10 December 2014 08:13 pm Views - 4448
After the nominations were tendered for the presidential election, ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) candidate President Mahinda Rajapaksa approached the common opposition candidate Maitripala Sirisena at the Election Secretariat. Mr. Sirisena, the main challenger of the President in the race for the presidency, was flanked by his Election Agent, United National Party (UNP) MP Wijedasa Rajapakse at the time.
“I have learnt that your General Secretary is missing. I also sent you a General Secretary from my side,” the President told the UNP MP in an obvious reference to UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake switching his allegiance to him in view of the election.
Smilingly, MP Wijedasa Rajapakse responded in a lighter spirit and said, “We were able to appoint your General Secretary as the Presidential Candidate to challenge you with the backing of other parties. But, you can only field our General Secretary as a candidate for the chairmanship of a local authority.”
The short conversation progressed in this manner between MP Rajapakse and President Rajapaksa in the presence of Mr. Sirisena.
The political equation gets altered each passing day during this election time, with top rung politicians making political somersaults. It has left many ordinary people in a confused state of mind, being unable to determine the proper direction of the political trend in the run-up to the presidential election.
Firstly, Mr. Sirisena, then as the Health Minister and the General Secretary of the President’s Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), jolted the government by presenting himself as the common opposition candidate to stand against President Rajapaksa. It was an unaffordable loss to the government at a time when every vote mattered virtually. Though the government ministers try to demean the impact of this defection by trotting out various points, it is felt all over the country, more or less.
In an apparent bid to offset this electoral effect, the UPFA also engineered a similar split within the opposition. And, it was the crossover of UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake who headed straight to Temple Trees on the nomination day. Upon arrival, he was received by MP Namal Rajapaksa who is the President’s son and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardane.
Mr. Attanayake offered a sheaf of betel leaves to the President and pledged his support. The former UNP crossovers, holding ministerial perks in the government, embraced Mr. Attanayake in a warm welcome to their fold ahead of the presidential election. Sugar Industry Development Minister Lakshman Seneviratne, who joined the government ranks in 2011, heartily shook hands with Mr. Attanayake and said, “Hello, Tissa! You are from my neighbouring electorate. I am from Mahiyangane and you are from Ududumbara.”
Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando hugged Mr. Attanayake in jubilation. Mass Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, one time UNP strongman from Kandy harbouring internal political rivalry with Mr. Attanayake, also gleefully expressed his sentiments in this regard.
Actually, Mr. Attanayake was planning his political move for quite some time. His actions, especially after the declaration of the election, showed what he was up to. Yet, he appeared on the stage with the common candidate at the first public rally of the opposition in Polonnaruwa on November 30. He addressed the rally and was critical of the government in his speech. Also, he raised his hand in approval of the party’s decision to back Mr. Sirisena, at the special party’s convention called on Sunday.
With the accommodation of Mr. Attanayake, the government’s intention is to offset the damage caused by the departure of Mr. Sirisena. Yet, political analysts are skeptical whether Mr. Attanayake can tilt the vote base in favour of the government candidate, apart from making a psychological effect to the opposition. Of course, there are valid reasons for such conclusions on the effect of his crossover in this context. Mr.Attanayake has been away from electoral politics for some time. He did not even contest at the last parliamentary elections in 2010. Instead, he was nominated as an MP on the National List only.
The political equation keeps constantly changing these days as the presidential race is slated to be closely fought this time. Therefore, the minority parties – Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) - are contemplating strategies this time.
The TNA, an amalgamation of four political parties, holding sway in the North and the East, looks divided on the stand it should take, in view of the presidential election this time. The TNA backed common candidate Sarath Fonseka in 2010, yet it is cautious in announcing its position this year. According to sources from the TNA, the party leadership seems to be toeing the line that Tamil people should vote for common opposition candidate Maitripala Sirisena in principle. However, this position has met with stiff opposition from the hard-line elements of the TNA advocating a stand closer to that of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the 2005 presidential election. In 2005, the LTTE engineered a boycott of the presidential poll in the Tamil majority areas of the North and the East, and it eventually contributed to the final outcome of the election. The hardline elements of the TNA, reportedly with the backing of the pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora groups, is working for a boycott of the election on the basis that both the candidates have not offered any solution to the burning issues of Tamil speaking people. This TNA faction, led by Jaffna district MP Suresh Premachandran, advocating this line, said that Tamil people had nothing to do with both the candidates.
It is learnt that this group has been disappointed by Mr. Sirisena’s electoral pact with Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) which highlights, among others, that the foremost place given to Buddhism should be preserved; that the presidential power in the appointment of provincial governors should not be scrapped; that the power devolution or sharing on federal lines should not be done.
“How can Mr. R. Sampanthan ask Tamil people to vote for any of the two main candidates when none of them has offered any solution to the burning day to day issues?” Mr. Premachandran asked.
However, TNA leader R. Sampanthan is holding a different view in this respect. Currently, he is out of the country in India for a medical checkup. Once he is back, the TNA is slated to discuss the matter further and take a decision. In the TNA, the party leader’s stand has always prevailed in most cases. Within the days to come, it will come out, clearing all doubts.
The TNA’s participation in the election will be important for voters to turn out in larger numbers to cast their ballots. Unless the TNA takes an official stand and engages voters, the voter turnout will be less. At a recent function in Colombo, participants directed a question at TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran on the stand. Mr. Sumanthiran reportedly replied that no such decision had been taken as of now. Then, participants asked when that decision would be taken.
“Even that has not been decided yet,” Mr. Sumanthiran replied.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa went to Tirupati on Tuesday to offer prayers at the famous Tirumala temple, a day after he submitted his nomination to contest the January 8 presidential election. Upon arrival at the Ranigunta airport, 20 km from Tirupati, by a special flight and proceeded by a helicopter to the University Stadium and then onward to the hill shrine of Tirumala by road, according to the Indian media.
The Indian media said a full-fledged security arrangement was made in view of this visit of Mr. Rajapaksa to offer to Lord Balaji.
He performed ‘Suprabhatam, the first temple service of the day, early on Wednesday morning. After that, he flew back to Colombo. He rushed to the official residence of Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga for a meeting with the Provincial Council member on his party.
Western Province UPFA member Malsha Kumaratunga, the daughter of Postal Services Minister Jeewan Kumaratunga, is rumoured to be planning to cross over to the opposition along with her father in view of the presidential election. However, she denied it later. In the meantime, she was among those invited for the meeting with the President at the official residence of the Western Province Chief Minister at Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo. The official residence is next to the opposition leader’s office at No. 30, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo. Malsha was confused to trace the official residence at once. So, she mistook the opposition leader’s office for it, and knocked on the gate that remained locked. She rang the bell several times as well. After a while, a security officer peeped out and asked, “How can I help you madam?
Malsha, dejected somewhat with not opening the door, retorted, “I have been asked to come for the meeting at the official residence of the Chief Minister.”
Astonished by her remarks,” the security officer responded, “Madam, this is the opposition leader’s office’. He gave her the direction to the Chief Minister’s residence.
Then only, Malsha understood that she knocked on the wrong door, and proceeded.
At the meeting, someone had narrated Malsha’s fiasco to the President who cracked a joke on it with her.
“Oh, I heard you went to the opposition leader’s office first and then came here. That is true. Everyone going there returns to my fold later,” the President remarked.
Common opposition candidate Maitripala Sirisena held talks with the parties supporting him on the formation of an all-party government recently if was elected to office. It is learnt that this government is to formulate national policies on the use of agro chemicals, harmful side effects of tobacco use and constitutional reforms, among others.