• Secretary Kwatra focuses on Indian project delays; Govt. notes delays on Indian side
• RW to push for Commonwealth to play leading role in governing global human rights
• Last week’s vote at UNHRC shows divide between Asian, African blocs and Europe
• President intervenes in health crisis; seeks NMRA Act amendment and other proposals
• SLPP split over Ketagoda’s motion on LGs; AG notes need for two-thirds and referendum
• Opposition withdraws from PSC on bankruptcy; Speaker contemplates new appointments
• Sajith appoints separate Opposition committee to probe issues; first meet last Thursday
• Election talk pushes rumours on new political alliances; MR tells SLPPers he is unaware of it
• Maithripala extends olive branch to dissidents; all SLFP MPs attend key party meetings again
• Mervyn speaks of RW’s predicament with SLPP; says a crow was pecking at the President

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is due to travel to India this week. On what will be a 36-hour round trip, the President will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with the Ministers of Finance and External Affairs. 

This will be the President’s first visit to the northern neighbour since assuming office last year. With a great deal of emphasis being placed on the visit by both the Indian and Sri Lankan sides, India’s External Affairs Ministry Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra visited Sri Lanka last week. The Indian public servant stopped over in Sri Lanka on his way to France ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit for Bastille Day. Kwatra had arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday (10) night on a two-day official visit to make the final arrangements for the President’s India visit and he was flown from New Delhi aboard a flight belonging to the Indian Air Force (IFC-33) accompanied by three other officials.

During his stopover, Kwatra met members of the President’s Office including the President, along with Foreign Ministry officials including the Minister. While the discussions were firmly focused on the upcoming visit, Kwatra took the opportunity to remind the Sri Lankan Government that India was keen to see many of the proposed projects agreed upon and signed before the end of 2023. 

The Government, however, had taken the opportunity to highlight that while the Sri Lankan authorities had been accommodating in seeing these projects commence, delays had emerged on the Indian side as well. 

However, sources who attended the meeting explained that the mood was far more cordial than it had been last year when Kwatra had visited then Prime Minister Wickremesinghe during the economic crisis. On that occasion, he had reportedly taken the opportunity to present a list of projects the Indian side had wanted to sign, while lecturing the Government officials on the mismanagement of the economy. 

With the Secretary having seen the difference on the streets from his last visit, he had commented that President Wickremesinghe had in fact been able to stabilise the situation in a faster time period than envisaged by the international community. 

The visit by the President to India is expected to focus on two key areas of cooperation; the energy sector and the development of Trincomalee. The President will be accompanied by the Ministers of Power and Energy, Fisheries, and Water Supply.

“The purpose of my visit is essentially to prepare for the upcoming visit of the President of Sri Lanka to India. My discussions earlier today with the Sri Lankan leadership as well as with the Foreign Ministry were essentially focused on trying to ensure that the upcoming visit of the President of Sri Lanka is actually a point of positive transformation in the relationship. We also discussed the key areas of partnership that we could progress ahead of the visit, priorities of the Sri Lankan leadership going into the visit, and shared with them the perspective of our leadership on the relationship, the strength of the relationship, different elements of cooperation in the relationship, and elements of our partnership in years ahead across the entire matrix of economic partnership that India and Sri Lanka enjoy,” Kwatra said during his visit.

Meanwhile, in the run-up to Wickremesinghe’s Indian tour, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has reportedly written to India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, calling for his immediate intervention to get 15 Tamil Nadu fishermen released from Sri Lanka.

“Through diplomatic channels we can reach an amicable resolution that respects the rights and livelihoods of our fishermen even when maintaining friendly bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka,” the Chief Minister has written to Jaishankar.

International politics

During the past week, President Wickremesinghe had also stepped into international politics during the opening of the new Ratnapura Court Complex. Speaking at the event, the President made reference to the recent burning of a Quran in Sweden. Describing the incident as a violation of the freedom of worship, the President questioned why several Western countries were defending this act under the guise of freedom of expression. The President went further and urged the international community to respect the values of the Global South, while also calling on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to condemn the incident. 

