wickremesinghe to also resign.
However, Sumanthiran had pointed out that – regardless of the facts known to the Opposition – Wickremesinghe had made public his call on the Speaker to nominate the next prime minister, and that the Opposition should not leave any space for him (Wickremesinghe) to say that he had been prepared to appoint a prime minister and step down but that no one had come forward. Other Opposition MPs also agreed that Wickremesinghe should not be given the opportunity to blame the Opposition for any delay in nominating a prime minister.
Sumanthiran had also noted that once the new prime minister was appointed, Wickremesinghe would no longer hold the office of the premier, which meant he could not hold the office of the acting president according to the existing legal provisions. Wickremesinghe was appointed as Acting President in his capacity as the Prime Minister and losing the Premiership would result in him automatically losing the office of Acting President.
The majority at the meeting had proposed that Premadasa, as the Leader of the main Opposition SJB, should be nominated to the post of prime minister as a candidate with a consensus from the Opposition.
The next question had been whether Premadasa was agreeable to accept the prime minister’s post since there would be a call for nominations in Parliament for the post of president. SJB’s Ranjith Madduma Bandara had noted that Premadasa was agreeable to hold either post.
Premadasa had noted that he did not want to be the premier under Acting President Wickremesinghe. However, after much discussion, Premadasa had consented to being nominated as the prime minister with the assurance that Wickremesinghe would not be elected to the office of the president.
It had also been agreed that the SLPP’s Alahapperuma would contest for the post of president in Parliament with the support of the Opposition parties, excluding the NPP.
The group of 10 (G-10) ruling alliance parties was also present at the meeting, represented by Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, Prof. Tissa Vitharana, and Weerasumana Weerasinghe. These members, on behalf of the G-10, had also agreed to the decision of proposing Alahapperuma for the post of president while Premadasa would be proposed to the office of prime minister.
Once the Speaker received Rajapaksa’s resignation letter from the Sri Lankan mission in Singapore via email, the Opposition parties called for a special party leaders’ meeting on Friday (15) morning. During the parliamentary party leaders’ meeting, the Opposition had pushed to expedite the election of the interim president in Parliament.
The Speaker had agreed that the interim president should be elected within seven days of the President’s resignation, and that Parliament would therefore meet on Saturday (16) to officially announce Rajapaksa’s resignation and call for nominations.
Vasu irks Sajith
Following the parliamentary party leaders’ meeting on Friday, a meeting of Opposition party representatives met at the Parliament Complex to discuss the nominations for the presidency and the post of prime minister.
The G-10 was represented by the same members who had attended the meeting the previous day. However, MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara also attended Friday’s meeting representing the G-10.
At the outset of the meeting, Nanayakkara had stated that his group had concerns over the decision to nominate Premadasa to the post of prime minister. He had noted that the G-10 was not agreeable to nominating Premadasa as prime minister.
Nanayakkara had said that the G-10 would not agree to the prime minister nominee until an agreement was reached on the post of president, and the interim president was appointed, despite attempts by Opposition MPs including Sumanthiran to explain the reason for nominating Premadasa to the premier post and Alahapperuma to the post of interim president. Finally, the Opposition members including Premadasa had asked Nanayakkara and the other G-10 representatives to meet with the rest of the group and make a final decision on the matter.
After the G-10 members left the meeting, other Opposition party members including the SLFP had expressed their displeasure at Nanayakkara’s statement and the overall actions of the group. Premadasa had also agreed, saying it was difficult to move forward since there was a widening trust issue between the G-10 and other Opposition parties.
“I was flexible and agreed to give their nominee the presidential candidacy. How can I do anything with this crowd?” Premadasa had questioned.
Finally, when Nanayakkara and the others returned to the meeting, Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s (SLFP’s) Duminda Dissanayake had charged that the G-10 should not behave in such a manner, creating trust issues as well as blocking the progress being achieved in forming a joint opposition. He had further claimed that there needed to be proper representation from the G-10, where the same members attended all meetings in order to ensure there was a proper understanding on the agreements reached without behaving in an incoherent manner that had become a waste of time.
