Tilvin in a Power Shift
Grant-Filled Ships Sail Away: UN Turns Its Back amid Decision Delays
President’s Elusive Voice Sparks National Concern
Democracy Deferred: Provincial Polls Postponed to Next Year
Northern Star Rises: Archuna Steps into Leadership Spotlight
Engine overhaul
The ‘Inside Politics’ column revealed to the country for the first time the differences brewing within the JVP and compass government just three weeks after Mr Anura Kumara Dissanayaka won the presidential election.
We indicated by then the brewing differences within the ‘compass’ government and predicted the explosion of the same is soon. Affirming what we highlighted Mr Bimal Ratnayaka the most powerful minister in the government in an electronic media interview indicated the change in the engine of the government is in the vicinity in response to a journalist’s question.
He indicated there is discussion within the government for a cabinet reshuffle and explained even his own ministry could be changed including the position of Prime Minister Harini Amarasooriya.
Many related Bimal’s this remarks to expose the conflicts within the government to the public. They drew some parallels to the remarks the President made at the JVP’s 60th anniversary rally speech the use of phrase’ there are various circles within the government’. President refuted the statement some were making the past should be forgotten and was very firm stressing the past should not be forgotten.
Many saw this as an indication of the inside conflict in the government.
However within few days after Minister Bimal’s remarks another two powerful ministers of the government Sunil Hadunetti and Nalinda Jayatissa made different public statement stating that there will not be a change in the cabinet. These two contradictory statements by senior ministers were indications to the public to believe there is a conflict with in the government.
As we too reported the president was expected to make a special statement in the parliament with a special mention to Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya during the third week of last months but president was occupying his seat but made no statement in the parliament on that day. This visit of president was in accordance to the provision laid in the constitution of Sri Lanka.
Why was Anura silent?
Despite none has reported why president was silent in parliament without delivering his expected statement, it is also not know whether the brewing conflict within JVP and Compass is resolved amicably.
However, in such a background, JVP-related websites and social media had again reported last weekend that the President was expecting to address Parliament at the special parliamentary meeting held last Monday and make a special statement.
As president was expected to make a statement on last Monday we too reported in our newspaper president did not attend the parliament on Monday, as he did not come on Monday to the parliament.
Why the President did not attend Parliament on Monday? Many people are suspicions that the reason for this is the political bomb that Mujibur Rahman, an SJB MP, suddenly detonated a moment after the start of the session, which no one expected.
What Mujibur detonated in the Parliament was not just any political bomb, but a political bomb that even the government did not expect at all. That is, the final report submitted by the committee appointed by the President to investigate the 323 containers that were allegedly released from customs without any inspection after the current Malaima government came to power.
Although the committee that prepared this report had submitted the report to the President several days ago, there has been no word from the government that it has been submitted or what the facts stated in it are.
However, about two weeks ago, in a discussion held in the government’s Finance Committee, a Customs Commissioner had informed the Chairman of the Finance Committee, Dr. Harsha de Silva, that the preparation of the relevant committee report was in the final stages and that the report was scheduled to be handed over to the President within the next few days.
Despite th report was handed over to the government, no information come out regarding it from the government.
The sudden presentation of a unpublished report by Mujibur Rahman to Parliament suddenly threw the government into confusion. Accordingly, many people were of the opinion that the President did not come to Parliament to avoid it because if the President came to Parliament, he would also have to answer it as the Minister of Finance.
Otherwise, it is doubtful whether the resurgence of some disagreement within the government regarding the special statement that the President was preparing to make was able to reverse the President’s parliamentary journey.
Another Crisis
In addition, the government was facing another new crisis on Monday, which was the appointment of a representative to the parliamentary seat vacated by Deputy Finance Minister Harshana Suriyapperuma to take up the post of Secretary to the Ministry of Finance.
Since Harshana Suriyapperuma was a national list candidate representing the Compass party, the Compass party leaders had informed the JVP that a person from the same national list of the Compass party should be appointed to the vacancy. Otherwise, an economic expert like Harshana Suriyapperuma should be appointed to the parliamentary seat.
While the Compass party was saying that a Compass party representative should be appointed to Harshana’s parliamentary seat, the JVP was placed in a completely different position. The JVP had been of the opinion that a JVP strongman should be appointed to the seat vacated by the resignation of Harshana, a strong JVP activist.