Two days later, the UNHRC adopted a resolution on ‘Countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence’. Incidentally, Sri Lanka was a co-sponsor of this resolution, but was unable to vote as the country is not a current member. The vote, which passed 28 to 12 (with seven abstentions), demonstrated a divide between the Asian and African blocs and Europe. 

The President, however, during his speech alluded to another step in what appears to be efforts to ensure Asia and Africa play a leading role in global affairs. 

Wickremesinghe said that he would be speaking to the Commonwealth Secretary General about the Commonwealth playing a leading role in governing global human rights. With the UK, Australia, and Canada having distanced themselves from the organisation, the African and Asian states are now playing an integral role. The President has previously spoken about the need to strengthen the Commonwealth and an organisation to rival the UNHRC on global rights, which would have greater involvement of the Global South, will certainly be an appealing prospect to many countries, including Sri Lanka. 

It appears that Wickremesinghe, who has a close working relationship with the Commonwealth Secretary General, will be looking to solidify his position both locally and internationally as a global statesman by propping up an organisation which would speak for the emerging economies of Africa and Asia.

Health crisis 

However, on the local front, the country’s health services are facing a major crisis with the shortage of medicine and operational medical machines in both State and private hospitals. The minister-in-charge has been under fire, with the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) announcing that they would file a no-confidence motion against Minister Keheliya Rambukwella in Parliament. With the situation reaching crisis point, the President convened a meeting of the health sector on Friday (14) at the Presidential Secretariat. 

During the meeting, the President had raised several urgent matters including the shortage of medicines, doctors, and financial requirements. 

The Minister had informed the meeting that the ministry was making all overdue payments and had paid up to the month of May, leaving the authorities behind on payments by two months. When the question was posed as to why medicine procurement had slowed down, the gathering was informed that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) was deliberately delaying the approval process. 

The President had instructed the officials to immediately amend the NMRA Act to allow for the immediate approval of medicines which are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (which is recognised by the World Health Organization as having internationally-recognised standards). The President had previously been informed by donors that several containers had been stuck at the port due to non-clearance. When further enquiries were done, it was learnt that despite these medicines being FDA-approved, the NMRA was dragging its feet on approving their release. 

The meeting was informed that many of the specialist doctors had chosen to travel overseas due to the economic crisis, causing a shortage in the sector. The President was then informed that the sub-Cabinet committee tasked with examining the crisis had recommended that a temporary increase in the retirement age of the specialist doctors be introduced. It was decided that the retirement age would be increased to 63 until 31 December 2024. Furthermore, a proposal was tabled at the meeting that doctors in the Government service be permitted one day of private practice to entice them to remain in Sri Lanka. Referring to Singapore, it was suggested that this would help stem the flow of the doctors. The President instructed the committee to examine this proposal and report back.

SLPP split on motion

Meanwhile, the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is facing yet another internal split, this time over the proposed private member’s motion presented to Parliament by SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda seeking the reconvening of the dissolved Local Government (LG) bodies by amending three legislations related to it.

The first to express objections over the motion was SLPP MP S.B. Dissanayake. Addressing a media briefing at the party headquarters last week, he had said that neither he nor many party seniors were aware of a motion being moved by a party member. 

According to Dissanayake, the proposed motion could not be implemented and former Local Government councillors should only return to office after being re-elected at an election.

The next public objection was by Leader of the House and senior SLPPer Minister Susil Premajayantha.

Premajayantha had said during a television talk show that the proposed legislation was illegal and that the subject minister has already postponed Local Government Elections by a year. The Minister had pointed out that it would be a violation of fundamental rights if the subject minister was empowered to further postpone the election.

Legal action

Dissident SLPP MP Prof. G.L. Peiris has said that all forms of legal action would be initiated since Prime Minister and Local Government Minister Dinesh Gunawardena would be entrusted with immense power to postpone Local Government Elections indefinitely if Ketagoda’s motion was implemented.

Peiris had told the media last week that if the relevant bill became legal, Gunawardena would be entrusted with excessive power as the subject minister. “If this bill is implemented, powers that are possessed by no other premier, even those representing the world’s most powerful countries, will come into his hands. He will be able to postpone Local Government Elections for five, 10, 15, 50 years, or forever. There is no such omnipotent premier anywhere in the world.”

