• Govt. under pressure by China to permit Xiang Yang Hong 3 to visit Sri Lanka in Jan.
• Nandalal notes need to continue with IMF’s EFF programme for the next four years
• RW’s UNP to launch election campaign with rally in Colombo, more rallies planned
• UNP to form Leadership Council with some powers of leader for party management
• Ravi moves ahead with RW campaign, holds dinner for ministers, party leaders, Catholic clergy
• Split at pre-Christmas SJB Working Committee meet on alliance; Sajith takes a stand
• Mujibur, Hirunika air concerns; Marikkar and Sujeewa push for alliance for next polls
• Basil takes charge, presents 10 pre-conditions to SLPP’s presidential candidate hopefuls
• Dhammika begins meetings for political allies; Basil meets second-tier party organisers
• Mervyn to form new political party to defeat RW and Govt., urges professionals to join

As 2023 comes to an end with a new year set to dawn tomorrow, Sri Lankans, one and all, have one wish – for better times and lesser economic hardships in 2024. Given that 2024 is an election year, President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Government will have to ‘pull up their socks’ and deliver to the people if they want to sit back at the House by the Diyawanna.

A recent report by the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) revealed the real plight of a majority of the people in the country, which indicates that all is not rosy despite the positive economic movements shown by the Government.

The report has shown that the economic crisis has resulted in as many as 60.5% of households finding their monthly average incomes reduced while 91% of households experienced an increase in their monthly expenditure levels.

The DCS report has also noted that the origin of the crisis was the 2019 Easter Sunday attack, which was exacerbated by the global pandemic and the ongoing economic crisis. The survey has also stated that households had not only adapted their food consumption habits, but had also employed diverse livelihood-based coping strategies to address the challenges of inadequate food access and availability.

The Wickremesinghe Government meanwhile will move ahead with the increased Value-Added Tax (VAT) component on goods and services that will further burden the people. The increased burden has been blamed on the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) ongoing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with Sri Lanka.

The Government, in order to prepare for the next IMF review on the EFF due mid next year, has to ensure revenue targets are met while also finalising the debt restructuring programme during the first quarter of the year.

Meanwhile, Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has emphasised on the importance of the continuity of the IMF’s EFF programme.

During a special briefing held on Friday (29), Weerasinghe had explained that the EFF programme should continue for the next four years, under any government, in order to get the debt relief and international financial support required. He had further warned that the unilateral withdrawal from the IMF EFF agreement would result in severe implications.

However, the Wickremesinghe Government’s immediate focus for 2024 will be the finalisation of the country’s debt restructuring programme prior to the next IMF review.

Japanese Minister’s visit

It is in such a backdrop that Japanese Finance Minister Shun’ichi Suzuki is expected to visit Sri Lanka on 11 and 12 January. The visit coincides with a tour to Cambodia.

According to reports, Suzuki’s visits to Cambodia and Sri Lanka are aimed at addressing economic challenges and strengthening financial cooperation between Tokyo and the two nations. 

The Japanese Finance Minister, it is learnt, is set to emphasise the critical need to advance debt restructuring efforts in Sri Lanka.

In July, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi was in Sri Lanka in what was the first ministerial visit from Tokyo since 2019.

Chinese pressure

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Government is once again facing pressure from China over another Chinese research vessel looking at visiting Sri Lanka.

The Chinese had sought permission for another research vessel – Xiang Yang Hong 3 – to visit Sri Lanka for research work. According to reports, the Xiang Yang Hong 3 has sought to engage in research and survey from 5 January to 20 February next year.

However, the Sri Lankan Government had informed the Chinese that foreign research vessels would not be permitted to visit Sri Lanka until a proper monitoring mechanism was put in place to monitor the arrival of foreign vessels.

It is evident that the Chinese have not taken this communication well. It is learnt that the Chinese are pushing the Sri Lankan Government to permit the Chinese vessel to visit Sri Lanka given China’s continuous support of Sri Lanka through many difficult times.

Also, some media reports have stated that the Chinese geophysical scientific research vessel Shi Yan 6, which called at the Port of Colombo in October, has once again indicated that it will be heading to Colombo.

