• RW makes contradictory statements on debt relief for Sri Lanka; says $ 8 billion and $ 5 billion
• EC to get legal right to announce Presidential Polls from Wednesday, says no legal impediments
• RW to amend Constitution saying to clear prez’s term; SC cleared five-year term, says Opposition
• New FR petition by Aruna before SC seeks referendum on 19A; referendum could delay Prez Polls
• Civil society says no to referendums, asks EC to declare polls; Opposition MPs write letter to EC
• RW meets MR, Basil for secret meet; discusses working together; seeks more time to show numbers
• SJBers discuss Prez Polls; Sajith’s adviser says RW to be Dhammika’s PM, Chandima tells the House
• Basil tells SLPPers that RW refrained from discussing candidacy; Dhammika asked to wait till end-July
• Namal meets ministers, state ministers, media secys; says RW yet to show numbers with SJB crossovers
• SJB says two MPs from Gampaha and Kalutara could cross over to Govt.; assures no more crossovers
• Remaining members of FPC join SJB; former FPC members who joined earlier say being sidelined 
• Meeting at GL’s place to discuss grievances, displeasure; Sujeewa represents Sajith, addresses issues
• JVP seniors split over ongoing TU action; Lalkantha says prolonged strikes will anger the public
• JVP/NPP plan aggressive campaign targeting floating votes from August, intel. reports warn Govt.
• Champika to form a new political alliance; says ready to contest Presidential Poll if needed

President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Government, while racing to conclude the country’s debt restructuring programme, are continuing to create confusion and chaos on the political stage.

The Government has expressed hope of completing the country’s debt restructuring programme by the end of this month with the finalisation of the agreement with private creditors.

However, President Wickremesinghe has made two contradicting statements on the advantage to Sri Lanka from the debt restructuring programme, creating confusion on the economic front as well.

Wickremesinghe recently said that Sri Lanka had secured $ 8 billion in debt relief and that Sri Lanka was now free to pursue a new economic direction. He made this observation at a forum organised by the National Bankers’ Association on 5 July. Media reports carried headlines of the President’s statement.

However, a few days before that, on 2 July, Wickremesinghe addressing Parliament said that Sri Lanka would save $ 5 billion in interest owed to bilateral creditors as part of its debt restructuring process, adding that the funds would be used to boost dollar reserves and restore growth. The media had also publicised the President’s speech in Parliament where he spoke of the $ 5 billion saving for Sri Lanka.

While people are left to wonder whether the advantage is $ 8 billion or $ 5 billion, concerns are growing over the holding of the Presidential Election at the scheduled time.

RW’s wait

The Election Commission will receive the constitutional power of announcing the Presidential Election come Wednesday (17). It is believed that the commission will announce the election during the end of July or in the first week of August. In such a scenario, nominations will be accepted between mid- to end-August. 

President Wickremesinghe, who is yet to make public whether he will contest the Presidential Election or not, therefore has over a one-month period to make his announcement on the election. 

Wickremesinghe’s delay in making a statement on his candidacy at the poll has resulted in an increasing belief among the public that the President is not in support of holding the Presidential Election at the constitutionally stipulated time.

Being seen as attempting to delay the holding of the Presidential Election, after indefinitely postponing the holding of Local Government Elections citing the lack of funds, will not bode well for Wickremesinghe in the long term.

Another case

Meanwhile, another Fundamental Rights (FR) petition was filed before the Supreme Court last week seeking to delay the holding of the Presidential Election. The FR petition filed by one C.D. Lenawa was dismissed by the Supreme Court recently while ordering the petitioner to pay Rs. 100,000 as cost for the case.

This time around, Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has filed an FR petition requesting the withholding of the Presidential Election as the 19th Amendment to the Constitution is yet to be properly passed in Parliament. Laksiri has further sought a referendum to properly pass the 19th Amendment.

The Petitioner has claimed that the clause that enables the President to dissolve Parliament after five years had to be passed through a referendum in line with the Supreme Court determination, but that a referendum has not been held to receive approval for the respective clause. Hence, the Petitioner has called for the holding of a referendum in line with the Supreme Court determination to ensure that the 19th Amendment has the necessary approval before moving to hold the Presidential Election.

The holding of a referendum would definitely block the holding of the Presidential Election.

Amending term

However, President Wickremesinghe had last month initiated work to address the confusion over the term of the executive president. Wickremesinghe at the time, after discussing the matter during a gathering of Cabinet ministers and his legal counsel, had directed that necessary steps be taken to ensure that the term of the executive president remains at five years.