Two names were proposed, one of which was lawyer Upul Kumarapperuma, who contested and lost from Galle. The other name was Wimal Katipearachchi, who contested and lost from Colombo.
The representatives of the Malama and the JVP met on the 26th to make a final decision on this matter and discussed it at length, but they were unable to reach a final agreement on this. Many people are of the opinion that this is the reason why the President did not come to Parliament on Monday and make this special statement. Others say that it was stopped midway due to strong pressure from the JVP lobby group not to make such a statement.
In any case, the political bomb that Mujibur set off in Parliament last Monday is now moving towards a controversial point. Given the current situation, we are ready to make a special prediction in this regard. That is, based on the facts revealed in the container issue and the final committee report; it is not an issue that will end easily.
Since the government is currently geared on elimination of fraud and corruption that has allegedly occurred during several previous governments, the government cannot easily escape from this corruption scandal that has allegedly occurred during present government.
Therefore, many people are of the opinion that a special investigation should be conducted by the government in this regard. Otherwise, it is needless to say that it will be like looking for dirt in someone else’s eye while having them in one’s own eye.
This accusation against the government is so serious that Jaffna District MP Archuna Ramanathan once said in Parliament that the containers that were smuggled out without checking contained weapons of the LTTE. This statement is so serious that for the first time, the Criminal Investigation Department questioned Archuna regarding a statement made by an MP in Parliament. Archuna later raised a question of privilege before the Speaker in Parliament because a statement made in Parliament cannot be challenged in any way.
On Monday, Archuna once again expressed his views regarding these 323 containers and said that he was ready to make a special revelation regarding the goods in the relevant containers if the government provide security to his life.
Udaya Gammanpila and Dayasiri Jayasekara had also expressed their views on these containers on several occasions, and the Criminal Investigation Department had previously taken steps to summon and question them in this regard. Without such summons being made and statements being taken in this regard, at least at no time did the government make any statement on who brought these containers or what was in them.
Container issue
However, according to the final report submitted by Mujibur to Parliament, it clearly stated that the officials have taken steps to release more than 100 containers under the red label without any inspection. Moreover, the report stated that many containers under the yellow label have also been released without such inspection. Accordingly, this report clearly revealed that there has been a major oversight on the part of the customs officials. Accordingly, everyone is now waiting to see what action this government, which is working against the alleged thefts that have occurred under the previous governments, will take regarding this incident.
How Mujibur got this report?
However, by now, the question for many is how a top confident report that was handed over to the government a few weeks ago came into the hands of Mujibur Rahman, an opposition member of parliament.
Normally, a committee appointed by a president to investigate a matter submits its final report to the president, or to the presidential secretariat. Accordingly, the final report of the committee appointed by the president to investigate the 323 containers in question should also be received by the president or the presidential secretariat.
If so, the report should have been received by Mujibur either from a high ranker in the presidential secretariat. Otherwise, it should have been from a powerful person in the relevant committee.
However, this report was received by Mujibur last Saturday evening. As soon as he received a highly confidential report on an incident that was the talk of the country, Mujibur was shocked. Mujibur immediately spoke to the opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and informed him that he had received this report, that a number of serious matters had been revealed in it, and that the report could be presented to Parliament for the country to know during the parliamentary session to be held on Monday.
When Mujibar said this, Sajith too was somewhat agitated. This was because Mujibar first had to verify whether the report he had received was correct or a false report. Accordingly, Sajith continuously asked Mujibar how he had received this report and the information necessary to verify its truth or falsehood. Mujibar revealed to Sajith how he had received the relevant report. Accordingly, having confirmed its authenticity, Sajith told Mujibar to present this to Parliament as an extraordinary revelation on Monday. Sajith and Mujibar also met several powerful lawyers associated with the SJB and held a very secret round of discussions regarding the relevant report.
Bomb detonated
After the report was presented to Parliament on Monday, not only the government but the entire country was shaken. The committee report confirmed that the release of red labeled containers without any physical inspection was not the right decision, that there had been a deviation in the accepted procedures, and that not only under the red label but also 158 containers under the yellow label had been released without any inspection. Accordingly, Mujibur said that this was a big fraud, and in short, it was an incident that surpassed the Central Bank bond fraud.