Ven. Rathana Thera, angered by Dissanayake’s comments, had claimed that as a group that represented several parties, the G-10 had a longer process of reaching decisions, unlike the SLFP which was a single party. A heated exchange of words had followed between Dissanayake and Ven. Rathana Thera and the former had left the meeting claiming there was no point in wasting more time if some groups were blocking the process.
Sajith to contest
Nanayakkara’s actions at the Opposition representatives’ meeting did not bode well with the members of the SJB. A majority of the SJB parliamentary group was of the view that the party, as the main Opposition, should not be treated in such a manner by the likes of the G-10.
Several SJB MPs had told Premadasa that the SJB was now suspicious of the G-10 members and their motives as they seemed to be serving as agents of the Rajapaksa family.
“Dullas has so far not come forward for any face-to-face discussion with Sajith and we really don’t know the actual numbers he holds. All we know are the numbers he and his representatives tell us,” a senior SJB MP had said.
Another group of SJBers had expressed doubts on whether Alahapperuma was still a Rajapaksa lackey.
A majority of the SJB group had then proposed to Premadasa last Friday evening that the SJB should field its own candidate with the support of other Opposition parties and that Opposition Leader Premadasa should be nominated to the post of president.
The senior SJBers had opined that the SJB should do its best to secure the numbers for Premadasa and that the people should also know the conspiracies at play and decide for themselves at election time.
Finally, after giving it much thought, Premadasa had agreed and announced his decision to contest for the presidency in Parliament on Friday night.
Dullas’s announcement
Meanwhile, unaware of Nanayakkara’s statement and that it had irked a majority of the Opposition members, including Premadasa, Alahapperuma had telephoned Premadasa at around 1 p.m. on Friday.
Alahapperuma had explained to Premadasa that he was down with flu and was at home and that was why MPs Prof. Charitha Herath and Nalaka Godahewa had been asked to serve as his representatives in the negotiations with the Opposition parties.
Alahapperuma had then informed Premadasa that Basil Rajapaksa and his loyalists in the SLPP were spreading a rumour among ruling party MPs that while Wickremesinghe would be elected as interim president, he (Alahapperuma) would be appointed prime minister.
“This is not a good development and I think it is best to dispel the rumour now itself. To do so, it is better if I can announce that I will be contesting for the presidency. I wanted to ask you if it is okay. Are you agreeable to it?” Alahapperuma had asked Premadasa.
Premadasa had responded saying that Alahapperuma was free to do as he pleased since the SJB did not wish to work with him (Alahapperuma) or the G-10 in the future following the statement made by Nanayakkara at the meeting of Opposition representatives held earlier.
Premadasa had added that the main Opposition was now suspicious of the G-10’s motives.
Alahapperuma, who had not been aware of the outcome of the meeting of Opposition representatives including Nanayakkara’s statement, had immediately inquired from the G-10 leaders as to what had happened at the meeting chaired by Premadasa.
It was then that he had been informed of what had happened and Alahpperuma had been angry at the incident, saying it should not have happened, and called on G-10 leaders Udaya Gammanpila and Wimal Weerawansa to engage in damage control work with the SJB.
Suma intervenes
TNA’s Sumanthiran also tried to iron out the differences between the SJB and Alahapperuma’s group, including the G-10.
He had first spoken to SLFP’s Dayasiri Jayasekara and SLPP dissident Dilan Perera and discussed the need to resolve the misunderstandings and form a consensus among the Opposition parties to face the presidential election in Parliament on Wednesday (20). Both Jayasekara and Perera had agreed and had been optimistic that the issue could be resolved. A return to the previous status quo ensured.
However, Sumanthiran’s discussion with Premadasa and SJB’s Eran Wickramaratne was not so positive, as both had expressed their displeasure at the G-10’s conduct and had not been ready to return to the previous status quo.
Finally Sumanthiran and a few others intervened to bring some form of consensus among the SJB and Alahapperuma and co. The agreement had been that Premadasa and his group would cast their second preference for Alahapperuma, while Alahapperuma’s group would also reciprocate and cast their second preference for Premadasa.