Sajith empowered

Amidst all the economic woes and geopolitical concerns, Sri Lanka’s political stage is heating up with 2024 becoming an election year.

The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), it is learnt, has empowered its Leader Sajith Premadasa with the task of forming a common alliance to face elections next year.

The decision was reached at a recent meeting of the Working Committee.

Following the Working Committee meeting, SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara had told the media that no agreement had been reached with regard to a proposal to offer the post of prime minister of an SJB government to Prof. G.L. Peiris, or any other proposal on positions within the proposed alliance.

Meanwhile, senior SJBer Dr. Harsha de Silva had said that all affiliates of an SJB-led alliance should adopt the SJB’s economic policy. “Anyone with fraud and corruption accusations will not be accepted into the SJB alliance,” he had said.

Talks between the SJB and the Freedom People’s Congress (FPC), which is led by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) dissident MPs, have been at the centre of many political talks even during the festive holidays.

SJBers concerned

Meanwhile, Premadasa had convened the SJB’s Working Committee prior to the Christmas holidays in order to make a final decision on the SJB-led alliance in the making. By then, it was evident that not every SJBer was in support of forming a broad alliance.

The meeting therefore was aimed at getting all concerns out in the open.

Once the meeting was called to order, SJB Parliamentarian S.M. Marikkar had expressed views in favour of forming an SJB-led alliance. Former Parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman had then expressed concerns, saying that while he understood the need to form a political alliance, there were concerns over some individuals planning to join it given some of their previous actions that had caused difficulties to minority communities. He had called on the SJB to follow a selective process in deciding the alliance partners.

The next person to raise a voice was former Parliamentarian Sujeewa Senasinghe, who had expressed his opposition to the formation of the proposed alliance. Everyone at the meeting had been shocked by Senasinghe’s stance and he had continued to say that he was opposed to an alliance. Senasinghe had then asked everyone who opposed the formation of an alliance to raise their hands. Interestingly, no one had raised their hands and everyone had remained silent.

Senasinghe had then pointed out that the silence of the SJB members at the meeting was the problem. “This is the problem. Don’t try to play dirty political games. You need to first engage in politics before contesting and winning elections. We need to form an alliance in order to win an election and we cannot be selective over appearances, caste, or religion when doing so,” Senasinghe had claimed.

Prior to Senasinghe’s statement, former Parliamentarian Hirunika Premachandra had pointed out that it was important to look at the vote base held by those looking at joining an SJB-led alliance. Senasinghe, in his long statement, had also responded to Premachandra.

Premachandra was reminded that she had entered politics with the likes of Mahinda and Namal Rajapaksa and later joined Wickremesinghe and the United National Party (UNP). “Hirunika nangi (Premachandra) did not have a vote base when she joined Ranil (Wickremesinghe). But once she got on Ranil’s stage and spoke highly of the party leader, she built herself a vote base. If we take someone like Vasudeva Nanayakkara, who might not have a great vote base, his words on a platform led by Sajith (Premadasa) would make people listen,” Senasinghe had explained.

Following Senasinghe’s statement, Premadasa had addressed the meeting, saying that the SJB would definitely form an alliance to contest the polls. He had further noted that if there were any who opposed the formation of an alliance, they were free to make their decisions.

Campaign ad

Meanwhile, the ruling SLPP’s Presidential Election campaign and its frontrunner for the polls took a new twist with a newspaper advertisement that appeared in a weekend newspaper, urging the public to join the effort to persuade businessman Dhammika Perera to run for the presidency.

The advertisement had reportedly been published by Bally’s International Holdings, which was initially said to be owned by Perera. The advertisement appeared following the SLPP’s recent announcement that Perera was among four candidates being considered by the party for presidential candidacy next year.

However, Perera’s office had stated last week that the newspaper advertisement published on Sunday (24) regarding Perera’s presidential candidacy did not have affiliation with him. A spokesperson had denied that the advertisement was from a company owned by Perera and clarified that it was unrelated to the businessman or his companies.

The spokesperson had emphasised on the importance of media institutions verifying authenticity before publishing advertisements to prevent potential public misinformation.

