Ranil encapsulates contemporary history in landmark Indore speech

Both President Mahinda Rajapakse and opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe were in India last week with Wickremesinghe making a landmark speech at the Indian Institute of Management in Indore where he gave a lucid exposition of the state of the peace process right now with a focus on the SLFP-UNP MOU.

Wickremesinghe titled his speech before a distinguished audience as "Peace – Putting the Pieces Together". He made a comprehensive exposition of the current status of the process as summed up by Erik Solheim who made the point that there were three tracks to the peace process which had been discussed at the same time.

The first of these was the humanitarian suffering of the people, including the long-term economic development; second the need for a sustained ceasefire (“you can’t simply sit and talk for a long in an atmosphere of constant violence’’) while the third was the political track on how to find a settlement to the Tamil ethnic problem in Sri Lanka.

Wickremesinghe quoted Solheim saying: "The need of the hour is to agree to the ceasefire which can be the platform for the moving forward on these three tracks."

Solheim saw the SLFP-UNP MOU as a way forward on the political track.

Wickremesinghe outlined what the UNP-led government formed in December 2001 had done leading up to the February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement between the Government and the LTTE. He ignored the criticism that the CFA was signed behind President Kumaratunga’s back, but outlined the intentions of the agreement.

Noting that the LTTE which had "developed its formidable expertise in implementing military strategies", he said that the Tigers had limited expertise on negotiating political settlements and explained that the government decided to give the Tigers time to build its experience on tackling legal and constitutional issues.

Outlining what had followed leading up to the sudden dissolution of parliament and fresh elections in April 2004, Wickremesinghe placed developments in the context of the formation of the new UPFA coalition between Kumaratunga’s PA and the JVP. Meanwhile the LTTE split in March 2004 and Karuna formed a new para military organisation.

Wickremesinghe said that the LTTE enforced a boycott of the presidential elections of November 17, 2005 in the North and East and the vast majority of Tamils of the North East who supported the UNP were unable to vote. "This enforced boycott was aimed at the UNP," Wickremesinghe told his audience but offered no opinion on why the LTTE sought his defeat.

He also pointed out that UPFA electoral platform included the amendment of the CFA and rejecting the federal system, demands made by the JVP who claimed that the CFA was a sell out and a federal system would lead to a separate state.

Wickremesinghe went through the LTTE’s Intifada type of uprising in Jaffna following the presidential election, Karuna’s attacks on the LTTE and the LTTE’s claymore mine retaliation. Skilfully encapsulating the events that followed including the Joseph Parajasingham and Nadarajah Raviraj’s murders, Wickremesinghe led up to President Rajapakse’s invitation to the UNP last August to help arrive at a political solution to the North East conflict.

"Despite the divisive nature of Sri Lankan politics and the acrimonious climate between party cadres, we responded positively. Talks took place between the two political parties. As a result on October 23, 2006, the United National Party and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on key issues vital for the nation’s well being," Wickremesinghe said.

"To me, the success of the recent MOU depends on the ability of both sides and more so, between the two of us – the President and myself to establish a working relationship. This is easier said than done in politics. In a multi-party system where there are two leading parties, the main contenders compete for power, either by themselves or as coalitions. It is very rarely that they work together. Nevertheless, in some countries the main parties have worked together in times of war – usually, through coalition governments."

He explained that the MOU was not to form a coalition government; it was an understanding to prepare a political solution to the North East conflict.

Wickremesinghe explained the substance of the MOU and touched on the Supreme Court judgement regarding the merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces as one administrative unit in terms of the Indo-Lanka Peace Agreement. He did not go into aspects of the "temporary" merger and the fact that the people of the East had to decide at a referendum to be held within a year that such merger was to continue.

The UNP leader’s hope that the SLFP-UNP MOU will work some magic has been reported in the page one story we carry today. In his Indore speech he made the point that though the CFA stands, it is observed in the breach by both parties with neither side willing to formally abrogate the agreement.

"It is clear then, that the LTTE is ready to intensify the war. The LTE objective is a decisive military victory which will give them a significant advantage at the negotiating table when peace talks resume. The government has responded by announcing their readiness for war. But, no one can control the outcome of escalating violence. Therefore, the Co-Chairs and India must determine how to respond to this urgent situation; otherwise, it will be difficult to get the parties back to negotiations," Wickremesinghe said.

He noted in the course of his speech that the role of the Co-Chairs had changed from reviewing progress of the peace process to holding the process together.