Accordingly, we also have to say that in the future, everyone involved in this incident will have to face a serious legal situation. It goes without saying that the officials and businessmen involved will have to take responsibility for it.
Bimal escape?
However, after the relevant report was submitted, when Ports Minister Bimal Ratnayake went to the Pettah bus stand to inform bus drivers about wearing seat belts, the media also asked Bimal about this. At that time, Bimal smiled and said that the relevant committee was appointed by the President, and that the President would take relevant action in the future based on the committee report.
However, when the media asked Bimal when the container incident was first reported to the country, Bimal told a slightly different story. At that time, Bimal said that although the port was under him, the customs were under the Ministry of Finance. Bimal did not say that at that time, the customs were under the President, and if any incident had occurred, the President should take responsibility for it. Bimal’s story was then widely circulated on social media, claiming that Bimal had saved himself by passing the blame of this incident on Anura.
While Bimal was making these comments, Cabinet Media Spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa made another strange story at the Cabinet press briefing. When journalists asked Nalinda the same question, Nalinda said that the relevant committee was appointed by the President, and if any wrongdoing was committed by the officials, the President would take legal action against them. Nalinda also made another controversial statement and said that information has now been revealed that more than 1000 containers have been released under the governments that existed before this government.
The question here is whether if more than 1000 containers have been released without any inspection, should it be revealed to the country at the Cabinet press conference, or should an investigation be conducted immediately in this regard. If 1000 containers have been released, there is a serious question as to what came into the country from them. Rather than talking about such things lightly, it is necessary to take immediate action on them first. Because it is the responsibility of the government to investigate whether illegal goods, drugs, or weapons have entered the country from them. The government should investigate not only the Central Bank theft, the SriLankan fraud, and the petty thefts of thousands and thousands of rupees, but also these types of frauds and expose the officials involved to the country. That is why we have been saying from the beginning that we should not give up easily.
Officers at fault?
It is also remarkable to see the way in which the blame is being placed on the officers for many of the misdeeds that are currently taking place. For example, the release of a prisoner from the Anuradhapura prison under a presidential pardon ended with not only the prison superintendent but also the prison commissioner being remanded.
Mr. Wimal Weerawansa said in this regard, at a media conference that the released prisoner had worked as a former secretary to a minister in this government. Wimal also said that the released prisoner has not yet been arrested. It seems that the container issue at the port is also supposed to end by now, thanks to the officers there. But if they were instructed, what was in those containers, and who owned those containers, it is the responsibility of the government to find out.
What is wrong with Handunnethi ?
While the container issue was dragging on, a powerful minister in the government faced another major setback last week. It was Sunil Handunnetti.
Handunnetti, who participated in the World Economic Forum in China this year, had caused a stir on social media last week when he answered questions in English raised by a presenter at a panel discussion.
Many social media posts had recorded Handunnetti answering them. When Handunnetti’s discussion gained a lot of attention on social media, everyone questioned why a person like Handunnetti was invited to such an economically important international conference for such a country. Even social media journalists close to the government had questioned whether the country would be benefited more if Handunnetti had taken a translator and answered in Sinhala rather than answering in broken English.
However, while this video of Handunnetti was widely circulated on social media, another video of Handunnetti also emerged on social media. It was in which Handunnetti at Anura’s election platform held in Matara during the last presidential election mocked Sajith’s use of English and speaking in Japanese. Handunnetti was known as someone who insulted Sajith’s English the most and spoke contemptuously. It also received a lot of publicity on social media at that time.
However, Handunnetti made a brief statement regarding this video at the parliamentary meeting held on Monday. There, Handunnetti said that the speech he had made had been distorted and posted on social media.
Sajith also laughed
When Handunnetti spoke, Sajith was in Buttala on his way to Kataragama. Sajith had gone to Buttala to attend a memorial service for a deceased relative on his wife’s, and Sajith had also taken steps to investigate the affairs of the Buttala Pradeshiya Sabha, which had been seized by the SJP.
However, while he was there, Sajith received an urgent phone call about his mother, Mrs. Hema Premadasa, had fallen at home and sustained minor injuries, and she had been immediately hospitalized. As soon as that message came, Sajith stopped all his activities and immediately came to Colombo to discuss with the doctors about his mother’s illness. Doctors had decided that she should undergo an emergency surgery. Sajith had left for Buttala again after his mother’s surgery was completed and she was brought to the hospital room.
