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Crucial month of August
The month of August, which marks a crucial turning point in Sri Lankan politics, began last Tuesday. We mentioned this month of August as a turning point in Sri Lankan politics precisely because the presidential election of Sri Lanka is scheduled to be announced by August next year. Accordingly, after 365 days from the beginning of this August, President Ranil Wickramasinghe will definitely have to call the presidential election according to the constitution.
Considering this, all the political parties have exactly 182 more days to prepare for the presidential election. We say this because after another 182 days, if not 06 months, the presidential election will start to be the talked about topic not only in the national politics of this country, but everywhere in the country. Generally, the presidential election heat starts about 06 months before the announcement of the presidential election.
Then, not only in national politics, but also in the public service, in the security forces, in the private sector, and everywhere in the country, the presidential candidates are being talked about. This about the votes polled and the final outcome. The presidential election topic is tip to become the main topic in Sri Lanka in another 182 days because the government cannot postpone the presidential election regardless of the postponing of any other election.
Astrological advice
President Ranil Wickremesinghe too knows this either. That’s why the president has focused his full attention these days on suppressing all other elections and taking the presidential election forward in the election map. Also, we had previously reported that relatives of the President’s family had consulted astrological advice regarding the elections.
There we pointed out that the president’s family members have consulted astrological advice regarding the holding of an election, and according to that, there will be a good period until next October, and after the transit of ‘Rahu’ ‘Ketu’ on October 28, the good period will show a decline, and after next March, a slightly bad period emergence is due. We had also reported there that we had received astrological advice that an election held accordingly should be held before next March. Accordingly, it is not known whether this astrological advice influenced the calling of an emergency presidential election before next March.
However, politics and astrology in Sri Lanka are two topics that move in the same direction. It is no secret that these astrological advices have more or less influenced the state leaders so to hold elections, to postpone elections, to hold elections before the fixed time, and to cancel the elections completely. Unofficial information says that this astrological advice is working in the President’s mind as well.
Ranil collects weapons
Accordingly, the President has now seen piling up animations to face the presidential election battle to be held in next March. Knowing very well that if he contests as the leader of the UNP, that he will lose even his deposit money , his plan is to form a front by gathering some sections of all parties including Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna or Pohottuwa, and run for the presidential election .
The main goal of the president is to break the Samagi Jana Balawega into two and take a part of it under his control. For this reason, the President had entrusted a certain role to some seniors within SJB in the past. That task was to persuade the party and SJB leader Mr. Sajith Premadasa that they should go into an alliance with the President. For that reason, these seniors had been expressing their views within the party at every possible occasion in the past. But by now, it is seen that the opinion of those two or three people has been completely defeated within SJB.
Lansa and the bud
The president had entrusted the work of breaking the pohottuwa to none other than Mr. Nimal Lansa, a powerful MP from Popottuwa. For Lansa A, the President had provided a separate office in the Presidential Secretariat and the spacious official residence at Malalasekara Mawatha, Colombo 07, which had been given to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. In addition, Lansa and his team had opened a brand new political party office on Rajagiriya Lake Drive Road two weeks ago for this purpose.
The calls received from all these places to the members of Pohottuwe to the grass root level had informed that a group of about 35 Pohottu members have decided to join with the President in the future and that they have planned to form a new alliance with all of them and come to campaign with that alliance no matter what election comes. As this has come to the ears of the leaders of Pohottuwa, they have been eyeing this political office which is opened in Rajagiriya Lake Drive for the past two weeks.
Also, due to the fact that the President’s effort on this is active for a long time, Pohottuwa began to work re-strengthening the party for several months and have been organizing constituencies around the country. Accordingly, as of last week, 70% of them have re-established constituencies.
A Ranil-Basil meeting
However, a very secret meeting took place last Sunday under this background. It was between Mr. Basil Rajapaksa who was the leader of Pohottuwa and the President. We said that this meeting which took place at the President’s official residence was a very secret one because at least Mahinda, the political leader of the Rajapaksa family, was not aware that Basil went to the President’s official residence and met the President. Previously, when Basil was going to meet the President, Mahinda and the seniors of the party were aware, but this time, only two or three people close to him knew about Basil’s trip.
Since the meeting between the President and Basil was held after last April, a long discussion took place between the two regarding the current political situation. In this discussion, which lasted for about one and a half hours, there was a long discussion about the election map, cabinet amendment, local government and provincial council elections. Apart from this, there was an exchange of views between the two regarding the party office run by Nimal Lansa from the Presidential Secretariat. There, Basil pointed out to the President that this office is making phone calls to the former MPs of Pohottuwa and informing them to join the party, and since these calls are coming through the Presidential Secretariat, a serious disagreement is emerging within the party. But the President didn’t reply to it.