Wickremesinghe last week presented to the Cabinet the proposal to amend the Constitution to substitute the clause related to the President’s tenure from “exceeding six years” to “exceeding five years”. The Government observed that there was an ambiguity regarding the term of the president and the period of Parliament in Articles 30 (2), 62 (2), and 83 (b) of the Constitution and that the proposal to amend Article 83 (b) of the Constitution by substituting the clause “exceeding six years” with “exceeding five years” would address it. 

Accordingly, it is learnt that the Legal Draftsman has now completed drafting the proposed amendment of limiting the term of the executive president to five years.

Interestingly, the move to address the confusion over the term of the executive president resulted in United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Palitha Rangebandara making statements that have been criticised by members of the Government. It is also learnt that President Wickremesinghe had also expressed his displeasure at the UNP General Secretary’s “irresponsible” statements.

Rangebandara was slammed by several Cabinet ministers for making false statements to the public about matters discussed at Cabinet meetings. It was finally Cabinet Spokesperson, Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena who publicly shamed Rangebandara, saying that he was lying and that the Cabinet that week had not discussed the president’s term.

Checkmating RW

Be that as it may, President Wickremesinghe, who is a master at political tactics, planned to use the proposed amendment to the Constitution on the term of the president and the vote on it in Parliament when taken up for the third reading to show his support in the House. 

The President is under pressure from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to make public his decision on contesting the Presidential Election. Wickremesinghe for his part has been giving timelines to the SLPP to show his numbers – the first was 15 June, the second was 15 July, and the latest is 21 July. The SLPP has therefore decided to wait till 21 July for Wickremesinghe to make his announcement.

Wickremesinghe is now running out of time to show the SLPP that he has the support of a group of around 20-25 Members of Parliament (MPs) of the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

The President then decided that a vote on the proposed constitutional amendment would be the best opportunity to show that he has two-thirds support in Parliament. His belief was that no MP would vote against a move to reduce his term to five years.

Realising the President’s move, the main Opposition SJB and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) decided to checkmate President Wickremesinghe by moving a motion in Parliament to debate the president’s term and urge the holding of the Presidential Election on time.

A group of SJBers discussed Wickremesinghe’s latest move to show his numbers in the House. However, SLPP dissident and current SJB member Prof. G.L. Peiris pointed out that the Supreme Court had on three occasions determined the president’s term to be five years and that therefore there was no need for any vote in the House on the subject.

It is in such a backdrop that the SJB and the rest of the Opposition agreed to the adjournment debate on the President’s term but maintained there was no need for a vote.

It was JVP/NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) who summed up the Opposition’s sentiments on Wickremesinghe by saying that the latter’s political games were only effective within the UNP and that he was not a mastermind at playing political games like former President Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR).

“Ranil Wickremesinghe is known to play games and be shrewd. He has been doing this throughout his political career over the last 30 years. However, his political games are only effective within his UNP and will not succeed outside. His political games within his own party eventually resulted in the UNP being unable to secure seats in Parliament,” AKD said, adding that MR was a mastermind in playing such political games.

Clarity on term

The Opposition as well as members of civil society have come out saying that there is clarity on the president’s term with three Supreme Court decisions accepting that the tenure of the executive president is five years.

The Attorney General’s statement that the president’s tenure is five years during the hearing of the petition filed by Lenawa last week has also given clarity on the matter.

No referendum

Members of civil society have called on the Government to stop moving to amend the Constitution on the president’s term since it has been cleared by the Supreme Court and urged the Election Commission to call the Presidential Election at the scheduled time.

Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) Executive Director Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu and People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi convened a news conference last week where they claimed that the term of the executive president had been cleared on several occasions by the Supreme Court and that there was no need to further delay the polls.

Hettiarachchi noted that there was no need for a constitutional amendment on the president’s term since it is clear that it was five years. Moves by the Government to amend the Constitution could result in people going before the Supreme Court, resulting in a delay in holding the Presidential Election.

Hettiarachchi and members of civil society maintain that amendments to the Constitution that would require the holding of a referendum for approval should not be presented to Parliament especially before the Presidential Election. 

Civil society members further claimed that the Government that maintained it did not have funds to hold the Local Government Elections should not look at wasting public funds amounting to around Rs. 10 billion on a referendum.

Letter to EC

Meanwhile, a group of Opposition parliamentarians last week addressed a letter to the Election Commission, signed by 30 MPs, including party leaders. The letter has urged the commission to intervene to prevent various conspiracies being launched by certain forces using the Constitution to delay the holding of the Presidential Election.