Reformists not trying to eject Ranil

The former convenor of the UNP professional group, Mr. Tudor Munasinghe, last week insisted that Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership of the UNP is not being challenged by the reformists group. "What they aspire to achieve is the introduction of a moderate quantum of consultative process which will be mandatory," he said.

Munasinghe who is a chartered engineer said that in 1994 Wickremesinghe as leader of the opposition was keen in brining in professionals into the UNP and was receptive to suggestions made by the professionals reformed group to remove corrupt elements from the party. He asked the professionals to join the UNP in a big way to help him in the task of ridding the party of corrupt members.

"We started small but soon grew to considerable numbers. Our members participated in various party activities, served on disciplinary committees, selection committees for candidates for provincial elections and were active in election campaigning," he said.

"We also helped to form regional professionals reform groups."

This group has suggested reforms to the party constitution over a year ago and there had been many discussions. However no decisions have been taken on implementation.

“Having been involved in the workings of the UNP very closely, my view regarding the stand taken by the deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya and a group of eminent parliamentarians and others is the operative clause in Chapter 8, Article 8 "Office Bearers of the Party". 8.1 "The National Executive Committee shall elect the leader of the party when there is a vacancy," said Munasinghe.

This means that the leader of the party cannot be removed and remains leader for life, unless he or she offers to leave office voluntarily or the vacancy is caused by death.

In addition the leader has an unfettered right to nominate the key posts of deputy leader, assistant leader and chairman of the party. The annual convention of the party only ratifies such nominations.

All District Balamandalalyas, Kottasa Balamandalayas, Registered Branch Associations, have office bearers who are in accordance with the rules presented by the working committee of the party.

In turn the working commit of the party consists of the leader and all office bearers of the party and any other members not exceeding 50, nominated annually by the party leader from amongst the members of the National Executive Committee.

Thus all members who are nominated to the working committee remain as members at the will and pleasure of the party leader.

He said it is common knowledge that some members of the working committee passively endorsed all suggestions of the party leader even though they may not agree. The professionals reform group had suggested a more democratic framework in appointing the working committee be devised. Their proposal was that the working committee should comprise the party leader, deputy leader, national organiser, chairman, secretary and treasurer of the party and other members not exceeding 50 to be nominated in a manner to give to various groups including MPs (15), provincial councillors (5), trade unions (5), affiliated/recognized professional organizations (3), five nominees of the Political Council and 10 nominees of the leader.

Munasinghe stressed that the reformist group led by Karu Jayasuriya have no intention whatever of removing Ranil Wickremesinghe from the leadership of the party. They only seek to bring a moderate consultative process in place of a one man/one woman show.

“It is unfortunate that the party leader is presently surrounded by a group of advisors acting as a shield in preventing accountability to the leader.

"The role that the nation requires Ranil Wickremesinghe is one of leadership of the whole country. In order to win elections, it is absolutely necessary to have in place that little factor which converts a mediocre situation to a magnificent one.

"Elections can never b e won through mediocre inward looking political strategy. The support of every member of the party, throughout the country has to be mustered to convert the long line of defeats into victory," Munasinghe said.

Ranil meets Sirisena Cooray

Sirisena Cooray who generalled the UNP’s Colombo Municipal Council election victory through the spectacle proxy after the nomination disaster, had a meeting with Ranil Wickremesinghe at Wickremesinghe’s initiative a few days before the UNP leader left on his Indian visit. Nobody was talking about what was discussed although there was speculation that Wickremesinghe may have been attempting to use Cooray’s good offices to patch up relations with Milinda Moragoda or alternatively it was all in the interest of on-going peace moves between the Wickremesinghe and reformists group.

At last Sunday’s unveiling of Lalith Athulathmudali statue at Ratmalana Wickremesinghe and Karu Jayasuriya were seen having a long and cordial chat.. They sat next to each other and both Wickremesinghe and Jayasuriya were among those who spoke at this event. All this seem to imply that matters in dispute are in the process of being sorted out, UNP doves hoped.

President Mahinda Rajapakse too, before his Indian visit, summoned state media chiefs and told them not to stir the pot on UNP differences. Although at least one media czar talked about what the UNP had done about the then opposition’s differences when they were in power, the President brushed him aside saying “whatever they did, we must not do likewise.’’

A group of UNPers including Karu Jayasuriya, Tissa Attanayake, Jayalath Jayawardena, etc. flew to Ampara to attend a former UNP MP Nihal Bakmeewewa’s funeral. There was some conversation about the current state of play in the UNP during the trip where it was stated that problems have been aggravated due to various “plants’’ in the media. There was some name dropping in this connection, well informed sources said.

-The Sunday Island