In addition, during the exchange of views regarding the election map, the President said that he is planning to hold a presidential election and a general election next year. There too, the President did not give a direct word on whether the presidential election or the general election will be held earlier.
Mahinda finds out the secret
Ranil-Basil’s secret meeting was a secret to many, but it was no longer a secret to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. That is because within 24 hours of the relevant discussion, no matter how much he tried to keep it secret, some information about it fell into Mahinda’s ears. Mahinda did not ask Basil the reason why he went to meet Ranil without informing him. Accordingly, what Mahinda did was to find out whether the story was true or not through other parties friendly to him. Then Mahinda was able to know that the meeting was true and the matters that were discussed there.
Who is the candidate?
Meanwhile, with the heat of the presidential election heating up day by day, it has been seen that a serious disagreement has emerged within the government regarding the presidential candidate. This is due to the fact that several presidential candidates have made public statements that they are in the government. President Ranil Wickremesinghe is already making plans to run as a candidate in the next presidential election, and his plan is to run as a presidential candidate in a new alliance formed by taking some people from the three parties, SJB, Pohottuwa and UNP. As we have reported on several occasions, even a party office was opened under the leadership of Lansa with the same aim. Ranil’s plan is to support it fully.
However, the seniors of Pohottuwa are in a completely different position. Their plan is to present a candidate from Pohottuwa as the presidential candidate for the next presidential election as well. Last week, Prof. Ranjith Bandara, who is considered to be a strong supporter of Basil, publicly said that the party has planned to field a sleazy candidate for the upcoming presidential election, and most likely that candidate will be a person with a three-letter name. Ranjith did not say whether the candidate was Basil, Chamal or Namal.
Conflicts on the same platform
However, inside the pod, one group has been seen expressing their opinion on the same platform for Ranil and another group against Ranil. At a recent meeting held in Matara, when Petroleum Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said that Ranil should be appointed as the next presidential candidate, Mr. Nipuna Ranawaka, a nephew of the Rajapaksa family, who spoke on the same stage, said that Pohottuwa has not yet made a final decision regarding the presidential candidate. Also, in a Constituency Council meeting held in Bandarawela, it was seen how Namal, who spoke on the same platform when State Minister Shehan Semasinghe spoke well of Ranil, attacked the government.
Accordingly, it can be clearly seen that two opinions have already emerged within the government regarding the presidential candidate. In addition to this, Mr. Rohitha Abeygunawardena, while attending a press conference last week, also said that his party appointed Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe as the President only until 2024. Rohitha further said that Pohottuwa is ready to take a decision as a party in the upcoming presidential election.
Amaraweera in a different game
Apart from this, some members of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party pulling the strings for the alliance that is to be formed with Ranil these days. It is being spearheaded by none other than Sri Lanka Freedom Party Cabinet Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva and Mahinda Amaraweera. Their plan is to bring the former presidents of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena and Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga to the new alliance that will be formed under the leadership of Lansa. It is the plan of this group to give their support to Ranil in the upcoming presidential election.
SJB is in the last round
In this way, when there are talks about alliances and alliances regarding the presidential candidacy on the side of the government, it has been seen that the discussions regarding the massive alliance to be formed under the leadership of Samagi Jana Balawega are also being conducted extremely secretly behind the scenes these days. According to the current information, a huge alliance of independent groups that broke away from the government, Tamil Muslim parties, etc. will be formed within the next few weeks. The ‘Inside Politics ‘column learns that all those discussions are at the final stage.
However, neither SJB leader Sajith Premadasa nor Free People’s Assembly leader, Dallas Alahapperuma have participated in these discussions. Sajith is scheduled to stay in Colombo next week, and it is learned that the final discussion on the formation of this alliance is planned to be held during that period.
A change in UNP positions
The working committee of the United National Party met recently after a long layoff in the background of media reports that party leader Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe is ready to make many strong changes within the party. Accordingly, all the other positions except the leader, president, general secretary and treasurer, which were the main positions of the party rest, were abolished. Also, Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe has decided to appoint a leadership board in the future and take the party forward. Also, making another strong change, it has been learned that instead of selecting the party leader by the working committee, it has been decided to select it by the executive council, which comprise with many well-wishers for the party leadership. It has been learned that the UNP has decided to adopt all these proposals at the party conference to be held next September.