The legislators have pointed out that the commission should make arrangements to hold the Presidential Election at the first possible instance. 

The letter has accused the Government of resorting to various attempts to delay the election due to the knowledge that it will be defeated. It has further noted that the Supreme Court has clearly stated the term of the president is five years and that there is no ambiguity in the matter.

However, the Election Commission has said that it did not have any legal impediment to proceed with the holding of the Presidential Election. 

Confusion among allies

Wickremesinghe allies, the Anura Yapa, Nimal Lanza, and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) alliance was also flummoxed by the various stories that were doing the rounds that the President was trying to delay the holding of the Presidential Election. This matter was taken up for discussion during a meeting of the Operations Committee of the alliance.

SLFPer and State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna had posed the question to the alliance group. Lanza had responded saying that the President had no intention of postponing the election and that the Election Commission would announce the Presidential Election as scheduled. Yapa had then pointed out statements issued by the President’s Media Division (PMD) denying such a move.

Lanza had then said that the FR petition filed before the Supreme Court was aimed at discrediting the President.

Two rallies

However, the Wickremesinghe Government has decided to carry out a more focused campaign given that the announcement on the Presidential Election will be made as scheduled by the Election Commission.

The second in the series of rallies organised by the Government under the theme ‘Victory through Unity’ is scheduled to be held in Kandy today (14). President Wickremesinghe will also be participating in the rally. The Government is to hold two more rallies this month, with the last one being planned in the Galle District.

Meanwhile, the Yapa-Lanza-SLFP alliance is also set to hold a rally today (14) in Badulla. The rally has been organised by SLFP Leader, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and State Minister Chamara Sampath Dasanayake.

The alliance members are currently in a race to expand its support base by getting more MPs to join it.

Soured relations

Meanwhile, relations between President Wickremesinghe and the SLPP, especially with SLPP theoretician Basil Rajapaksa, have somewhat soured following the hardline stance taken by a group of Wickremesinghe allies against the SLPP and the Rajapaksas’ role in the Wickremesinghe election campaign.

The objections raised by a group of SLPP dissidents including Nimal Lanza and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa as well as the SLFP over the Rajapaksas’ role in the Wickremesinghe campaign resulted in Basil expressing his displeasure and threatening to field a separate candidate through the SLPP.

This incident seems to have had an impact on the relations between Wickremesinghe and the Rajapaksas, with SLPP seniors including party National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa pushing for the SLPP to field a candidate of its own.

Basil had on previous occasions expressed his displeasure with Wickremesinghe over his accommodation of SLPP dissidents in his fold, encouraging more SLPPers to split from the party. Nevertheless, the SLPP leaders have opted to engage in a ‘waiting game,’ giving way for Wickremesinghe to show his numbers.

However, it is learnt that the SLPP seniors, following pressure from a group of party MPs demanding that the party make a final decision on the Presidential Election, have informed them that the SLPP will make a decision on 25 July.

The secret meet

Amidst all this drama, a secret meeting had taken place at President Wickremesinghe’s official residence at Paget Road (Mahagamasekara Mawatha) in Colombo on Wednesday (10) morning, aimed at restrengthening ties between Wickremesinghe and the Rajapaksas. This meeting was attended by four individuals – Wickremesinghe, SLPP Leader and former President MR, SLPP theoretician Basil, and President’s Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka.

The meeting was focused on the upcoming Presidential Election. However, it is learnt that Wickremesinghe had refrained yet again from stating whether he will be contesting the election.

While the President had held several meetings earlier with Basil, it was after some time that he had met with both MR and Basil together for a meeting. It is also learnt that the meeting had been held following a request by Wickremesinghe and coordinated by former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Yoshitha Rajapaksa.

During the meeting, Ratnayaka had referred to the anti-SLPP and anti-Rajapaksa sentiments expressed by the likes of Lanza and Co. and asked the SLPP leaders not to be disturbed by it since it was not the time for petty arguments. Basil, it is learnt, had agreed but refrained from commenting further on the matter.

Although details of the meeting are yet to be known in full, President Wickremesinghe had informed the UNP Management Committee that met on Wednesday evening that the SLPP leaders were in a positive place.

However, Lanza and Co., it is learnt, maintain that the Rajapaksas are misleading Wickremesinghe by showing that they (the SLPP) will support him (Wickremesinghe) at the Presidential Election until the last minute and say that the party needs to support a winning candidate and turn to an alternative. The Lanza group believes that the SLPP will withdraw at the last minute and field businessman-turned-politician Dhammika Perera.