Sajith, who returned to Buttala, took steps to make a special statement in Buttala regarding the misadventures that Handunnetti had faced in China and the insults that Handunnetti had made on him.
He stated that the right to learn in English language education should be available not only to few families but also to the general public, and that since it is a fundamental human right, the truth has been revealed no matter how much he is attacked, and that it is the responsibility of both the rulers and the people’s representatives to provide solutions to serious deficiencies and inequalities, considering what happened at the international conference in recent days, and to work for it.
This speech also went viral on social media.
The North is uniting
Last week, in a special revelation from this column, we said that the Tamil parties have decided to start a big battle in the North demanding that provincial council elections be held soon. We reported it not because we were in a hurry, but because a large amount of information had been reported to us regarding it.
Beginning of this year, the government told the country that this was an election year and that by the end of the year, not only the local government elections but also the provincial council elections would be held. However, the information we have now indicates that even if the local government elections are held, the government has decided not to hold the provincial council elections at the end of this year. The government has decided to hold them in the middle of next year, and the necessary political agenda for that is currently being prepared within the government, according to this column.
The main reason that influenced the Malima government not to hold the provincial council elections this year was the collapse of their voter base by 2.3 million in the local government elections, which the government did not expect in any way. Accordingly, although it was not said publicly, a lengthy analysis has already been conducted within the Malima government regarding this collapse. Accordingly, their analysis is that if the provincial council elections are held this year, there is a risk that the current vote share will collapse even more seriously.
The government is of the opinion that under such a situation, the compass will not be able to form any provincial council alone, and that the government will definitely have to form an alliance with other parties to establish power in the provincial councils.
Under such a background, the opportunity for the compass to continue to hold the slogan that the government has held so far, ‘All other parties are thieves.., will never join with other parties…, those parties are corrupt…’ will be lost. In order to gain a majority in the local government institutions where it has already lost its majority, the compass has had to abandon the slogan of not joining with the corrupt by joining with the parties of the SJB, Pohottuwa, UNP, Rishad, Hakeem, Thondaman, and Pillayan.
Permission from the top
Here, joining forces with other parties in establishing power in local government institutions is not a decision that the Compass members of the respective local government institutions can take alone. They must definitely receive permission for that from the President or from higher ups of the caliber of Tilwin and Bimal. Accordingly, it appears that they have received permission from the top of the Compass to join forces with other parties that they initially called thieves in order to establish power in local government institutions.
Accordingly, the point that the Compass has now understood is that in order to seize power in the upcoming elections, they must definitely form an alliance with other parties.
Meet ups
In the lengthy analysis conducted within the Compass regarding the decrease of 2.3 million votes in the local government elections, they have already identified 3 facts.
The first of these is that in order to establish power in the North, some kind of friendship should be built with parties like the Tamil National Alliance and Gajendra Ponnambalam, which are currently in power in the North.
The second is that in order to establish power in the East, some kind of alliance should be built with Hakeem, Rishad, Pillayan, etc. In order to seize power in the plantations, a political reconciliation should be created with groups including Thondaman and Digambaram.
Accordingly, the compass has now decided to start a new round of discussions with all minority parties in the country, adhering to traditional politics as well as other parties. Their position is that since all other votes are divided between Sajith and Namal, it is absolutely impossible to seize power without the help of minority parties.
As a rehearsal for this, establishing power jointly with minority parties in the local government elections can be pointed out as the first step. Accordingly, it is reported that the JVP or the Compass have decided not to declare that they will form power on their own on any political platform in the future. In the Provincial Council elections scheduled to be held next year, the Compass will mostly work to join forces with the minor parties and contest with them.
On the other hand, if the Provincial Council elections are held at this time, it is inevitable that the Compass will suffer a major collapse, and that by the middle of next year, the Compass can get out of this current economic crisis and maintain at least 25% of the vote. They are also of the opinion that the budget to be presented at the end of this year can gain a big boost in the Provincial Council elections scheduled to be held next year.
End of old politics
Also, according to the information from the opinion polls conducted in the North, it has been revealed that the traditional leaders that existed until now have been thrown out and the people of the North are uniting under a new leadership.
