JVP increasing its pressure on President
Any gains by the Marxists will boomerang on Rajapaksa
By Dharisha Bastians
President Mahinda Rajapakse is an honourable man. Even as his
former election allies hurled abuse at his government and the
presidency and speculation was rife that the new President had
started considering allying with the UNP to form a national
government, Rajapakse informed confidants at Temple Trees last
week that he was not the kind of man to forget a past kindness and go
about his way.
Finally, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe phoned Prime Minister
Rathnasiri Wickremanayake to try to get things expedited in this
regard. The Premier responded however that since the President had
tasked him with campaigning for the local government elections, it was
not possible to move things along with the setting up of the CC. “But if
this is not set up soon, civil society organisations will begin holding
large demonstrations,” urged Mr. Wickremesinghe. “The problem is
with the JVP,” confessed the Premier at this point. He maintained that
it was the Marxists insistence that they should be allowed to nominate
one member of the council that was holding things up.
Frenzied media reports over the past week or so have hinted at an
impending alliance between the two main parties, if only to carry
forward the peace process off which bandwagon the Marxists and
monks appear to have jumped, leaving the SLFP with little choice if
they are serious about the negotiations. Over the last fortnight or so,
the JVP and the JHU have been joined in their calls for the removal of
Oslo as facilitator by other Right Wing groups including the National
Bhikku Front and the National Patriotic Movement, in what looks to be
an intensified effort by this lobby to derail the peace talks which have
only just got under way.
President says no to UNP
Naturally, visitors to Temple Trees have questioned the President as
to whether such moves were afoot to get the United Naitonal Party,
which has always proclaimed its support for the peace efforts of any
government.
“What national governments with the UNP?” scoffed His Excellency.
“When they were attacking me left and right during the presidential
elections, it was the JVP and the JHU that stood by me. I’m not a man
who forgets these things so easily.”
President Rajapakse in fact told his friends that as far as he was
concerned it was a national government that presently governed the
country.
“This is a national government already. We have the SLFP, the JVP,
the JHU and then there are the Keheliyas and Rohithas from the
opposition as well with us. So what need is there for a further
alliance?” he queried.
And that was the end of that.
But uneasy indeed must the head that wears the crown have been
over the last week, when the JVP and JHU took turns to lambaste the
government for all manner of wrongs, whether the peace process,
economy or agriculture, all the while, warning the President that he
was only in the seat of power because of their taking “pity” on him
back in November. JVP MPs Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Wijitha
Herath made scathing statements against this administration, claiming
that it was making the people eat spoilt rice and forgetting promises
made at the presidential election. All of course in the hope of winning
over the villages in next week’s local government polls.
Very much in the fray, the JVP looks to gain the most amount ground
at the March 30 poll, having been actively involved in the campaigning
while the two main parties have mustered lackluster campaigns at
best. Any major gains made by the Marxists at Thursday’s election is
bound to boomerang on President Rajapakse, especially if it comes
with increased demands by the JVP especially regarding the peace
process. This is not to say however, that the JVP is no capable as
being just as hypocritical as any other political group, criticizing the
government to garner votes and doing an about face soon after the
polls when they become the President’s new best friend all over again.
CC deadlock
Meanwhile, with the appointment of the new constitutional council still
in deadlock, several independent commissions established under the
17th amendment remain in limbo, even during next week’s poll. Much
concern was expressed by the opposition in parliament last week,
regarding the delays in setting up the council.
Finally, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe phoned Prime Minister
Rathnasiri Wickremanayake to try to get things expedited in this
regard.
The Premier responded however that since the President had tasked
him with campaigning for the local government elections, it was not
possible to move things along with the setting up of the CC.
“But if this is not set up soon, civil society organisations will begin
holding large demonstrations,” urged Mr. Wickremesinghe.
“The problem is with the JVP,” confessed the Premier at this point. He
maintained that it was the Marxists insistence that they should be
allowed to nominate one member of the council that was holding things
up. Wickremesinghe would have none of it. “The JVP can’t take that
position.
They contested the election with the SLFP under the UPFA and
therefore are still partners of the government. How can they appoint a
separate nominee?” the UNP Leader queried.
Finally both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader decided to
request the Speaker of Parliament W.J.M. Lokubandara to make a
decision on the matter.
They also agreed to meet in the coming days to discuss the matter
further.
Geneva Round II
Even as the second round of talks in Geneva loom, the LTTE has
been steady in its almost weekly warnings about pulling out of talks or
“seeing no purpose” in the next round of negotiations unless attacks
by the paramilitaries ended.
In fact last Monday, LTTE Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham said
that the LTTE would treat every attack by the paramilitaries as
offensives by the Sri Lankan military, a warning that does not bode
well for the talks in the least. TNA MPs last week visited Kilinochchi for
talks with LTTE political wing chief S.P. Tamilselvan.
Tamilselvan told the TNA representatives that it looked as if the
government was not committed to implementing anything agreed on in
Geneva in February and said that the rebels were contemplating to
take the matter to the international community to show them the
insincerity of the Sri Lankan government.
The TNA was also granted leave to campaign in government held
areas and LTTE controlled areas for the upcoming local government
elections, even though the polls have been postponed in most of the
north and east. The TNA MPs were also hosted to a gala meal before
leaving Kilinochchi.
According to schedule the local government election, which will decide
exactly how much clout the JVP and the SLFP have as individual
parties precede the Geneva talks which both the Marxists and the JHU
oppose.
How much support the Marxists garner when the people go to vote on
Thursday will also determine exactly how much pressure the JVP can
bring on President Rajapaksa ahead of the Geneva talks, possibly
even prompting the Head of State to rethink his rejection of an alliance
with the UNP. [DailyMirror]