Perera, who is at the top of the list of names of the SLPP’s possible candidates at the Presidential Election, has also openly accepted ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ policies, which the SLPP has said is a precondition for the party to extend its support.

Dhammika’s wait

However, with President Wickremesinghe requesting for more time from the SLPP to make an announcement on his Presidential Election candidacy, Perera has been asked by the SLPP leaders to be a bit more patient.

Despite the SLPP’s waiting game, Perera continues with his image building and campaign work through DP Education. He claimed at an event in Kalutara that it was not a great challenge to develop the country and to ensure the welfare of the nation if ‘Mahinda Chinthana’ policies were followed by Sri Lanka. 

However, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam last week noted that the party had not yet decided on fielding Perera as its presidential candidate.

Dhammika’s PM RW

The news of the meeting between Wickremesinghe, MR, and Basil also made its way to the SJB offices as well. 

The following morning, Thursday (11), a group of SJB politicians, including Eran Wickramaratne, Ashok Abeysinghe, Nalin Bandara, Wasantha Senanayake, and Chandima Weerakkody, was engaged in a discussion about the upcoming Presidential Election at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Parliament when one of SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa’s advisers had walked in.

The adviser had asked the SJB MPs whether they had heard about the meeting that had taken place between the President, MR, and Basil. The SJB MPs had responded saying that they too were discussing it. 

Premadasa’s adviser had then asked if the MPs knew that Wickremesinghe had begged the SLPP leaders for more time to show his numbers in the House by getting SJB MPs to cross over. He had further noted that the President had been desperate and had agreed to Basil’s proposal to field Perera as the presidential candidate with the support of the SLPP and Wickremesinghe if the latter failed to get a considerable number of SJB MPs to cross over by the end of this month. “Ranil had agreed to be Dhammika’s prime minister,” the adviser had added.

Wickramaratne and several others had however expressed surprise at the statement, saying that the Wickremesinghe they knew would never agree to such a proposal where he would be Perera’s prime minister.

However, soon after this discussion, Weerakkody made this revelation public during his speech in the House that day. He asked whether Wickremesinghe or Perera would be contesting from the SLPP and whether the President was prepared to be Perera’s prime minister.

Laughing it off

Hearing of this news, Basil, who was at the SLPP Headquarters at Nelum Mawatha in Battaramulla in discussion with the party’s Administrative Secretary Renuka Perera, had laughed.

Perera and several others present at the time had inquired from Basil why he was laughing in this manner after hearing about Wickremesinghe being prepared to be Dhammika Perera’s prime minister. 

Basil had responded saying that Wickremesinghe had smartly slipped away whenever the issue of the Presidential Election and his candidacy had come up for discussion. “He (the President) avoided talking about his candidacy,” Basil had said, adding however that they had discussed working together in the future.

Basil’s reminder

It is amidst all these developments that Basil recently made an interesting statement in front of President Wickremesinghe during a public event. The event was organised by MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena in Kalutara to mark 27 years of his political career.

He noted that the SLPP had supported Wickremesinghe not out of fear or obligation and further observed that the party was not indebted to Wickremesinghe either. “We supported you because we honestly believed that you could salvage the country. We then sincerely supported you. We have supported you to date and will continue to do so. I would like to say that it is because of the country and its people that we do so,” Basil said.

President Wickremesinghe, who also addressed the event, said that the SLPP had had to make some hard decisions and that one was to support him two years ago. The President then gave a piece of advice to Abeygunawardena and the SLPP. He said: “The world keeps changing. Learn to think afresh and don’t be stuck in the old place.”

Clarifying support

However, the statement made by Basil that the SLPP would continue to support Wickremesinghe was questioned by several SLPPers at the Party Headquarters later on. It was Namal who had then explained Basil’s comment.

Namal had said that what Basil had said in Kalutara was what he (Namal) had also been saying. Namal had explained that the SLPP would continue to support the Government and would not let it fall apart. However, he had added that it did not mean that the SLPP would support Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Election.

Meanwhile, Namal also took a swipe recently at Wickremesinghe over his attempts to split parties by stating that winning elections by dividing rival parties was an outdated strategy that was not valid anymore.

He recalled the worst defeat suffered by the UNP, noting that trying to divide parties would only bring certain defeat. “Instead of dividing parties, what should be done is to rise up strongly in unity,” Namal added.