Sumanthiran and many in the Opposition believe that the only way to defeat Wickremesinghe in Parliament is for the Opposition and a group of the ruling SLPP to put forward a united front.
However, negotiations were still being carried out yesterday (16) to resolve the misunderstanding between the SJB and Alahapperuma’s group.
Meanwhile, late last afternoon it was announced that the SLFP would refrain from voting to elect a new president, with SLFP Leader Maithripala Sirisena stating: “The SLFP will refrain from voting to elect a new president as it will not ensure support to an individual. Better to discuss and unanimously elect a person.”
Clear split in SLPP
While the Opposition parties were split over their candidates for the presidential election, the ruling SLPP also showed a clear split in its stance.
The position of the Basil loyalists in the SLPP opposing Alahapperuma’s move to contest the presidency on the basis that it would result in a division in the party proved true by Friday (15), with SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam announcing that the party would support Acting President Wickremesinghe’s candidacy, while SLPP Chairman Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris claimed that the party should support Alahapperuma.
Peiris wrote a letter to Kariyawasam yesterday (16) over the statement made by him (Kariyawasam) that the SLPP would be supporting Wickremesinghe. “I read with amazement and total disbelief your statement, prominently made to all media yesterday, that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has made a decision to support the candidature of Acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe…,” the letter stated.
Peiris has also called for an explanation from Kariyawasam under what authority the decision had been made, the names of the persons who had purportedly participated in making the decision, the basis of selection of these persons, the venue, date, and time of the purported meeting, particulars on the notice issued about the meeting, and the provision of the SLPP Constitution under which the decision had been made.
Meanwhile, a group of SLPP MPs including backbench MP Madhura Vithanage stated that the party had not reached any decision on its support at the presidential election. He added that there was no decision to support Wickremesinghe.
Also, a meeting convened by former Minister Roshan Ranasinghe in Parliament on Friday with a group of ruling party members to secure their support for Wickremesinghe ended abruptly following objections raised by a majority.
The group that had claimed they would not support Wickremesinghe had said they would support Alahapperuma.
PM snubbed
Meanwhile, Acting President Wickremesinghe has his work cut out for him, with his foremost task being building confidence among the public and Parliament, as well as ensuring the security situation in Colombo.
Wickremesinghe, when Prime Minister, faced quite a few stumbling blocks in his path to the office of the Acting President. One of the main issues faced by him was the reluctance shown by the tri-forces commanders and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to take orders from him until the legal ambiguity over the appointment of the Acting President was resolved.
Until the gazette announcing Wickremesinghe’s appointment as Acting President was made public, the forces chiefs and the CDS kept in touch with the Speaker of Parliament for necessary directives.
As soon as protesters commenced marches and protests at various key locations in Colombo from the Prime Minister’s Office to the Parliament Complex, Wickremesinghe immediately consulted the Speaker, the Attorney General, and the Chief Justice to look into the legal provisions available for the Prime Minister to take necessary security measures during mass-scale protests in the absence of the President.
Following the announcement by the Speaker that Rajapaksa had communicated to him that Wickremesinghe had been appointed as Acting President in his absence, Wickremesinghe ordered the proclamation of a State of Emergency and called for the imposition of curfew from 12 noon on Wednesday. Once the Prime Minister’s Office informed the media of the move and it was publicised, the Police made contradictory statements saying that curfew was not imposed.
When inquiries were made by the media once again, the Prime Minister’s Office stated that Emergency would be declared once Wickremesinghe was appointed Acting President.
The confusion further energised the protesters, resulting in clashes outside the Prime Minister’s Office and the Parliament Complex. The CDS – together with the forces chiefs – held a media briefing calling on the citizens to act with restraint and to cooperate with the security forces personnel.
Finally, the CDS and the forces chiefs requested the Speaker convene a party leaders’ meeting to discuss the growing protests outside Parliament and seek permission to use force in the event of a risk of protesters breaking into the House. It is learnt that the commanders of the three forces and the CDS had not met with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe until Wednesday (13).