Noting that Gunawardena would have powers to recall all Local Government bodies, including Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas if Ketagoda’s bill is legalised, the SLPP dissident had noted that the former would also have powers to extend the term of office of Local Government councillors and members for any period of time at his sole discretion.

“The Local Government councillors and members appointed in 2018 will be able to remain in those positions even until they die. Is it possible to do something of this sort in a country where democracy is respected? This is completely illegal and against the Constitution. We will be challenging this bill before the Supreme Court and will initiate all other forms of legal action,” Peiris had added.

Meanwhile, People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi had filed an application before the Supreme Court last week requesting that certain clauses of Ketagoda’s private member’s motion be ruled as being against the Constitution. 

Attorney General (AG) Sanjay Rajaratnam has been named as a respondent. 

Hettiarachchi had further claimed in the petition that the voting rights of the public were being violated by transferring the authority to extend the tenure of Local Government bodies to the subject minister.

AG’s salvo

However, the next opposition to Ketagoda’s motion was presented by the Attorney General. He had informed the Speaker that the proposed piece of legislation would require a two-thirds majority approval in Parliament as well as a public referendum in order to be adopted.

The Attorney General’s announcement has dampened the progress of the proposal presented by Ketagoda and MP Sanjeeva Edirimanna as a measure to address the concerns of the SLPP Local Government councillors.

Ketagoda’s defence

Ketagoda meanwhile in response to the growing opposition against the motion presented by him to Parliament has said that he had presented it only on the grounds that the Local Government bodies could not function without people’s representatives and that candidates who had submitted nominations for the Local Government Elections had become ‘prisoners’ due to election laws.

According to Ketagoda, either the Local Government Elections should be held, or the bodies should be recalled until the elections are held. “I have also been serving as a Local Government  representative, so I know that they cannot function without the people’s representatives. For instance, now there are issues pertaining to the Aswesuma social welfare programme everywhere, but there is no one that the people can talk to. The officials cannot deliver the responsibilities of the Local Government bodies.”

He has further opined that his proposal to reconvene the Local Government bodies would not only enable SLPP councillors to engage in official matters, but also councillors representing other parties as well.

Opposition withdraws

The growing opposition over the SLPP continues beyond Ketagoda’s motion to the newly-formed Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to probe the cause for Sri Lanka’s economic bankruptcy. 

The SJB and its affiliated parties last week decided to withdraw from the committee.

SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had told a meeting of Opposition party representatives last week that there was no point in participating in the new PSC since it was headed by the general secretary of the ruling party which had pushed the country into bankruptcy. Premadasa had urged Opposition members in the committee to resign and had proposed that the Opposition conduct its own probe into the matter.

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath, who was also appointed to the committee last week, resigned from the PSC claiming that the committee would not serve its purpose. Herath had in writing informed of his decision to Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and noted that there was much concern over the individuals appointed to the committee.

The NPP MP had further noted that it was absurd to expect a committee comprising a majority of parliamentarians who had been instrumental in bankrupting the country to look into the actual reasons for the situation or to present proposals and recommendations to address the issue.

Sajith’s own committee

The SJB meanwhile last week took steps to appoint a separate committee to probe the country’s bankruptcy, since the functioning of the PSC appointed by the Speaker for the purpose was facing difficulties in progressing due to the withdrawal of a majority of Opposition members appointed to it.

SJB National Organiser MP Tissa Attanayake had last week told journalists that Premadasa would proceed with the plan to appoint a separate committee to probe the causes for the country’s bankruptcy and would also get information from foreign institutions and experts.

When questioned about the legitimacy of such a committee appointed by the Opposition Leader, Attanayake had noted that following the ruling of the Speaker of Parliament that the Opposition Leader could summon any State official for an inquiry at any time, Premadasa could follow it in order to carry out the inquiry.

The SJB National Organiser had also invited Government side parliamentarians to participate in the PSC proposed by the Opposition. He had noted that the SJB was planning on inviting all 225 parliamentarians to contribute to this committee by nominating their representatives to it.

The Opposition-led committee held its first meeting on Thursday (13) under the patronage of Opposition Leader Premadasa.

The SLPP has however stated that it hopes that such inquiries will be conducted in a manner that avoids causing embarrassment to the officials involved.

SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam had said that they, as the ruling party, had no opposition against the Opposition Leader summoning Government officials. “According to the Westminster parliamentary system, the Opposition Leader is considered the next Prime Minister, so the Opposition Leader has the power to summon Government officials in a similar manner to the Premier. We have no opposition to it as it is something within the framework of the parliamentary system. However, we hope that he (Premadasa) will do it in a way that does not cause embarrassment to Government officials.”

Kariyawasam responds

However, Kariyawasam has defended the appointment of more ruling party parliamentarians to the PSC on economic bankruptcy.

He has told the media that if the committee wanted a change in leadership, he would consider the request, but denied the allegations directed at him by the Opposition. Several Opposition political parties and civil society groups have criticised the appointment of Kariyawasam as Chairman of the PSC and the inclusion of more SLPPers in the committee, alleging that many of the members had held posts in the previous Government of then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa when the economic crisis came to a head.

“Those allegations are very primitive. Members are appointed to a PSC based on the relevant parties’ parliamentary representation and the composition of a PSC is therefore in such a way that the ruling party gets more representation. Nowhere in history has a PSC been formed with more representation given to the Opposition. This is why I say that these allegations are baseless,” Kariyawasam has claimed.

“I do not know why these parties are levelling allegations against the appointment. I have not been accused of any wrongdoing so far. If the majority of the PSC asks for it, I will not be hesitant to make a decision on the chairmanship. However, everyone should understand that I cannot do whatever I want in a PSC. Every decision is made with the  agreement of other members. In this PSC, there are several MPs who are representing the Opposition, so how can I make decisions at my discretion?” he has further questioned.

Speaker Abeywardena meanwhile has stated that he may have to appoint new members to the controversial PSC or appoint a new committee altogether. However, in the event new members are appointed to the committee, it would be up to the membership of the committee to appoint a new chair to it.

RW’s predicament

Meanwhile, the challenges faced by the President due to his dependency on the ruling SLPP for support in Parliament was last week pointed out by controversial politician Mervyn Silva. Silva, while addressing a public meeting in Kelaniya, had said that a crow had started pecking at the President and interfered with the President’s plan to restore the country.

Silva had taken several swipes at SLPP National Organiser Basil Rajapksa while hailing President Wickremesinghe. “The crow called Basil does not allow the President to do his work properly by pulling his legs and setting traps. Now, I am making a request from you. When this country’s economy fell apart and became helpless, no one came forward to save it. Only the President, who was a mature politician, came forward at that time. Sajith hid when asked to come and take over the presidency,” he had said.

“As soon as Mahinda Rajapaksa finished the war, he opened his family’s eyes to the ways in which to earn, steal, and loot money. There was a person from that family who was responsible for all these actions. That is Basil Rajapaksa, who was the thief,” he had been quoted as saying.

New proposal for PCs

The Government meanwhile is looking at reviving the country’s Provincial Council (PC) system that has been inactive since 2017, when the terms of all councils had expired. It is learnt that there is a discussion within the Government to loosen vesting powers with parliamentarians to carry out duties and functions of former Provincial Council ministers in their respective provinces.

The issue of the Provincial Councils is to also be included on the agenda during President Wickremesinghe’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi when they meet this Friday (21).

The Provincial Councils Act provides for the appointment of four ministers, in addition to a chief minister in order to carry out the functions of the councils. Since the terms of the Provincial Councils ended, the power vested with the chief minister and provincial ministers has been vested with the relevant provincial governor.

It is also learnt that the Presidential Secretariat has already sought advice from the Attorney General on the possibility of the latest proposal being discussed.

Presidential poll

Amidst speculation that the President would call for a national-level election soon, an official affiliated to the President last week stated that there would be a Presidential Election next year and that there would be no other election prior to it this year. This revelation was made by President Wickremesinghe’s Director General for Trade Union Affairs Saman Ratnapriya during a public rally in Badulla early last week.

“There is no election this year. The year 2024 is the election year. From what we have learnt, the Presidential Election will most likely be the first election to be held next year. I propose that we elect Ranil Wickremesinghe as the President in 2024 with the people’s mandate,” he had said. 

It is also learnt that the President and his confidants had also received legal advice on the matter.

