Dinesh Turns Up, Sirisena Stays Away
Government Holds Its Ground
CID Heads Down Under
Sajith and Rahul in the Same Political Game?
The mass protest movement that erupted at Colombo’s Galle Face in 2022 under the slogan “Gota Go Home” against the government of Gotabaya Rajapaksa appears to have found an echo in India, where a major wave of public protests is now gathering momentum against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As was seen in Sri Lanka, the protest movement in India has evolved into a sustained campaign rather than a one-off demonstration. It has also begun attracting support from film stars, sports personalities, and other prominent public figures.
Opposition parties together
Alongside these protests, Indian Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi last Wednesday brought together leaders of all opposition parties, signalling preparations for a large-scale political campaign against the Modi government.
This week’s inside politics column begins by highlighting the developments in India because a similar chain of events now appears to be unfolding in Sri Lanka. Just as Indian students have taken to the streets in protest, Sri Lankan farmers are now demonstrating against the government. Likewise, while Rahul Gandhi is attempting to unite India’s entire opposition against Prime Minister Modi, Sri Lankan Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa is also working to bring together all opposition forces against the ruling NPP government.
Constitutional amendment
Sajith decided to unite the opposition after reports emerged that the government was preparing to introduce a constitutional amendment to extend the retirement age of the Chief Justice and Supreme Court judges by two years.
As soon as this information surfaced, Sajith’s first move was to bring together all parliamentary opposition parties to oppose the proposal. Accordingly, he arranged a special meeting at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Parliament last week.
This initiative came against the backdrop of strong public opposition from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA), the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, associations representing District Court and Magistrates’ Court lawyers, as well as the Judicial Service Association representing judges, all of whom had publicly criticised the government’s move.
Ranil Also Contacted
However, Namal Rajapaksa, the National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), had written to Sajith two weeks earlier requesting that the discussions include not only parliamentary parties but also political parties and organisations that are not represented in Parliament.
Responding to that request, Sajith decided to convene a broader meeting at the Opposition Leader’s Office, inviting both parliamentary and non-parliamentary political leaders.
As revealed in last week’s Inside politics column, Sajith personally telephoned United National Party (UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Namal Rajapaksa, former President Maithripala Sirisena, and several other party leaders to invite them to the meeting. He informed all invitees that the discussion had been scheduled for the afternoon of the 23rd at the Opposition Leader’s Office.
Dispute Over the Venue
The first issue raised by several participants was the choice of venue.
Many argued that some party leaders were reluctant to attend meetings held at the Opposition Leader’s Office and suggested that a neutral venue, such as a hotel or another common location acceptable to everyone, would be more appropriate.
After this proposal was conveyed to him by several parties, Sajith explained to everyone who contacted him that the Opposition Leader’s Office was not his personal office but a public institution belonging to the State and available for the entire opposition to use. Therefore, he maintained that if a meeting involving all opposition parties was to be held, it should rightfully take place at the Opposition Leader’s Office.
Sajith remained firm on this position, and as a result, the proposal to shift the meeting to a neutral venue gradually lost momentum.
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe also intervened to ease concerns among some party leaders who objected to the venue. Speaking to several of them, Ranil urged them not to make the location an issue, arguing that a meeting of all opposition parties at the Opposition Leader’s Office would itself send a strong political message to the government.
Another issue that arose during the preparations was who should receive the party leaders upon their arrival.
Although several suggestions were made, Sajith ultimately pointed out that since all the invitations had been extended personally by him, it would be appropriate for him, in his capacity as Opposition Leader, to welcome each of the party leaders himself.
His proposal was eventually accepted by all concerned.
Seating arrangement?
There was also a discussion on how the main table and seating arrangements should be organised for the meeting. Initially, it was proposed that former Presidents Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa should be seated at the main table.
Although this arrangement had been agreed upon, Maithripala Sirisena later informed the organisers that he would be unable to attend the meeting as he had to participate in a religious ceremony in Polonnaruwa that had already been scheduled.
Sirisena not in
Following this, it was decided that the seat reserved for Sirisena would be given to SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara. The SJB leadership also finalised arrangements regarding the seating allocations for the other party leaders attending the meeting.
Meanwhile, senior SJB members also discussed how the visiting party leaders should be hosted after the meeting. Although several suggestions were made, most argued that this was a special occasion and that refreshments should be arranged through a reputed hotel for the visiting leaders. Sajith also agreed with this proposal.