Namal’s meeting

Meanwhile, Namal had also organised a meeting recently with a group of SLPP ministers, state ministers, and media secretaries of ministries of SLPP ministers at his official residence at Malalasekera Mawatha in Colombo 7. The meeting had been followed by dinner.

During the meeting, several questions had been posed to Namal on the SLPP’s stance on the Presidential Election. Namal had then provided a detailed explanation after saying that the party was yet to make a final decision.

Namal had noted that President Wickremesinghe had vowed to get the support of around 20-25 MPs from the SJB and had asked for some time. “We (the SLPP) have given the President the time he has requested,” he had said.

According to Namal, the SLPP will be compelled to support Wickremesinghe if he manages to obtain the support of a considerable number of SJB MPs. “So far, this has not happened. It doesn’t seem like such numbers will defect from the SJB,” Namal had added.

However, when questioned what the SLPP would do if the President managed to draw the numbers from the SJB, Namal had said that in such a scenario the SLPP would come up with a different campaign strategy like what the JVP did during the 2015 Presidential Election. Namal had noted that the SLPP would then engage in a solo campaign without joining with the alliances supporting Wickremesinghe.

Split in family

Nevertheless, there seems to be a split over supporting President Wickremesinghe at elections even within the Rajapaksa family. It is learnt that the likes of MPs Chamal and Shasheendra Rajapaksa have maintained that Wickremesinghe should be given another term to complete the work he has started.

Meanwhile, a relative of the Rajapaksa family, Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga has claimed that President Wickremesinghe had misled Basil and that the Rajapaksas were now too ashamed to admit it.

Weeratunga, who is a Basil loyalist, has been pushing for the SLPP to field its own candidate at the Presidential Election and made this statement from the Red Square in Russia.

No RW in list

The SLPP meanwhile slammed Weeratunga over his continuous comments made on behalf of the party. SLPP General Secretary Kariyawasam asked “who is Udayanga?” while criticising him.

However, the SLPP also claimed that since President Wickremesinghe had not announced any decision to contest the upcoming Presidential Election, the party did not discuss him (the President) and supporting him at the election.

Kariyawasam said that the President had not made any indications to the SLPP of a decision to contest the Presidential Election.

Ravi’s assurance

Despite the ongoing debates and discussions within the SLPP over the Presidential Election and Wickremesinghe, UNP National Secretary Ravi Karunanayake has assured a group of UNPers that the Rajapaksas will definitely extend support to Wickremesinghe.

Karunanayake, it is learnt, had stated during a recent workshop held for UNPers that the ongoing discussions between the UNP and the Rajapaksas were in a positive place and that the SLPP would extend support to the President.

Karunanayake and UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena have openly stated that the President needs the support of the Rajapaksas and the SLPP to win the Presidential Election. Both Karunanayake and Abeywardena have therefore been holding meetings with MR, Basil, and members of MR’s family.

SJB crossovers

Meanwhile, the main Opposition SJB, after weeks of denying any crossovers from the party to the Government, last week claimed that two of its MPs would cross over after accepting perks and privileges. The revelation was made by SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna, who is a Premadasa loyalist.

He told the media that two SJB MPs – one representing the Gampaha District and the other representing the Kalutara District – would join the Government after accepting monies in dollars. He further likened these two MPs, whom he did not specifically name, to political prostitutes.

New entrants

While the SJB spoke of possible crossovers from the party, SLPP dissident MPs Dullas Alahapperuma and Prof. Charitha Herath (representing the Freedom People’s Council – FPC) on Wednesday (10) announced the decision to join the SJB. A group of FPC members led by dissident SLPPer Prof. G.L. Peiris had joined the SJB last year.

Herath officially joined the SJB on Thursday (11) although he had announced his decision to join the SJB the day before. Premadasa’s confidant and adviser Lakshman Fonseka had taken Herath to meet Premadasa on Thursday, where the official letter appointing him as an SJB Organiser had been handed over. Herath was given the Katugampola electorate in the Kurunegala District. 

Meanwhile, two other members of the FPC, Lalith Ellawala and Thilak Rajapakshe, have also announced their decision to join the SJB. Ellawala is to join Premadasa at the SJB rally in Kalutara.

Meeting at GL’s

However, with the new entrants to the SJB from the FPC, the former FPC members who had joined the SJB earlier this year were feeling sidelined. Several former FPC members had conveyed their displeasure at being sidelined due to the new members from the FPC and this was conveyed to the SJB leadership by former Co-Leader of the FPC and current SJB member Prof. Peiris.