Wickremesinghe had first called for a meeting with the forces chiefs and the CDS at 10.30 a.m. on Monday (11) at the Prime Minister’s Office. However, the military heads had informed they were unable to attend the meeting since they had been called for a meeting with then President Rajapaksa.
The Premier had later rescheduled the meeting for 4 p.m. but the forces chiefs had said they were unable to attend the meeting due to work schedule issues amidst the crisis situation and sent their deputies instead.
Wickremesinghe had also called for a meeting with the military heads on Tuesday (12), but once again they had not attended the meeting. However, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had attended the meetings convened by Wickremesinghe.
Nevertheless, once the gazette on the Acting President was issued, the forces chiefs and the CDS started to carry out the orders issued by Wickremesinghe. One of the first orders issued by Wickremesinghe was for the security personnel to increase security around the Parliament Complex and to somehow ensure that violent protesters did not force their way into the premises.
Focus on the Constitution
Speaker Abeywardena convened a party leaders’ meeting on Wednesday evening at the Parliament Complex. The CDS, commanders of the three forces, and the IGP also attended this meeting.
During the discussion, CDS General Shavendra Silva had explained the situation prevailing in the country and asked for Parliament’s approval to use force if required in the event the protesters turned violent and broke into the House.
Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella and other Opposition party leaders had objected, saying they were unable to give such permission as it was something the Government had to do.
The party leaders had also noted the urgency of proceeding with the appointment of an acting president according to the Constitution, stating that delays could push the country into further anarchy and the public towards more violence.
The Speaker had explained that despite the initial assurance given by Rajapaksa that his resignation would be sent on Wednesday (13), he had not received it due to the changes in flight plans. He had said the resignation letter would not be received until Rajapaksa reached his final destination.
Kiriella and TNA’s Sumanthiran had reiterated the importance of upholding the Constitution and ensuring the appointment of the acting president and the new prime minister of the all-party interim government be carried out within the parliamentary process.
However, the Parliament session scheduled to take place on Friday (15) to announce Rajapaksa’s resignation was cancelled when the resignation letter was not received by Thursday (14) evening.
RW lashes out
The party leaders’ meeting convened by Speaker Abeywardena in Parliament on Monday (11) focused on the resignation of the President, the next course of action, and the convening of Parliament.
At the outset of the party leaders’ meeting, Wickremesinghe had slammed Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader Rauff Hakeem and TNA’s Sumanthiran for making irresponsible statements to the public following the party leaders’ meeting on 9 July which eventually resulted in protests outside his (Wickremesinghe’s) private residence and the arson attack on the residence.
The Prime Minister had claimed that the tweet by Hakeem soon after the meeting and Sumanthiran’s statement that (Wickremesinghe) had refused to step down were false as he had clearly stated at the meeting that he was prepared to step down when the interim government was in place. Wickremesinghe had then questioned the two MPs as to what they thought would have happened had he also stepped down as Premier the day before Rajapaksa had resigned.
Hakeem had responded saying that he had posted another tweet correcting his earlier tweet after the meeting. “The damage was done by then. The media had already publicised your first tweet and they only telecast the second tweet hours later. Be more responsible in your actions,” Wickremesinghe had charged.
Wicrkremesinghe’s outburst had taken those gathered by surprise since many had not seen him lose his cool and shout in such a manner. However, once the meeting got underway, Wickremesinghe had reiterated that all actions must be in accordance with the Constitution.
According to the Constitution, the resignation of the President has to be informed to Parliament within three days of the resignation. After announcing the President’s resignation to the House, dates have to be fixed for candidates vying for the temporary presidency to submit their nominations and then to hold a secret ballot to elect the president if more than one name is submitted for the presidency.
It had been decided at the meeting that Parliament would be convened on Friday (15), handing over of nominations would take place on Tuesday (19), and the election of president on Wednesday (20).
Meanwhile, the Steering Committee of Opposition party representatives to formulate a common minimum programme for an all-party government that was formed with MP Kiriella as Convener met in the Parliament Complex on Monday morning.
The three proposals
Prior to the confusion over appointments last week, the Steering Committee of Opposition parties, after discussing at length the political developments and the path to be taken following Rajapaksa’s resignation, had noted that an immediate set of proposals should be formulated for the Opposition parties to reach a consensus.