Those Who Attended
Accordingly, last Thursday, opposition party leaders arrived at the Opposition Leader’s Office for the meeting.
Among those present were UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Dinesh Gunawardena, Rauff Hakeem, Namal Rajapaksa, Ravi Karunanayake, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Mano Ganesan, G.L. Peiris, Palani Digambaram, Arumugam Thondaman, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Asanka Navaratne, Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Dilith Jayaweera, Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila, Mahinda Amaraweera, Tiran Alles, Maithree Gunaratne, and many others.
Sajith welcomed all
Sajith personally welcomed all the participants warmly at the main entrance of the Opposition Leader’s Office.
This was also reported to be the first public occasion in some time where Sajith shook hands with Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The official discussion commenced thereafter.
The main focus of the meeting was the government’s move, which the opposition claimed could undermine the independence of the judiciary.
Welcoming all participants, Sajith said that regardless of political differences and party policies, the SJB would stand with all democratic forces to protect judicial independence without considering party affiliations.
He further pointed out that governments in the past which attempted to interfere with the judiciary had been rejected by the people, adding that the present government too could face a similar fate.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was seated on Sajith’s right, also said in his remarks that everyone should oppose the constitutional amendment proposed by the government.
He noted that the Maha Sangha, civil society organisations, and the legal community had already expressed their opposition to the move.
Ranil further argued that matters concerning judges should not be left solely to judges themselves to resolve.
He proposed that all parties should unite and organise a major campaign against the government’s initiative.
Following this, all party leaders present expressed their views. During the meeting, Namal Rajapaksa informed Sajith and Ranil that he had another engagement and left before the conclusion of the discussions. In his absence, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam addressed the gathering.
Sajith Invites Dinesh to Join
During the discussions, many party leaders presented various proposals on how opposition to the government’s move should be organised. Some suggested that, as an initial step, a massive protest march should be held in Colombo with the participation of all opposition party leaders.
Others proposed that joint meetings representing all opposition parties should be held both inside and outside Parliament. Some also suggested possible forms of protest that could be carried out within Parliament. Several leaders proposed organising joint meetings, demonstrations, and public marches.
However, no final decision was reached regarding any of these proposals.
After the official meeting concluded, Sajith invited everyone to attend a tea reception arranged for the guests. During the reception, the atmosphere was relaxed, with leaders exchanging greetings and engaging in friendly conversations. The most notable moment was Sajith personally moving around and speaking with all the visiting leaders.
At one point, Sajith was seen having a light-hearted conversation with former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. Jokingly, Sajith told Dinesh that the political ideology he represented was now being followed by the SJB and invited him to join the party’s political journey.
Sajith reportedly said:
“The policies that suit you now exist only in our party. You have always spoken about social democracy, and that is also the policy we follow. So come and join us in politics.”
Dinesh responded with a smile, saying:
“Ah, that sounds good.”
Sajith later engaged in friendly discussions with non-parliamentary party leaders, including Champika Ranawaka, Wimal Weerawansa, and Udaya Gammanpila. However, all parties agreed that the responsibility of deciding the next phase of discussions and future action would be handed over to Sajith.
Government Sticks to Its Decision
While the opposition was openly preparing to oppose the proposal to extend the retirement age of judges, what decision would the government take?
According to information available to Inside Politics, the government has decided to proceed with the plan to extend the retirement age of judges regardless of any opposition campaign.
Initially, the government had planned to implement the proposal gradually and step by step. However, following the opposition’s actions, the government is now considering bringing the amendment before Parliament quickly and securing approval.
Accordingly, last week, the government presented a concept paper on the matter to the Cabinet for the first time.
The proposal received approval from all Cabinet members, and the government is now preparing for broader discussions on the issue.
Legal Advice Received
Meanwhile, the government reportedly received further legal advice regarding the matter last week.
According to the legal opinion, although the Constitution specifies the term limits applicable to Supreme Court judges, it does not contain a specific provision regarding the tenure of the Chief Justice.
Therefore, the legal advice reportedly stated that while the retirement age extension should refer to Supreme Court judges, it may not be necessary to specifically mention the Chief Justice.
Sources indicate that the government is currently considering this legal opinion as well.
CID Travel to Australia
Meanwhile, another development that created political attention last week was the sudden departure of a team of senior officials from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to Australia.
Reports stated that the officials travelled to Australia to gather information regarding Priyanka Wijenayake, the wife of former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena, and Shamindra Rajapaksa, son of Chamal Rajapaksa, who is named as the third suspect in the case.