Conditions for Dhammika

With talk of Perera being a key contender in the SLPP’s presidential candidacy list, the party had also taken another step towards affirming him as the SLPP candidate. The SLPP, mainly the party’s Founder/theoretician Basil Rajapaksa, had given a list of 10 pre-conditions or goals for aspirants for the presidency under the SLPP mandate. The SLPP seniors had formulated the 10 conditions after considering the immediate issues faced by the people at present.

It is learnt that the SLPP hierarchy, led by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR), will decide on the party’s candidate at the Presidential Election based on plans to successfully deliver on the 10 pre-conditions. Among the conditions are insight to forge political alliances and voter support to secure the majority at the polls, strategy to reduce VAT and alternate measures to boost Government revenue, achieving 7% economic growth, and improving good governance. 

Following are the 10 conditions:

 1. Strategic alliance development

Candidates must articulate a comprehensive programme for building alliances with political parties, groups, and civil organisations, aiming to secure a 51% vote base at the Presidential Election.

2. International-level education

A proposed initiative should outline plans for providing globally-competitive education to Sri Lankan students. Emphasis must be placed on elevating vocational training and skill development to international standards, facilitating global employability.

3. Smart agriculture initiative

Candidates are expected to present a programme focused on transforming agriculture into a smart and efficient sector. This includes increasing fertiliser subsidies for farmers, introducing new hybrid seeds, and implementing a fertiliser recommendation system based on ‘soil health cards’.

4. Poverty alleviation and job creation

Develop a programme to eradicate poverty in rural and urban areas, emphasising on the growth of small- and medium-scale businesses. Proposals should indicate strategies for injecting funds into these areas, aiming to create one million jobs and ensuring a stable income for all citizens. 

5. Economic growth and investment attraction

Candidates should prepare and present a programme to boost economic growth to 7% and expand the economy. This involves creating career opportunities through attracting local and foreign investments.

6. Cost of living reduction

Propose measures to reduce the price of goods and the cost of living, including a review and reduction of the VAT to alleviate financial burdens on the public.

7. Government businesses and transparency

State-owned businesses or properties must not be privatised. Instead, candidates must present plans to make existing loss-incurring Government businesses financially viable. Establishing an integrated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) platform for all public services, and implementing a system accessible to the public showcasing transparent procurement and tender procedures of the Government, mirroring global standards, are of crucial importance to combat fraud and corruption.

8. University ranking enhancement

Develop a comprehensive development programme to elevate all 17 State universities of Sri Lanka into the top 1,000 in international rankings. Additionally, align university courses with international job market demands to address graduate unemployment.

9. Tourism industry boost

Present a plan to revitalise the tourism industry with the ambitious goal of attracting five million tourists to Sri Lanka annually.

10. Foreign exchange stability

Introduce a new programme with strategies to ensure a steady influx of dollars, preventing future foreign exchange crises. Proposals should include plans to increase remittances from overseas workers and enhance income from the export of goods and services.

RW’s candidacy

While the SLPP had presented 10 pre-conditions to Perera prior to deciding on his candidacy, the party had also sent out an important message to Wickremesinghe. The message was that Wickremesinghe was unlikely to be the SLPP’s candidate at the next Presidential Election.

It was just last week that a relative of the Rajapaksa family, Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga, during an interview with an online media outlet vowed that Wickremesinghe would never be the SLPP’s presidential candidate.

Basil’s timing in revealing Perera as one of the main contenders of the SLPP for the next Presidential Election could be seen as precise, given the SLPP’s plan of distancing itself from President Wickremesinghe and his economic policy of burdening the people, especially with the VAT increase from 1 January. The 10 pre-conditions given to Perera are also aimed at addressing the current issues faced by the people under the Wickremesinghe Government.

It is learnt that Perera is expected to submit his responses to the 10 conditions shortly.

SLPP doubts RW

The ruling SLPP meanwhile had also stated that it was not hopeful of a fair investigation into the alleged harassment it had faced during the Aragalaya people’s struggle under incumbent President Wickremesinghe, as the latter was also in support of the Aragalaya.

Addressing the SLPP’s National Convention in Colombo recently, SLPP Leader, former President MR had said that a Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry should be appointed to look into the incidents of harassment experienced by SLPP members during the Aragalaya.