Especially in the past, politics in the North has been centered around strong figures like Amirthalingam, R. Sampanthan, and Mavei Senathirajah for many generations. But currently, none of those political figures are seen in politics. Accordingly, the information received so far indicates that M.A. Sumanthiran, who is serving as the General Secretary of the Tamil National Alliance, is currently consolidating to be the leader of the North.
It is known that his international connections and political experience, ability to speak several languages, and greater inclination towards alliance politics have been the reasons for this. It is also said that as a young politician,
Gajendra Ponnambalam’s party is also rapidly advancing in the North. Gajendran is considered a staunch supporter of the Tamil people. Although Sridharan, who challenged Sumanthiran in the past by working in the same party as him, is known as a staunch supporter among the Tamil people, he has become a figure rejected by the people of the North due to allegations that Sridharan obtained liquor licenses from Ranil during the previous Ranil Wickremesinghe government. Accordingly, there have been reports that Sridharan is now planning to leave Sumanthiran and enter politics with Gajendran.
While Sumanthiran and Gajendran were rising in the North, Shanakyan Rasamanikkam, Rauff Hakeem and Rishad Bathiudeen of the Tamil Alliance had succeeded in completely taking power in the East in the last local government elections. Accordingly, it can be seen that the votes cast from the North and the East, just as a rainbow was cast on the compass during the last presidential election and the general election, have now disappeared in the same way that the rainbow is descending.
Another hero emerged
While the compass descends from the North, in addition to Sumanthiran and Gajendran, another hero is also emerging from the North. That is none other than Ramanathan Archuna. No matter how much anyone in the South insults and ridicules Archuna, it is noted that the people of the North are now accepting him highly based on his behavior, opinions and ideology.
Archuna is preparing to contest the election as the Chief Ministerial candidate of the North targeting the next Provincial Council election. Under the current political backdrop that is being developed, there is also a possibility that he will unite all the parties in the North and contest as the common candidate. Accordingly, there is a high possibility that a strong political movement will emerge in the North based on the Provincial Council election in the future.
Archuna is also receiving a big push from the international Tamil diaspora. Many say that Archuna will receive a lot of support from the Tamil diaspora in the provincial council elections, and other international powerful groups will also intervene for that. If that happens, many believe that everyone will be able to see a big fight in the north, leaving the south aside in the next provincial council elections.
Anura late
Last week, we reported how a UN ship had requested permission to enter Sri Lanka, and how the President took a long time to grant permission. Accordingly, everyone thought that this UN research ship under the flag of the Norwegian state would enter Sri Lankan waters in mid-August as planned. Through this, Sri Lanka would receive a million dollars.
But now the situation has completely changed. The first request for this UN research ship to come to Sri Lanka was made during the previous Ranil Wickremesinghe regime. It was not a visit targeting one country, but was carried out with the aim of conducting research activities in the region.
However, once this research ship arrives in Sri Lankan waters, the Sri Lankan flag will also be hoisted there. Although the arrival of a Chinese research ship in Sri Lankan waters is a problem for India and the US, neither of those countries has any problem with the arrival of a UN research ship.
However, although the United Nations had requested permission for its research vessel to enter Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan had delayed granting of that permission day by day citing various reasons. However, even though the President finally granted permission, it was very late and the ship in question decided to bypass Sri Lanka and go to Madagascar. Accordingly, not only did Sri Lanka lose a million dollars that was due to be gained. but it is noted that through this, it has also created a certain aura with the United Nations.
Tilvin is the key
By now, it can be seen that JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva has become a key figure within the Malaima government. This is confirmed that international leaders and officials, government ministers and members of parliament who come to this country have made it a habit to go to the JVP headquarters in Pelawatte and meet Tilvin.
In particular, the High Commissioner of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Mr. Volker Turk, who visited Sri Lanka in recent days, met with the President and the ministers and took steps to meet Tilvin. Similarly, the former President of South Africa, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, who visited Sri Lanka last week, met with the President and met Tilvin.
But the special thing here is that none of these people had taken steps to meet the opposition leader alone. Normally, if a head of state or high-ranking delegation from another country visits Sri Lanka, it is a common tradition that not only the President but also the opposition leader and representatives of the opposition meet according to protocol. However, such a thing has not been seen in recent days. Now Tilvin has become more powerful than the opposition leaders.