Accordingly the committee had formulated a document containing three proposals to be taken up at an Opposition party leaders’ meeting to make a final decision.
The three proposals were: 1. If any party sought immediate elections, they should be asked to take over the government in order to prepare a conducive environment to hold elections and the Opposition parties would support such an interim government; 2. If there is a party in the Opposition that holds the numbers to form an interim government on its own, to be allowed to form such an administration and the rest of the Opposition parties would extend their support to it; 3. Formation of an all-party interim government with the four key posts of president, prime minister, speaker, and opposition leader divided between the main parties in the Opposition, and the posts of president and prime minister held by two individuals who would not contest for the two top spots at the next round of elections.
Once the document had been agreed upon by the members of the Steering Committee, Kiriella had informed the gathering that he would share it with his Party Leader (Opposition Leader Premadasa) to get his approval.
However, members of the Steering Committee had objected to such a move, saying the document was one that was prepared by a committee representing parties in the Opposition and not the SJB. SLFP MP Dissanayake had been the most critical, noting that the document had not been prepared by a committee of SJB MPs and therefore did not require Premadasa’s approval.
Dissanayake had stated that the Opposition Leader should convene a meeting of Opposition party leaders and discuss the document prepared by the Steering Committee comprising members from the Opposition that was approved by the Opposition party leaders. “What needs to be done is for the Opposition party leaders to discuss the proposals in the document and make a final call,” Dissanayake had said.
Other members in the committee had also agreed with Dissanayake, saying that there was no time to waste. Kiriella had agreed and said he would inform Premadasa.
Final Cabinet meeting
Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe in his capacity as Prime Minister convened a special Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday (11) morning. Ministers who were unable to physically attend the meeting joined online to discuss the current situation in the country.
The five MPs who had resigned by then – Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, Harin Fernando, Manusha Nanayakkara, Dhammika Perera, and Mahinda Amaraweera – did not participate in the meeting.
A majority of the ministers had noted that the Cabinet should resign and make way for the appointment of an all-party interim government that was being demanded by the people. They also noted that Wickremesinghe should resign as demanded by the people.
However, Wickremesinghe had noted that he would resign and pave the way for an interim government once such a mechanism was prepared to take over the reins. He had further explained that the country would be pushed into anarchy, with even the expected fuel shipments being halted, if the entire Government were to resign before the Opposition prepared the framework for an all-party government to ensure a smooth transition.
Meanwhile, with the postponement of the Cabinet meeting on Monday due to the absence of the President, Sri Lanka’s fuel crisis threatens to drag on.
In a move to avert a further crisis, a letter from the Minister of Power and Energy was tabled at the party leaders’ meeting last afternoon. According to the paper, there are three Cabinet papers which have been submitted for approval at this week’s Cabinet meeting. This paper was aimed at approving the sourcing of $ 128 million from capital markets by local banks in consultation with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Finance Ministry.
A request was made of the party leaders that, due to the urgent nature of the matter, their assurance would be given that they would not object to or reject this emergency purchase when a new government was appointed.
However, Opposition Leader Premadasa and Opposition MPs Hakeem and Sumanthiran had objected to this move, claiming that without Cabinet approval they could not provide any assurance.
SJB leaders discuss plan
SJB leaders commenced discussions on the way forward from last Sunday (10) morning, when they met at SJB MP Thalatha Atukorale’s residence in Nugegoda. The meeting was chaired by SJB MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara.
The discussion had been focused on preparing the groundwork for an all-party interim government that should be in place by Wednesday (13) once Rajapaksa submitted his resignation and Wickremesinghe also resigned from the post of Prime Minister.
However, the SJB leaders had been faced with a dilemma as Party Leader Premadasa had by then not expressed his willingness to take over either the presidency or the premiership in the interim government. Premadasa’s point had been that the administration that would be formed following the resignations would be an interim one and that he preferred to provide leadership with a mandate.
The Opposition Leader had further explained that the main task of the interim government would be to bring some form of normalcy to the country in order to hold elections. He pointed out that the Opposition could look at an option where Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena would take over as acting president while an interim government led by a senior member of the SJB could create the necessary environment for elections.