In order to address these concerns, a meeting was organised at Prof. Peiris’ residence. Premadasa was represented at the meeting by Sujeewa Senasinghe. During the meeting the MPs had expressed their frustrations and displeasure since they felt they were being sidelined within the SJB. 

Senasinghe, after listening to the grievances, had telephoned Premadasa and given the MPs the opportunity to tell Premadasa their issues directly. Following the discussion with Premadasa, it had been decided to address the grievances of the former FPC members.

It was also decided to appoint Nalaka Godahewa as the SJB Organiser for Kelaniya – a post which was earlier held by Sarath Fonseka.

Strike hits JVP

Amidst the many ongoing political dramas, the JVP is also facing its own drama over the ongoing protests and strike actions launched by several key sectors in the country, including teachers and principals. The JVP, which leads the NPP, is now unable to form one line of thinking on the ongoing trade union action.

It is no secret that the JVP has the largest and strongest trade union arm in the country and its affiliated trade unions have been engaged in a series of protest campaigns and strikes for the past few months.

However, the prolonged trade union action has now become a concern for the JVP seniors and this concern has resulted in what seems like a split in the ideologies of some JVP leaders and the trade union movement.

This split was recently witnessed when JVP Politburo member, Trade Union Wing Leader, and NPP Executive Committee member K.D. Lalkantha made a public statement critical of the ongoing trade union action. He claimed that the continuous trade union action launched by some sectors was now beginning to earn the wrath of the general public.

Meanwhile, JVP-affiliated Teacher Trade Union Head Mahinda Jayasinghe has said that he had proposed a continuous strike action for teachers and principals until their demands were won. Jayasinghe has observed that his proposal had not been accepted by the Joint Trade Union Committee of Teachers and Principals.

JVP/NPP campaign

The JVP/NPP meanwhile is to launch an aggressive campaign from next month (August). The JVP/NPP campaign preparations have also captured the attention of the intelligence units.

‘The Black Box’ last week reported on a complaint lodged with the Police by a senior member of the JVP/NPP-affiliated Retired Police Officers’ Collective about two individuals behaving in a suspicious manner monitoring the goings-on of a meeting of the collective.

It is evident that the JVP/NPP is well aware that intelligence units are keeping a close watch on its activities at present.

It is learnt that intelligence units have already informed the Government of the JVP/NPP plan of launching an aggressive campaign from August where it will target the large component of undecided ‘floating’ votes.

Seeking court intervention

Meanwhile, Dayasiri Jayasekara, who recently assumed duties as the General Secretary of the SLFP outside the Party Headquarters at Darley Road in Colombo following an interim order issued by court suspending his expulsion from the party and removal from the post of general secretary of the party by former Leader of the SLFP Maithripala Sirisena and former Acting General Secretary Dushmantha Mithrapala, has decided to initiate further legal action.

Jayasekara says that he will seek legal intervention to help him properly engage in his work as the SLFP General Secretary without any hindrance. He has said that contempt of court allegations will be levelled before court against everyone who had prevented him from entering the SLFP Headquarters when he had arrived to officially assume duties as the party’s General Secretary. Jayasekara has also lodged a complaint about the incident with the Maradana Police.

He added that a complaint would be lodged with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka as well. 

According to Jayasekara, he did not have to seek SLFP Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva’s permission to assume duties as the party’s General Secretary since the court had restored him to the position.

Work goes on

However, the SLFP’s new office bearers (pro-de Silva faction), who were appointed following an Executive Committee meeting of the party last month, claim that they will continue with the party work under Party Leader de Silva and General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake.

Since the court case was filed against a decision taken by Sirisena and Mithrapala and the court directive is aimed at them, the de Silva faction maintains that there is no need to be affected by the latest enjoining order related to the SLFP.

SLFP seniors Dissanayake and Mahinda Amaraweera are engaged in a series of electoral-level meetings with party members as well as with organisations affiliated to the party to clear the existing confusion over office bearers and the party’s political path.

Champika’s alliance

Meanwhile, dissident SJB MP and United Republic Front (URF) Leader Patali Champika Ranawaka has indicated the formation of a political alliance and that his decision on contesting the upcoming Presidential Election will depend on the stance taken by this alliance.

“We plan to form an alliance. We are working towards forming this and it will be done when elections are announced. This alliance will field a suitable candidate at the election. I will contest if they ask me to. Otherwise, we will support a candidate whom we can back in line with our policies,” he said during a public meeting in the Athurugiriya area.

Ranawaka has also called on citizens to stand up against what he claimed to be the ‘political underworld’ that is controlling the country.