In October 2012, an explosive revelation shook the UNP when then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa unveiled his selection of President’s counsels. The controversy stemmed from the inclusion of Ronald Perera, the son of former UNP senior minister Paul Perera, in the list. Ronald Perera had served as a legal advisor to Ranil during a party rebellion and held a position on the working committee. During this tumultuous period, Karu and Sajith, who had rebelled against Ranil, asserted that Ronald Perera’s appointment as President’s counsel was the outcome of a political arrangement between Mahinda and Ranil. They contended that Mahinda was actively working to safeguard Ranil’s leadership within the party and his role as the leader of the opposition. The naming of Ronald Perera as a presidential lawyer was cited as evidence supporting their claims.
Now Ranil has become the president and has set off a similar bomb. The bombshell is the nomination of Upul Kumarapperuma, a head of the JVP Bar Association, and Kaushalya Navaratne, President of the Bar Association, as the President’s lawyers.
Generally, in the history of Bar Associations, the post of Bar Association President is held by those who are not afraid to speak out against the oppression of the existing government. If we give examples in recent times when Mahinda was the President, UNP.MP Vijayadasa Rajapaksa and Upul Jayasuriya. The Bar Association fired the first shot to topple Mahinda’s government in the impeachment of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranaike. At that time, lawyers from all over Sri Lanka gathered around the Bar Association against Mahinda’s government.
Next, when Mahinda lost the presidential election and Maithri-Ranil became president, U.R.D.Silva, who had close ties with the opposition, became the president of the Bar Association. He stood up for the lawyers when the Maithri-Ranil government chased the opposition MPs.
After Maithri-Ranil, Gotabhaya became the President and Saliya Peiris became the President of the Bar Association. He was a lawyer with links to the opposition, and he stood against Gota’s government’s anti-democratic decisions. When the ‘aragalaya’ came, he and the Bar Association stood up for the pilots of the aragalays, and also stood up for them in the courts. Although Ranil and Saliya Peiris were former friends, Saliya stood up for the strugglers when Ranil suppressed the struggle after becoming president. Sally Peiris appeared as a mediator to remove the activists from the Presidential Secretariat, and while doing so, Saliya did not tolerate Ranil’s army and police attacking the activists. Because of this, Ranil started hitting Saliya. Ranil attacked Saliya Piris in Parliament not once or twice but several times.
Kaushalya Navaratne became Bar Association President after Saliya. Due to the role played by the Bar Association during the aragalaya, Kaushalya’s, Bar Association, too was expected by civil organizations and the public a fight against the repression of Ranil’s government, but he said that he would not do politics from the Bar Association. Even when Ranil questioned the decision of the court to hold the local government election in Parliament, Kaushalya and the Bar Association remained silent.
But when Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe criticized the decision of the Court of Appeal against his Cricket Interim Committee in the Parliament, the Bar Association came forward to defend the case against Roshan for contempt of court. Similarly, the Bar Association also issued a statement saying that it is wrong for Roshan to criticize the judges in Parliament. Saliya Peris completed his term as president of the Bar Association and formed a separate organization called the Lawyers Collective out of frustration with the role of the Bar Association.
Now Kaushalya Navaratne has applied for the position of President’s counsel and Ranil has awarded the position of President’s Attorney out of thousands of applications. He claims the position of President’s Lawyer while serving as the President of the Bar Association. Also, JVP’s rising star Upul Kumarapperum’s appointment as President’s Attorney has caused a lot of controversy within JVP itself. JVP’s position is that Ranil is not a president elected by popular vote. The request by Upul Kumarapperuma to get the position of President’s Attorney from such a president has led to severe criticism from some JVP social media activists.
Anura is about 200 days away from becoming president. Why couldn’t Upul endure those days?’
This is the question raised by some JVP social media activists. JVP has always been saying that Mahinda-Ranil-Sajith is one team; we don’t have any interest in them. Besides, even the people of Dullas hate them as they are loyal to the Rajapaksas. In every meeting they claim Samagi Jana Balawega hanging on Ranil’s side and that they will strengthen Ranil’s hands in the near future. Despite this, some social media activists of the party cannot tolerate the fact that a key figure in their alliance, has received a presidential attorney position from Ranil.
However, some social media activists of JVP say that Upul Kumarapperuma is suitable for the position of President’s Attorney and that the rightful place has been given to him.
‘Does that mean that Ranil gives the rightful place to the right person…?’
Ranil has caused a stir by divulging this list, leading some to speculate about intentional motives. However, it cannot definitively be asserted that Ranil acted with malice. This is because the role of the President’s Attorney is bestowed upon applicants through a formal process. Ranil meticulously reviewed the applications and strategically navigated the situation. Demonstrating adeptness, he has a knack for appointing and recognizing even those considered adversaries. Whether he gleaned the strategy of ‘eliminating the enemy’ from Sun Tzu’s ‘Art of War’ remains unknown.