It was decided that a delegation of SJB seniors led by Madduma Bandara and including Atukorale, Buddhika Pathirana, and Dr. Rajitha Senaratne would discuss with other parties in the Opposition about their proposals in order to arrive at a consensus on an all-party interim government.
‘We are ready,’ says JVP
After the meeting with the SJB leaders, SJB MP Mano Ganesan met with JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
During this discussion, Dissanayake had not shown interest in taking the lead to form an all-party interim government. However, he had said the party would participate in an interim mechanism that would have the Speaker as acting president and a ‘non-ambitious’ parliamentarian agreeable to all parties as the prime minister of the interim government. The question then had been whether there were such non-ambitious MPs in the House as all of them had political motives.
Dissanayake had then pointed out that they could look at a senior politician of the calibre of Prof. Tissa Vitharana for the post of prime minister in an interim mechanism. Going a step further, Dissanayake had also proposed that, given the changes taking place in the country and the demand by a majority of the people for a change in the existing system, the Opposition parties could even look at appointing an MP from the TNA as the interim prime minister.
Both Ganesan and Dissanayake had discussed the positive message the appointment of a TNA MP as prime minister would send to the international community. It is learnt that the discussion had been directed towards Sumanthiran.
However, the discussions had ended with Dissanayake asking Ganesan to ensure that the SJB and its leadership engaged with all Opposition parties and reached a consensus prior to Wednesday (13).
G-10 leaders meet
Meanwhile, the G-10 leaders met last Sunday (10) at the Communist Party Headquarters. The meeting was attended by MPs Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, Prof. Vitharana, Dr. G. Weerasinghe, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Mohomad Muzammil, A.L.M. Athaulla, Gevindu Kumaratunga, and D.E.W. Gunasekera. SLPP MP Premnath Dolawatte had also attended the meeting.
It had been decided that the G-10 would also join the calls for the President and Prime Minister to step down.
Both Weerawansa and Gammanpila had observed that the G-10 had continuously pushed for an all-party interim government as the solution to the ongoing crisis and that it had failed earlier due to the SJB’s hardline stance and the President’s decision to appoint Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister.
Prior to Wickremesinghe’s appointment as Prime Minister, the G-10 leaders had proposed Alahapperuma’s name and the G-10 leaders had decided to once again propose Alahapperuma’s name to one of the key posts in the government that would fall vacant following the resignations.
All parties meet
Representatives of the Opposition parties attended a meeting that was convened by the SJB on Sunday (10) evening to discuss the way forward following the resignations of the President and Prime Minister and the appointment of an all-party interim government.
The meeting had been organised at SJB MP Atukorale’s residence in Nugegoda, chaired by the SJB’s Madduma Bandara. MPs Atukorale, Buddhika Pathirana, and Dr. Rajitha Senaratne represented the SJB. The SLFP was represented by MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara, Duminda Dissanayake, and Lasantha Alagiyawanna. MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa represented the SLPP independent group and the G-10 was represented by MPs Weerawansa, Gammanpila, and Kumaratunga.
During the meeting, the SJB representatives had asked for the main Opposition’s plan to set up an all-party interim government. Madduma Bandara had informed the gathering that the SJB was prepared to form an all-party interim government. When asked what position (whether the presidency or premiership) would be looked at by the SJB, Madduma Bandara had noted that the top spot (presidency) would have to be with the SJB leadership.
When the SLFP members had asked whether the SJB Leader would want to hold the top post when the proposed 21st Amendment was aimed at curtailing the powers vested with the Executive President and giving more powers to the prime minister, the SJB members had responded that the post held by the SJB leadership could be finalised following a discussion with Party Leader Premadasa.
The G-10 representatives had then proposed that Alahapperuma could hold the next top slot. The idea was for Alahapperuma to hold the presidency and Premadasa the premiership or vice versa. However, the meeting had come to an abrupt end when the security had informed the gathering that Weerwansa, who had left the meeting early, had been nearly assaulted by a passer-by.