When the media had asked whether the SLPP had requested the President to appoint such a commission, a senior SLPP member had said that they had requested Wickremesinghe to do so, but that they were not very hopeful about justice being served to them. “What we feel is that it will be useless to appoint a commission under President Wickremesinghe. Instead, it should be appointed under a future president.”

Explaining the reasons for their belief, the SLPPer had further said: “The current President was also a member of the Aragalaya in the beginning. In that case, how can we believe in a commission appointed by him to look into this matter?”

Second tier

Meanwhile, prior to his departure to the US for the holidays, Basil had reportedly met with a group of electoral organisers. These organisers form the second-tier organisation of the SLPP in electorates that are led by SLPP ministers who are seen as favourable to President Wickremesinghe.

During this meeting, Basil had informed the organisers that several senior SLPP ministers were likely to support Wickremesinghe at the next election. Through the meeting with the SLPP’s second-tier organisers in the electorates, Basil had also sent out a message to the main organisers in those electorates and the senior SLPPers that the party was preparing to move ahead without them.

However, prior to his departure to the US, Basil had also assigned Perera to meet and discuss possibilities of forming alliances with other political parties and individuals.

SLPP campaign begins

Meanwhile, the ruling SLPP has commenced the party’s preparatory work for next year’s national-level elections by kickstarting a series of meetings at electoral level. The first in the series of meetings was held last week in Horana by SLPP Parliamentarian Sanjeeva Edirimanna.

SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam had also attended this meeting, which had been well attended by SLPP members in the area. It is learnt that more electoral meetings had been organised for early next year.

Meeting Dhammika

Following Basil’s departure, Perera, it seems, had continued with meeting political leaders in a bid to build his base of political allies. Perera had reportedly met with around 10 Members of Parliament (MPs), including Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Leader, former President Maithripala Sirisena, for a closed-door meeting.

Most of the MPs who had met Perera were SLPP dissidents who are currently seated as independent members in Parliament. However, details of the discussions are yet unknown.

It will however be interesting to see the reaction of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and its alliance National People’s Power (NPP) towards Perera, given the history and close ties shared between the businessman and seniors of the JVP.

Maithri also ready

Meanwhile, SLFP Leader Sirisena has reportedly expressed that he too is prepared to contest for the presidency again.

He had said during a recent event in Bingiriya that he was prepared to consider contesting at the Presidential Election if the SLFP’s Executive Council decided so.

UNP campaign in Jan.

The UNP, led by President Wickremesinghe, is set to launch its election campaign with a series of rallies from 19 January. The party, it is learnt, is to hold the main public rally in Colombo while several rallies are to be held in other parts of the country afterwards.

Party Leader Wickremesinghe had also informed the UNP seniors that the appointment of members to the Working Committee and other relevant committees in the party would be made next month.

Meanwhile, the UNP is also looking at appointing a Leadership Council to handle the running of the party, with Party Leader Wickremesinghe expected to hand over some of the leadership powers to the proposed new council.

The Leadership Council is expected to comprise Ruwan Wijewardene, Harin Fernando, Vajira Abeywardena, Ravi Karunanayake, Sagala Ratnayaka, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, and Palitha Range Bandara.

Ravi’s dinner

Meanwhile, Karunanayake had taken the lead in preparing for the elections next year. One of the main actions taken by Karunanayake in this regard was during a recent dinner he hosted at his residence.

A few days prior to the Christmas holidays, when President Wickremesinghe had travelled to the hill country for some rest and relaxation, Karunanayake had organised a dinner at his Kotte residence. 

Wickremesinghe and several party members, ministers, party leaders, and members of professional organisations had attended the dinner. It is also learnt that a senior member of the Catholic Church had also been invited for the dinner. This member of the Catholic clergy is said to represent the hill country diocese.

It is evident that Karunanayake is working towards Wickremesinghe’s campaign by building political allies while also trying to bridge the existing gap between Wickremesinghe and the Catholic Church.

Mervyn against RW

Meanwhile, outspoken former Minister Mervyn Silva has revealed plans to launch a new political party in the coming days to defeat President Wickremesinghe and his Government.