Sajith goes despite objections
Opposition Leader Mr. Sajith Premadasa spent last week in Anuradhapura. The primary purpose of the trip was to deliver the 73rd bus offered under the Sakwala program to the students of the model school Nochchiyagama. However, since this school is located in the Anuradhapura area, Sajith planned to go to the eight places including Sri Maha Bodhi, Ruwanmaliseya, Mihintala and meet the leaders there to seek blessings and find out the deficiencies in those holy places.
Accordingly, after informing the party’s Buddhist committee and his dear ministers and seat organizers about this, many of them pointed out to Sajith that he should think twice about traveling to Mihintala, regardless of the other places of worship. Because the chief of Mihintala, Pujya Varavahangunavewe Dhammaratana Thero, is known as a thero who strongly criticizes the activities of politicians regardless of party, they thought that Sajith would also be criticized by him. The group was of the opinion that if the Mihintala to be avoided by Sajith for the reason, since the media also participates in these events, it cannot be prevented from being published in the media.
But Sajith did not agree at all. Sajith pointed out to everyone that he had planned to visit the eight temples of Anuradhapura, so he could not visit those places without going to Mihintala alone. Sajith’s position was that he should take the risk and go to Mihintala, regardless of what. But many people pointed out to Sajith to think again about the Mihintala journey.
Dinesh was scolded
The main reason that Sajith’s friends advised Sajith in this manner was that Mihintala prelates had been criticizing the actions of politicians regardless of party affiliation. Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Duminda Dissanayake and others who once came to worship Mihintala were severely criticize by him in front of the public and media. In addition, even when the leaders of the Buddhist Committee of Samagi Jana Balawega visited, he had severely criticized the actions of the current politicians. Due to this, every politician regardless of party or opposition went to Anuradhapura avoided Mihintala.
In addition, for the first time in history, Dhammaratana Thero had to hold the Rajya Poson festival in Mihintale without the support of the government due to various obstacles from the government from the beginning. Although steps were taken to illuminate the entire province with electric lights for the State Poson festival, this time the Minister of Electricity Kanchana Wijesekera publicly said that it cannot be done with the government’s money and that it should be done with the money collected by Mihinthala.
Also, the government officials who came to organize the festival spoke from the position of not doing the Poson celebration rather than doing it. Earlier, more than 3 crores spent on it as well as the electricity bill were settled by the government, but this time the government said that due to ‘government money management’, only 30 lakhs can be given to the Mihintala Poson state festival. In the end, Mihintala prelates returned the same amount to the government and collected money from local and foreign philanthropists and conducted Poson Pinkama. It was a special event that Mihintala thero personally went to Anuradhapura fairs and even collected money from the donors and successfully completed the work.
Would not argue
Sajith’s friends had repeatedly pointed out to Sajith that the trip to Mihintala was politically very risky one because the thero fearlessly and harshly criticized the current politicians and the political situation on several occasions after performing Poson Pinkama without government support. But Sajith , said to them again that he would accept that risk, informed the group that he would listen to what Nayaka Thero says and would not counter it.
He is very disappointed and angry about the current situation and the actions of this government. We need to give Him the opportunity to release it. Therefore, whatever He tells me, I will listen to it. We must go on this journey. If there is something to be done for the temple, we have to do it…’ was Sajith’s position.
During the trip to Anuradhapura to deliver the 73rd bus under the Sakwala program to the model village Nochchiyagama, Sajith accompanied everyone to Mihinthala Sacred land. As usual, because Nayaka Thero had placed seats on the occasion in public at the puja ground, everyone thought that the Mihintala Prefects would express his strong opposition to Sajith as well as the other ministers of the government. However, as previously thought, Prelate of Mihintala strongly criticized the action of the current government and said that today Parliament has become an old man’s house with old men over 70, 80 years old. There the Prelate publicly ask Sajith, ‘You haven’t crossed 60 years, have you…?’ Sajith replied with a smile and did not go against any of the points said by the prelates.
Sajith accepts everything
However, in the end, Sajith proceeded to inquire from the prelates about how to perform the next poson pinkama, its pros and cons as well as the shortcomings of the temple. There, he said that the Poson festival will cost more than 3 crores, and it will be done with the help of local and foreign donors, just like it was done this time. But Sajith said that the Buddhist Committee of Samagi Jana Balavega is ready to bear all the expenses. When Sajith said that, the Mihintala priests were not ready to believe it at once. Therefore, he requested the media to record that promise. But Sajith said that he is a politician who keep his word.