However, towards the latter part of last week, there was talk in the political circles that the President was once again thinking of continuing his term and not moving for an early presidential poll.

New alliance

With talk of elections doing the rounds in political circles, there is once again a demand for changes in ownership and office bearers among already registered political parties.

One such party that is currently under much focus is said to be the Deshapremi Eksath Jathika Pakshaya with the rhinoceros as its symbol. The party is reportedly working with the ruling SLPP at present. However, one-time confidant of President Wickremesinghe, Sudath Chandrasekera is reportedly trying to take over the party in preparation for elections.

Meanwhile, the formation of new political alliances has even done the rounds within the SLPP. There had been recent discussions among groups of SLPPers that SLPP Leader, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) was likely to head a new political alliance.

A group of SLPP parliamentarians had inquired about this rumour from MR himself during a recent VIP wedding. MR had smiled and asked the parliamentarians as to what they had heard. “Is my name also being mentioned?” MR had questioned, saying that he was unaware of any such move.

SJB probe

Meanwhile, the SJB is to launch an internal inquiry to look into the allegations made by several backbenchers that some of the party legislators were secretly supporting the Government’s agenda.

The move comes following a statement by former SJB Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra where she had recently charged that some SJB MPs were currently supporting incumbent President Wickremesinghe while in Opposition, and had called on Opposition Leader Premadasa to take immediate action against such MPs.

SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara has told the media last week that the party will soon take a final decision on the membership of the MPs who had previously supported the Government and the MPs who are having secret discussions with the President.

“Several backbenchers including Premachandra had informed our Leader that immediate actions must be taken against the people who are supporting the Government while being in the Opposition. Previously, we launched disciplinary actions against several MPs like Diana Gamage who supported the Government by voting in favour of the 29th Amendment and also against Ministers Harin Fernanado and Manusha Nanayakkara, who crossed the floor in taking ministerial portfolios. Actions have been taken against Rajitha Senaratne and A.H.M. Fowzie as well. Those are still underway, but we hope to reach a final decision in the near future,” he had noted.

SLFP dissidents return

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) meanwhile had last week invited eight of its suspended members to the party’s Central Committee meeting on Friday (14).

Accordingly, party Leader Maithripala Sirisena had invited Nimal Siripala de Silva, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Jagath Pushpakumara, Suren Raghavan, Chamara Sampath Dasanayake, Shantha Bandara, Mahinda Amaraweera, and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, who had been suspended after they had joined the Government, to the meeting at the SLFP headquarters that was held at 6 p.m.

The Central Committee meeting was followed by a convention of the SLFP’s Samastha Lanka Karaka Sabha yesterday (15) morning.

Former President and SLFP Leader Chandrika Kumaratunga had not been invited for either of the meetings.

The SLFP leadership is facing a dilemma following a recent announcement by the Election Commission calling on the party to follow its old Constitution and the former office bearers.

The commission had made this statement following a court case filed by former SLFP Vice President Nimal Siripala de Silva challenging his removal from the party position after joining the Government with a ministerial portfolio.

Pending the ruling on the appeal by the SLFP, the Election Commission had informed the party to follow the party’s old Constitution.

Speaker denies

Speaker Abeywardena had meanwhile denied the allegations levelled against him by the Opposition parties of his alleged partisan actions towards the Government. The Speaker has said that he had carried out his duties according to the Parliament’s Order Book.

The SJB and several other Opposition groups had, by way of a letter, urged the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) to act to ensure the survival and further strengthening of sound parliamentary traditions, claiming that there are acute concerns regarding the behaviour and attitudes of Abeywardena in relation to conducting the business of Parliament.

The Speaker has however said that he has always acted in accordance with the Order Paper related to each parliamentary session. “All I have to say is that I have followed the Order Book. What they (Opposition) want is to go off the Order Book list and allow their MPs to speak, which is not possible. If any parliamentary session needs to be continued beyond the scheduled time, both the ruling party and Opposition need to come to an agreement. If there is no such agreement, the session should stop as scheduled, and that is what I did,” he has explained to the media.

The Speaker has added that he had inquired from Leader of the House Minister Susil Premajayantha as to whether the ruling party would agree to extend the scheduled time for the debate on 1 July, but the ruling party had not agreed to do so.