The investigation relates to allegations that a USD 2 million bribe was received from a French aircraft company during the purchase of a fleet of 10 aircraft by SriLankan Airlines in 2013.
This visit was not a sudden development but the result of months of discussions between Sri Lankan investigators, Australian law enforcement authorities, and legal officials.
Sri Lankan investigators planned to discuss several matters with Australian authorities, particularly relating to Kapila Chandrasena’s wife and Shamindra Rajapaksa.
Both Shamindra and Kapila Chandrasena’s wife are Australian citizens and had reportedly travelled to Australia without informing authorities while legal proceedings were ongoing in Sri Lanka.
Since Australia maintains strict laws against money laundering and both individuals have faced allegations under such provisions, Sri Lankan investigators have found it easier to seek assistance from Australian authorities in conducting further investigations.
Nimal to be questioned
Another objective of the investigators’ visit to Australia was reportedly to obtain a statement from W.D. Nimal Perera, who is said to be the owner of a bank account through which the alleged bribe payment was transferred.
Nimal Perera is the owner of several companies in Sri Lanka. He had recently returned to Sri Lanka and later travelled back to Australia.
Investigators had previously questioned Nimal Perera regarding the Krish case linked to MP Namal Rajapaksa. Accordingly, reports indicate that officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) had planned to meet Nimal Perera during this visit and record his statement.
It is also reported that investigators intended to question him regarding allegations involving funds said to have been deposited into his accounts for the construction of two hospitals — one in Nuwara Eliya and another in a different location — which were allegedly misused.
The purpose of questioning him is reportedly to determine how much money was received, why the two hospitals were not constructed, and what happened to the funds involved.
Several Asset-Related Files Taken
In addition to these matters, Inside Politics has learnt that investigators had taken several other important files with them to Australia.
These files reportedly contained not only information relating to transactions involving politicians but also details connected to several senior government officials who had held key positions under previous administrations.
In particular, the files are said to contain information regarding properties and land allegedly purchased in Australia by former ministry secretaries and senior government officials, as well as details of several bank accounts maintained by them in Australia.
Son of a former president
It is also reported that investigators are expected to examine information relating to a property allegedly purchased by the son of a former powerful President.
Meanwhile, apart from these investigations, the government has reportedly launched another major inquiry.
The investigation concerns a luxury mansion allegedly built by a former head of a security institution on the summit of a mountain located in the central part of the country.
Investigators are reportedly looking into how this former security chief managed to construct such a massive property, how the funds were obtained, and how the land for the construction was acquired.
Sources indicate that investigative authorities are also pursuing several other former senior government officials who held key positions under previous governments.
It is reported that a significant amount of information relating to these investigations could emerge within the next few weeks.
Is India Becoming Uneasy?
Since the current NPP government came to power, it has maintained cordial relations with neighbouring India.
Soon after assuming office, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, following the tradition of previous Sri Lankan Presidents, made India his first foreign visit.
Subsequently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited Sri Lanka.
During these visits, agreements were reached to launch several major projects between India and Sri Lanka. Some of these projects had actually been initiated under previous governments but had stalled midway.
The Sampur power project is the best-known example.
The Sampur power project was first proposed during the tenure of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe after his government came to power in 2002.
The energy project, with Indian assistance, was planned with a capacity of 120 megawatts.
Initially proposed as a coal-fired power plant, the project faced opposition from the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and several civil society organisations.
However, under the present government, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that work on the project would resume in 2025.
Official Launch
Accordingly, the project was officially launched by President Dissanayake and visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The project consists of two phases, with the first phase expected to generate 50 megawatts of electricity.
Although the entire project was scheduled to be completed by 2027, even the first phase has not yet been completed.
India has reportedly expressed concern that certain decisions taken by Sri Lankan authorities have delayed the completion of the first phase.
However, the government has responded that the delay is due to a disagreement regarding the size of pipelines planned as part of a related project between Sri Lanka and India.
The Sri Lankan position is that the pipelines should be expanded in width to support future projects as well.
Regardless of India’s position, reports indicate that the government has decided to proceed with the Sampur project once discussions between the two countries reach a final agreement.
Sri Lanka Decides Not to Take the Loan
Meanwhile, India had pledged a USD 450 million reconstruction and relief package to help Sri Lanka recover from the massive destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
The agreement, announced by Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and overseen by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, consisted of two components.
The package included USD 350 million through concessional loans and USD 100 million as outright grants.
