Sri Lanka’s fractious politics saw fresh turmoil this week as a rift seemed to appear between President Mahinda Rajapakse and a close Sinhala nationalist ally even as MPs from an Upcountry Tamil party supportive of his rival during November’s election defected to his ruling coalition.
Both main Sinhala parties, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP), are meanwhile beset by internal wrangling.
President Rajapakse came under strong criticism this week from the Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP), a hardline Sinhala nationalist party which had campaigned hard amongst southern voters for him in the November 17 election.
During the debate on Rajapakse’s proposed budget, the JVP had condemned him for appointing an excessively large cabinet, thus violating the election pledge, and of squandering public money on perks for ministers, including luxury vehicles.
The President has appointed all 60 Parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), including their allies, Nandana Gunatillake, a JVP stalwart protested.
"President Rajapakse said during the election campaign that the cabinet would be small. However the number of members in the cabinet is very much more than what was expected. Some cabinet members have already requested for very expensive luxury vehicles, some costing Rs 14 million," Gunatillake said.
The JVP frontliner said some ministers were sincerely committed to work for the public welfare and well-being and the JVP would support such ministers while criticizing or exposing others.
The JVP, which is known for its austere lifestyles of its members, has consistently insisted on the minimizing of unnecessary expenditures.
Sooner after Rajapaske’s victory, the party had refused to accept portfolios in the cabinet, fuelling speculation of a rift, though some analysts say that the party, having caught wind of the new President’s plans to expand the number of portfolios to be handed out to his supporters, did not want to be seen to be having its nose in the trough also.
Meanwhile, the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), the largest Upcountry Tamil party, is reported to have suffered a serious split with at least four MPs defecting to the ruling coalition which is led by Rajapakse’s Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP).
The CWC had been part of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition, but had quit to back the main opposition candidate, Ranil Wickremesinghe, against Rajapske.
The CWC’s once powerful leader, Arumugam Thondaman, was seen to be paying the price of the party’s gamble when his personal protection by state security forces was withdrawn recently and police raided his bungalow in Kotagala amid accusation of misappropriation.
The CWC accused President Rajapaske attempting to dilute the CWC influence in the estate sector and, according to a report in the Daily Mirror, has said it is moving into a closer alliance with the other – and much smaller – Upcountry party, the UPF.
“Mr. Thondaman, who returned from India last evening held discussions with UPF leader P. Chandrasekaran on forming an alliance between the two parties as a means of offsetting any Government moves to undermine Mr. Thondaman’s authority in the plantation sector after four CWC members were enticed to support the Government,” the Daily Mirror reported Tuesday.
The CWC also claimed it was moving closer to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the coalition of four parties representing the Tamils of the Northeast. There has been no comment by the TNA.
Tensions meanwhile continue to simmer in the main opposition UNP with many disgruntled senior member pushing for Wickremesinghe – who they say has presided over a dozen electoral defeats – must be replaced if they are to win back the Sinhala vote.
They are reportedly pushing for Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya to be elected, but the party is wary of undermining its standing with a public split and it is to appoint a senior committee including Jayasuriya and Wickremesinghe to discuss ‘reforms.’
UNP Assistant General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told the Daily Mirror the party would not let personal interests take precedence when reorganizing the party ahead of the UNP Convention next month.
Meanwhile, the friction is continuing with the SLFP, with President Rajapakse and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga at loggerheads over the filling of the national list vacancy following the killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, the Daily Mirror also reported.
Mrs. Kumaratunga, who is still the party leader, also complained to President Rajapkse that she was not given fair media coverage and her version of the story was often distorted.
The Daily Mirror noted that of late, Sri Lanka’s media “has gone to town,” criticizing Ms. Kumaratunga’s request for a large staff of 260, some 36 vehicles and four bullet proof cars, saying she was being over-indulged with unprecedented facilities that no other President had ever got after stepping down.
Both main Sinhala parties, the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP), are meanwhile beset by internal wrangling.
President Rajapakse came under strong criticism this week from the Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP), a hardline Sinhala nationalist party which had campaigned hard amongst southern voters for him in the November 17 election.
During the debate on Rajapakse’s proposed budget, the JVP had condemned him for appointing an excessively large cabinet, thus violating the election pledge, and of squandering public money on perks for ministers, including luxury vehicles.
The President has appointed all 60 Parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), including their allies, Nandana Gunatillake, a JVP stalwart protested.
"President Rajapakse said during the election campaign that the cabinet would be small. However the number of members in the cabinet is very much more than what was expected. Some cabinet members have already requested for very expensive luxury vehicles, some costing Rs 14 million," Gunatillake said.
The JVP frontliner said some ministers were sincerely committed to work for the public welfare and well-being and the JVP would support such ministers while criticizing or exposing others.
The JVP, which is known for its austere lifestyles of its members, has consistently insisted on the minimizing of unnecessary expenditures.
Sooner after Rajapaske’s victory, the party had refused to accept portfolios in the cabinet, fuelling speculation of a rift, though some analysts say that the party, having caught wind of the new President’s plans to expand the number of portfolios to be handed out to his supporters, did not want to be seen to be having its nose in the trough also.
Meanwhile, the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), the largest Upcountry Tamil party, is reported to have suffered a serious split with at least four MPs defecting to the ruling coalition which is led by Rajapakse’s Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP).
The CWC had been part of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) coalition, but had quit to back the main opposition candidate, Ranil Wickremesinghe, against Rajapske.
The CWC’s once powerful leader, Arumugam Thondaman, was seen to be paying the price of the party’s gamble when his personal protection by state security forces was withdrawn recently and police raided his bungalow in Kotagala amid accusation of misappropriation.
The CWC accused President Rajapaske attempting to dilute the CWC influence in the estate sector and, according to a report in the Daily Mirror, has said it is moving into a closer alliance with the other – and much smaller – Upcountry party, the UPF.
“Mr. Thondaman, who returned from India last evening held discussions with UPF leader P. Chandrasekaran on forming an alliance between the two parties as a means of offsetting any Government moves to undermine Mr. Thondaman’s authority in the plantation sector after four CWC members were enticed to support the Government,” the Daily Mirror reported Tuesday.
The CWC also claimed it was moving closer to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the coalition of four parties representing the Tamils of the Northeast. There has been no comment by the TNA.
Tensions meanwhile continue to simmer in the main opposition UNP with many disgruntled senior member pushing for Wickremesinghe – who they say has presided over a dozen electoral defeats – must be replaced if they are to win back the Sinhala vote.
They are reportedly pushing for Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya to be elected, but the party is wary of undermining its standing with a public split and it is to appoint a senior committee including Jayasuriya and Wickremesinghe to discuss ‘reforms.’
UNP Assistant General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told the Daily Mirror the party would not let personal interests take precedence when reorganizing the party ahead of the UNP Convention next month.
Meanwhile, the friction is continuing with the SLFP, with President Rajapakse and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga at loggerheads over the filling of the national list vacancy following the killing of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, the Daily Mirror also reported.
Mrs. Kumaratunga, who is still the party leader, also complained to President Rajapkse that she was not given fair media coverage and her version of the story was often distorted.
The Daily Mirror noted that of late, Sri Lanka’s media “has gone to town,” criticizing Ms. Kumaratunga’s request for a large staff of 260, some 36 vehicles and four bullet proof cars, saying she was being over-indulged with unprecedented facilities that no other President had ever got after stepping down.