CAS article no. 017/2018
No confidence motion against PM
The future of the ruling national unity coalition of the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is nearing a make-or-break point when the joint opposition (JO)’s no confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of the UNP comes up on April 4, 2018.
In normal circumstances, the UNP as the largest single party with 106 seats in the 225-member parliament with the support of President Sirisena-led SLFP should be able to defeat the no confidence vote against the PM.
But there is uncertainty about the SLFP support for UNP; in fact the party is divided over the issue. Sirisena is known to be unhappy with the PM over the bond issue scam; he has unceremoniously removed the PM from the chairmanship of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) after cabinet ministers complained about it. The three-member CCEM had powers to fast track investment projects with the ministries. Probably, the ministers were feeling sidelined by the CCEM, as it controlled all the development projects.
The JO, which is a proxy for former President Rajapaksa, claims the support of 94 members. But there is uncertainty about the numbers as there is lack of unanimity over it within JO ranks and its supporters. However, the JO should be happy after the six-member Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) announced it would vote for the motion.
Apparently PM Wickremesinghe seems to have won the confidence of the UNP members after the party working committee unanimously decided to vote to defeat the motion against the PM and the government. According to State Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva, all UNP MPs barring one or two will vote against the motion. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) with 16-members in parliament is expected to support the PM and vote against the motion. However, perhaps rattled by the controversy over the motion, TNA has announced it would discuss the content of the motion and take a call on it on April 2, 2018.
But speculations over no confidence motion has shown how vulnerable loyalties of members to the leaders within their own parties or to their party’s political affiliates. This was evident in the sinister plots within plots discussed in the media. Colombo Telegraph quoted sources to say that Sirisena was confident the no confidence motion would be supported by the majority in parliament. He plans to replace Wickremesinghe with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and bring the controversial former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to parliament through the National List.
On the other hand, Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera said the real target of the no confidence motion was the President and not the PM. He said the motion aimed to “remove the protective layer, bring in a new PM, they can manipulate, change the Speaker and finally make Mahinda Rajapaksa the PM, through the backdoor. Thereafter they will bring in an impeachment motion against the President that is their true aim,” he added.
Perhaps rattled by speculations of certain UNP backbenchers on bringing an impeachment motion against President Sirisena, if the SLFP voted for the no confidence motion, Minister for Provincial Councils Faiszer Mustapaha said the SLFP was ready to face any challenge as a result of the no confidence motion. He said the SLFP would decide on the motion would before April 4, 2018.
Such speculations show the dark side of personality based politics of Sri Lanka marred by personal schism, inner-party and intra-party intrigues of political heavy weights. It has become a preoccupation of political parties that could cost the country dear in the long run.
Speeding up investigation and prosecution
Action taken during the month in the following cases were presumably prompted to disprove widespread belief that the Sirisena government was intentionally delaying action against those involved in criminal deeds during former president Rajapaksa’s rule.
Wellikada jail killings: Police have arrested Prisons commissioner Emil Lamabewage, who was in charge of prison in connection with the execution style killing of 27 inmates in Wellikada jail, in the wake of a prison riot in November 2012. The arrested officer, who was superintendent at that time had put down the riot with the assistance of army and Special Task Force personnel. The killings were tardily investigated, raising the concerns of human rights bodies already incensed over the Rajapaksa regime’s poor rights record. Civil society suspected the police investigation was delayed in a bid to cover up those involved in the massacre. The case was reopened in July 2016.
Arrest of former ambassador: Former Sri Lanka ambassador to Russia Udayenga Weeratunga, who was wanted in a case of fraud in the purchase of Mig-27 fighters in 2006, was arrested in UAE on February 4, 2018. Weeratunga, a former businessman and a first cousin of former President Rajapaksa, had been eluding arrest ever since investigations had revealed that a total of $1.5 million had been deposited in 16 bank accounts belonging to him. The Ukranian government had accused him of selling arms to separatist rebels fighting the government. The Financial Crimes Investigation Division had frozen his bank accounts; however it could not secure an Interpol warrant for his arrest in September 2016. The delay in arresting him had reflected poorly on Sirisena government’s much heralded clean up act.
Aftermath of attack on Muslims
Pakistan has expressed serious concerns over the recent mob attacks by extremist Sinhala politicians and organisations on Muslims in Ampara and Digana leading to loss of life and property. The Island report quoted informed sources to say President Mamnoon Hussain told President Sirisena during his visit to Islamabad late last month that they were disappointed and shocked at the way in which Muslims had been treated following an incident of road rage. He emphasized the President should rein in the extremists so that Muslims could live as equal citizens and free from harm.
Apart from Pakistan, the European Union and the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation have expressed concern over the anti-Muslim incidents. Five countries –Singapore, the UK, the US, Australia and Canada - have issued travel advisories on visiting Sri Lanka.
The government has said organized attacks carried out by extremist mobs belonging to Mahason Balakaya and some politicians from pro-Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) resulting in either full or partial destruction to over 400 houses, businesses and mosques. The SLPP has refuted the allegations.
[Col. R. Hariharan, a retired Military intelligence officer, is a member of the Chennai Centre for China Studies and the International Law and Strategic Analysis Institute. The views expressed in the article are of the author.
E-mail: haridirect@gmail.com Blog: http://col.hariharan.info]
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