The funds were expected to directly support the rebuilding of roads, bridges, housing, healthcare facilities, and the agricultural sector.
However, nearly eight months later, India has reportedly raised concerns that reconstruction work has not progressed as expected.
Indian officials have allegedly attributed the delays to administrative inefficiencies within the Sri Lankan government.
Nevertheless, following discussions within the government, Sri Lanka has reportedly decided not to obtain the USD 350 million loan component from India.
The reason cited is the relatively high interest rate attached to the loan.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved obtaining 22 diesel locomotives for the Sri Lanka Railways as a grant from the Indian government.
However, reports indicate that Sri Lankan authorities have not properly submitted their proposals and requirements to the Indian government regarding the acquisition of these locomotives.
India had expressed willingness to provide the locomotives as a grant.
Concerns Over Indo–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement
Meanwhile, India has reportedly raised concerns over several issues affecting the long-running Indo–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement.
Both sides have raised allegations regarding non-tariff barriers, unilateral restrictions, and supply limitations.
India is reportedly concerned that these issues have slowed the growth expected from the agreement.
According to information received by Rajya Rahas, India is becoming increasingly concerned over the slow progress and challenges affecting bilateral trade relations.
Trump Disrupts Government’s Plan
Meanwhile, by last week the government had secretly taken a significant decision without making it public. The plan was to provide a major relief to the public by reducing the price of petrol by Rs.100 per litre during the fuel price revision scheduled for the end of this month.
The government had planned to surprise the public by making the announcement at midnight on July 31, reducing the price of petrol by Rs.100 per litre and lowering the prices of other fuel categories accordingly, so that people would wake up on August 1 to a major price reduction.
However, reports indicate that the government has now decided to withdraw that decision following the collapse of the peace agreement between the United States and Iran last week and the subsequent resumption of hostilities.
The reason was that when the government made this decision, global crude oil prices had fallen below USD 60 per barrel. But following the outbreak of renewed conflict, oil prices reportedly surged above USD 100 per barrel again.
Accordingly, the government is now engaged in discussions on whether to increase fuel prices once again in line with global market prices or maintain the existing prices despite the rise in international rates.
Why Did Sumanthiran and Others Stay Away?
The only opposition political party that did not participate in the opposition party leaders’ meeting chaired by Sajith Premadasa at the Opposition Leader’s Office was the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK).
Several invitations had been extended to ITAK leader M.A. Sumanthiran and other party MPs to attend the meeting. However, each time, they reportedly informed the SJB that there was already opposition in the North to the participation of certain nationalist parties in the discussions.
They had reportedly told the SJB that if ITAK leaders sat together with such parties, they too could face criticism from Tamil voters in the North.
Accordingly, ITAK informed the SJB that it was willing to hold a separate meeting in the future to discuss the current national issues with the SJB.
Reports indicate that ITAK is planning to hold a special discussion on this matter next Monday.
A Problem with the Speaker
Meanwhile, last week Inside Politics reported that Tamil and Muslim political parties representing the North, East, and plantation communities had formed a separate alliance targeting the upcoming Provincial Council elections.
The report stated that the alliance was planning to launch a major campaign demanding Provincial Council elections and a new Constitution.
The first discussion of this alliance was held two weeks ago at the Parliamentary Complex, and the second meeting was scheduled for Friday (24) afternoon, also at Parliament.
Committee room not allowed
To secure a parliamentary committee room for the meeting, alliance coordinator Shanakiyan Rasamanickam met Speaker of Parliament during the parliamentary sittings last Wednesday and explained the requirement.
However, the Speaker informed Rasamanickam that a parliamentary committee room could not be provided for such a meeting unless he submitted a written request signed by all party leaders participating in the discussion.
Rasamanickam immediately objected, stating that similar meetings had previously been held in parliamentary committee rooms without such conditions being imposed.
However, the Speaker remained firm and rejected Rasamanickam’s request.
Later, when the Committee on Parliamentary Business met under the Speaker’s chairmanship last Wednesday, Rasamanickam raised the matter again.
The Speaker once again firmly told him that his final decision had already been made and that a committee room could not be allocated for such a meeting.
He suggested that the discussion could instead be held at the Opposition Leader’s Office or in office rooms allocated to parliamentary parties.
Rasamanickam appeared visibly irritated by the Speaker’s response.