‘I am not arguing with you. If I give a word, it will be kept in the same way. Sajith, who said that the next time Poson Pinkama will be performed completely by Samagi Jana Balawegaya. Sajith did not forget to ask the prelates about the other shortcomings of the shrine.
There, the prelate said that tomorrow the electricity will be cut off in the temple, due to which there is a dire need to construct a solar panel system. At that very moment, Sajith told him that he would undertake the task of lighting the Mihintala shrine completely with solar energy. Sajith also said that he will get the work done by a recognized organization very soon.
Two more requests
Also two other special requests were presented there by the prelate. One of them was that since there are two main schools in Mihintala town, under Sajith’s Sakwala program, buses should be donated to them as well. The second request was that the government has now issued a beer license to Mihintala, which was the only town in Sri Lanka without bars and butchers, and that the bar has been opened near the Rajarata University, and that measures should be taken immediately in this regard.
Sajith, who responded positively to both the requests of the prelates, said that he would fulfill the task of providing the bus and that he would discuss the issue of the tavern in Parliament.
The Pohottuwa MP also present
However, it was a special event to have one more special person along with Sajith on this journey. It was none other than Mr .K.G.S. Kumarasiri who came to Parliament from Anuradhapura representing Pohottuwa.. When it was reported that Sajith would be coming to Anuradhapura, Kumarasiri who spoke to Sajith informed that he would also join the event. Sajith replied that there is no problem. Accordingly, everyone could see that Pohottu MP Kumarasiri was at the forefront of Sajith’s trip to Anuradhapura.
Last week, we made a special disclosure in this regard through the ‘Inside Politics’ column. There we pointed out that a special telephone conversation was held between a senior leader of Pohottuwa and Sajith, where the senior leader of Pohottuwa informed Sajith that he has 15 Pohottu MPs with him and that he is ready to leave Pohottuwa and join politics with Samagi Jana Balawegaya. We also reported that Sajith informed Pohottu Senior to prepare to work together with the broadest political alliance he will build in the future. Knowing this, Sajaba MPs were whispering to each other and said that Pohottu MP Kumarasiri could also be a MP representing this group.
Jagath Kumar too has come
In addition to this, Sajith also participated in the Vas Inviting ceremony at the historical Polonnaruwa Somavathi Vihara last week. It was preceded by his wife Mrs. Jalani Premadasa and SJB MPs. It was a special event to see another Pohottu member of parliament together with Sajith on this journey. That MP is none other than Jagath Kumara, a Pohottu stalwart representing the Colombo district. Jagath was on a trip to Polonnaruwa to find out about the ‘aswasuma’ problems and Jagath had heard that Sajith was coming to Somavathi that day.
Because of this, Jagath also came to Somavati during his visit and met Sajith to discuss. This discussion was held in a different place in the temple before the pinkama started. Jagath Kumar and Sajith drew the attention of a number of serious problems that have arisen regarding the Aswasuma programme. After discussing the issues, Sajith told Jagath that he would take steps to request a debate on this from the ruling party. Sajith also informed Jagath to present all these problems there. Also, it was a special event that Jagath also accepted Sajith’s invitation to join in the devotional service and joined Sajith in that service.
Will the Tamil Alliance meet Modi?
In addition to this, the implementation of the 13th amendment had again become the biggest topic of politics last week. After the President’s visit to India, an all-party conference was called to discuss the matter, but it ended without a final decision. Although the President announced that he was ready to implement 13 without police powers, other parties in the north led by the Tamil Alliance said that 13 should be fully implemented and provincial council elections should be held immediately to confirm the implementation of 13 A.
In order to further discuss this matter, the Tamil Alliance MPs met the Indian High Commissioner to this country Mr. Gopal Bagle last week to discuss. Before participating in the discussion, the Tamil National Alliance issued a statement saying that its party would continue to advocate for a federal solution. In the discussion held with the Indian High Commissioner, political solutions to the North East as well as holding the provincial council elections were once again discussed at length. Apart from this, another special request was presented to the Indian High Commissioner from the side of the Tamil National Alliance. That is to give an opportunity to hold a discussion with Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi to discuss the current political situation. It has been learned from unofficial sources that a positive reply has been received from the Indian High Commissioner.
In addition to this, it is learned that the Tamil Alliance has now decided to include in the parliamentary agenda the proposal to hold the provincial council election in the old way, which has been submitted to the parliament as a private member’s proposal by Mr . Sumanthiran.