He had told the media on Thursday (28) that Wickremesinghe would also have to face the same fate as former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa if he (Wickremesinghe) and the current Government continued to suppress trade union leaders and impose limitations on media freedom. “It is because of the media that all these acts of corruption are exposed. If trade unions and media institutions are to be banned, no corruption will be revealed.” 

Claiming that the Government was planning to suppress trade unions and the media to hide its failure, Silva had said that he would invite all professionals including doctors, lawyers, and labourers to get together to defeat the Government. 

He had further said that they had also planned to launch a new party in the coming days. “We are going to launch a new political party. President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne, Mahendra Jayasekera of the Young Men’s Buddhist Association, and several others are there with the party. They will govern the country in a new way.”

Tamil candidate

Amidst talk of candidates for the next Presidential Election, there is also a discussion that the Tamil parties in the country could put forward a candidate of their choice at the upcoming polls.

It is in such a backdrop that Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) Batticaloa District MP Govindan Karunakaran had told the media that while no formal discussion had taken place on the matter, the Tamil parties would however soon make a final decision concerning the same. He had also noted that the MPs should look at what the public opinion was before taking a decision, and that future actions should be decided on the public will. 

The ITAK is the main constituent party of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

Meanwhile, Tamil Progressive Alliance Leader and SJB MP Mano Ganesan, who represents the hill country/upcountry Tamils, had said that allegations of a separate Tamil candidate were being created due to the inequalities and racist treatment that persisted in the country’s political arena. 

He had further noted that no politician who represented an ethnic minority could either be the president or the prime minister under the current political atmosphere in the country.

CC vs. Judiciary

Meanwhile, some members of the Constitutional Council (CC) have expressed doubts regarding whether President Wickremesinghe was attempting to create a conflict between the council and the Judiciary by blocking the necessary background for the CC to elevate Court of Appeal President Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunarathna as a Supreme Court judge.

The recommendation made by Wickremesinghe to appoint Justice Karunarathna as a Supreme Court judge is yet to be approved by the Constitutional Council.

In order to proceed with the matter, the CC had requested Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya for information pertaining to the apex courts’ (Court of Appeal and Supreme Court) judges’ performance, but the Chief Justice had informed the council that he was not in possession of such. The CC had then prepared a set of rules with regard to the appointment of judges, and sent them to the Government Printing Department to be gazetted, but the department had reportedly not gone ahead with the matter under the instructions of Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam.

When a question was posed to a CC member as to what the council would do with regard to the recommendation made by the President to promote Justice Karunarathna, the council member had said: “I don’t know what will happen. The Constitutional Council has not made a decision on the matter yet, and the President cannot appoint him without our [CC] approval. Therefore, I am not sure what will happen. What has happened is that the President is trying to frustrate the Judiciary by not giving this [the proposed promotion of Justice Karunarathna, whose name has been nominated to the CC by President Wickremesinghe], and is instead creating a conflict between the CC and the Judiciary.”

The member had further said that they could not approve or reject an individual’s appointment to a higher court simply because someone had praised or criticised them. As several attempts of the CC to streamline judges’ appointments have failed, the media had queried regarding what action it would take in the end, to which the CC member had replied: “In the end, we will have to make decisions based on what is being posted on social media platforms such as Facebook and statements made by certain individuals.”

CC recommendation

The Constitutional Council has meanwhile made a recommendation for the vacant position in the Election Commission (EC) and referred this to the appointing authority, President Wickremesinghe.

Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake recently said that they were awaiting a response to a letter sent by them to the CC, requesting to appoint a suitable person for its vacant member position.

EC’s request

Meanwhile, the EC has stated that while it had requested the Government to allocate Rs. 20 billion for the elections to be held next year, and only Rs. 10 billion had been allocated through the 2024 Budget, it could, however, if necessary, request more money from the Consolidated Fund.

President Wickremesinghe recently said that the Government would hold both the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in 2024.

EC Chairman Rathnayake had said that they had requested the Government for financial allocations of Rs. 20 billion for election purposes in 2024, but that the Government had allocated only Rs. 10 billion.

He had said that the EC had provisions to ask for more financial allocations from the Consolidated Fund if any other election were to be held next year.