The Call Received by Rasamanickam
Rasamanickam reportedly told the Speaker:
“If we wanted, we could have held this at the Opposition Leader’s Office. But we don’t want to take this alliance there. This is not an alliance connected to either the government or the opposition. This is a common alliance created to discuss our own issues. Therefore, we need a common place. Also, the rooms given to political parties have not been cleaned for a long time. They are not even suitable to sit in, let alone hold meetings.”
The Speaker responded by saying that he could intervene and arrange for those offices to be cleaned.
That response reportedly angered Rasamanickam further.
He replied:
“You are the Speaker. You should do your duty. Do not try to do the work of a PHI (Public Health Inspector).”
Rasamanickam then immediately got up, left the discussion, and walked away in anger.
About an hour after Rasamanickam left the meeting, he reportedly received a telephone call from a senior government minister.
The minister informed him not to take certain remarks made by the Speaker too seriously and said that Parliamentary Committee Room No. 8 could be provided for the meeting.
Accordingly, the second meeting of the Tamil and Muslim political parties was held on Friday afternoon at Committee Room No. 8.
Sumanthiran’s Meeting with Stalin
Meanwhile, last week this column also reported on the visit of several Northern political leaders to Tamil Nadu, where they met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Thalapathy Vijay.
During the same period, a photograph of ITAK General Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran standing with Tamil Nadu Opposition Leader M.K. Stalin suddenly appeared in the media.
Many who saw the photograph initially assumed that while other Northern political leaders had met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, Sumanthiran had separately met Tamil Nadu Opposition Leader Stalin.
There were no reports at the time of a meeting between Sumanthiran and Vijay.
However, according to enquiries made by Inside Politics, Sumanthiran had travelled to Tamil Nadu not to meet Stalin, but to attend a family event involving his wife.
Sumanthiran’s wife is an Indian national and obtained her law degree from a university in Tamil Nadu. She had been invited to attend the anniversary celebrations of that university, and Sumanthiran had travelled with her to Tamil Nadu.
During the visit, a brief meeting took place between Sumanthiran and Stalin due to their long-standing friendship.
According to information received by this column, no political discussions took place during the meeting, and they only exchanged personal updates and general conversation.
Decision Reintroduced
One of the decisions taken during the early period after the NPP government came to power was that if any Cabinet Minister, senior government official, ministry secretary, or chairman of a state corporation or department wished to meet foreign ambassadors or seek foreign assistance for projects, they would have to do so through a special institution established at the Presidential Secretariat.
However, it was stated at the time that this rule would not apply to the Prime Minister or the Foreign Affairs Minister.
Although the decision was strictly enforced during the initial period, later there appeared to be less attention given to implementing the arrangement.
However, the government has now decided to once again strictly enforce this policy.
Accordingly, Inside Politics has learnt that ministers, ministry secretaries, or chairpersons of state institutions have been informed that if they wish to meet ambassadors or seek assistance for various projects, they must first inform the foreign assistance coordination office established at the Presidential Secretariat.
The government has reportedly decided that no official should independently maintain relations with foreign embassies or discuss various matters without following this procedure.
Mahinda Plays His Final Trump Card
Inside Politics previously reported on several occasions that Mahinda Samarasinghe, who served as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States during a critical and challenging period, had decided to retire from his diplomatic position.
At the time, we reported that Samarasinghe had taken this decision after securing several significant achievements for Sri Lanka.
We also revealed that Mahinda Samarasinghe had succeeded in reducing the 44% tariff initially imposed on Sri Lankan exports by the Trump administration to 20%, and that he was continuing discussions with the Trump administration to secure a further reduction.
We also reported that those discussions were likely to succeed.
Confirming those reports, the Trump administration last week took steps to reduce the tariff imposed on Sri Lanka further, bringing it down to 10%.
The significance of this development is that Samarasinghe achieved this reduction despite Sri Lanka not having signed a formal written tariff agreement with the United States.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, has already signed a tariff-related agreement with the United States, while Sri Lanka is still at the discussion stage.
Despite this situation, many believe that securing a reduction of the tariff to 10% represents a major achievement for Sri Lanka.
A key factor behind this development was Sri Lanka’s decision to ban imports of goods manufactured using forced labour.
During the past several weeks, Samarasinghe had held several rounds of discussions with the government regarding this decision.
Accordingly, after President Anura Kumara Dissanayake issued the relevant gazette notification last week, the US government decided to reduce the tariff imposed on Sri Lanka to 10%.
Therefore, Mahinda Samarasinghe ended his tenure as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the United States after playing his final card successfully on behalf of the country.
