• Govt. yet to meet all commitments to IMF; only Sumanthiran attends RW’s meet on IMF discussions
• IMF unaware of RW’s meeting on IMF with Opposition parties; Prez agrees to issue technical reports
• JVP/NPP moves out of comfort zone, meets IMF at Shangri-La and outlines changes under its govt. 
• Basil sets SLPP on course to demand General Election first; Govt. looks at amending electoral system
• SLPP Executive Committee to meet to discuss candidate for Prez Polls; Basil meets organisers, TUs
• GR’s book causes more controversy; Basil displeased while Sugeeshwara calls Sobitha Thera’s bluff
• RW slams JVP/NPP, SJB at Kuliyapitiya rally; Harin takes on organising UNP’s May Day rally in Colombo
• Committee comprising representatives of several parties working to build RW as common candidate
• Another new political alliance to be launched on Wednesday in Colombo; Dayasiri to lead the alliance
• SLFP-led PA alliance continues to face delays; PA turns to Patali Champika as potential alliance leader
• AKD meets Canadian High Commissioner in Colombo prior to visiting Canada; Harini travels to England

It is evident that President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Government have their work cut out with a Presidential Election looming on the horizon, while the country is currently enjoying some temporary relief from the economic turmoil of 2022-2023.

Whether Wickremesinghe will be able to steer the country to an economically safe ground and set the policies to prevent Sri Lanka from falling down the abyss once servicing begins of all foreign loans while presenting himself as the candidate the nation needs at the upcoming Presidential Polls is yet to be seen. The Wickremesinghe Government continues to tout the success in getting rid of the 12-hour-long power cuts and fuel queues as signs of a country on an economic revival path. However, the real test of Wickremesinghe’s actions after assuming office to resolve the economic crisis last year will be when the country fully resumes its economic activities, including the repayment of foreign loans and the total lifting of import restrictions.

However, given the recent sentiments expressed by his coalition partners in the Government – the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) – led by the Rajapaksas, one could wonder for how long Wickremesinghe intended to break bread with the SLPP. The official SLPP is now distancing itself from the Wickremesinghe Government, drawing clear battle lines in preparation for the election season.

The SLPP superiors have clearly outlined that they were not agreeable to the divestiture of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as a solution to ease the burden on the Treasury as well as Wickremesinghe’s economic policies on the whole. The party’s Founder Basil Rajapaksa just last week said that he was unsure if the Government was being represented by the SLPP.

It is hence evident that Wickremesinghe will now have to think twice about who he will partner if he is looking at re-election. Wickremesinghe’s image as the ‘saviour of the Rajapaksas’ resulted in his party, the United National Party (UNP), being decimated at the 2020 General Election. If Wickremesinghe fails to, at least now, understand the ground realities, he will have all the time in the world to sing ‘baila,’ like at the Royal-Thomian big match recently, and entertain the masses.

Amidst the divided political landscape in the country, the Wickremesinghe Government is also under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) microscope over the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

Verité Research’s ‘IMF Tracker’ last week stated that Sri Lanka had failed to meet 33% of the commitments due by end-February in the IMF programme.

The February update of the tracker has further stated that many of these commitments that are classified as ‘not met’ on the IMF Tracker were designed to improve governance. “These include commitments related to publishing information (transparency) and those that require the passage of governance-improving legislation.”

The Government, while trying to finalise the country’s debt restructuring programme starting this month, is also trying to meet the areas flagged by the IMF in its governance diagnostic last year.

Saying no to RW

It is in such a backdrop that President Wickremesinghe announced that he would convene a meeting between the Opposition political leaders and the IMF to discuss the ongoing IMF programme including Sri Lanka’s current position on the economic front.

The Opposition parties however did not accept the President’s invitation, saying that they did not require a mediator to discuss the economy with the IMF.

The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) was the first to dismiss Wickremesinghe’s invite for a meeting with the IMF.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa through his Secretary Thisath Wijayagunawardane had in writing informed the President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake that he and the SJB would not be attending the meeting called by the President with the IMF delegates.

Meanwhile, SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva had stated that his request to the President was to seek an audience for the Opposition with Sri Lanka’s creditors, the bondholders, and not with the IMF with which the country has signed a bailout package. “Nobody asked for a meeting with the IMF. What I asked for was to meet the bondholders (Sri Lanka’s ISB holders), not the IMF.”

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) also announced soon after that the party would also not attend the meeting coordinated by the President.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) however stated that the party was willing to attend the meeting with the IMF delegation.

Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) Parliamentarian Sivagnanam Shritharan told the media that the TNA would attend the discussion.

Only Suma at meet

Finally, when Wickremesinghe convened the meeting, it was only TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran who represented the Opposition side.

During the meeting, Sumanthiran had highlighted the absence of published technical assistance reports from the IMF regarding several recommendations of concern. Opposition parties on several occasions had requested in Parliament for these technical reports.

Sumanthiran had further stated that the IMF had cited the need for Government approval to publicise the reports. The President had responded during the meeting that these technical assistance reports could be released to the MPs.

Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana had meanwhile provided insights into the ongoing negotiations with bilateral creditors, commercial creditors, and ISBs, with an outlook towards completing the process by the end of June this year.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor had highlighted the Government’s efforts in adhering to the recommendations outlined in the governance diagnostic report, emphasising on the commitment to a structured roadmap for implementation.

IMF not invited

However, it is interesting that the IMF delegation was not present at the meeting since President Wickremesinghe had stated earlier that the dialogue would be between the Opposition parties and the IMF.

It was later learnt that the IMF delegation had not been aware of the all-party meeting that the President had convened to discuss with the IMF.

JVP/NPP Executive Committee Member Sunil Handunnetti had said that it seemed the President had misled the Opposition parties, claiming that he would organise a meeting with the IMF, since the IMF delegation was unaware of such a meeting.

He had explained that during a meeting between the JVP/NPP and the IMF, members of the fund had responded saying that they were unaware of a meeting convened by the President when asked if the IMF had been invited for that meeting.

Meeting at Shangri-La

However, the JVP/NPP met with the IMF delegation led by Peter Breuer on Thursday (14) at Shangri-La, Colombo. It is interesting that the last meeting between the IMF and the JVP/NPP was held at the JVP Headquarters in Pelawatte and, this time around, the meeting venue was a neutral location – the Shangri-La. 

It is not often that the JVP meets with foreign delegations outside the Party Headquarters. The majority of the meetings with diplomats have also taken place in Pelawatte.

However, meeting the IMF at a neutral location could be an indication that the JVP/NPP is also prepared to engage in a positive dialogue with the fund, which the party has been critical of in the past. The JVP/NPP it seems is not leaving any stone unturned in trying to increase its appeal among the urban middle-class as a movement that has reformed and is now more inclusive than earlier.

During the meeting between the IMF and JVP/NPP, the party had noted that a future JVP/NPP government would revise the clauses related to the sale of public assets and increasing the burden on the public that have been agreed to in the current IMF agreement by the Sri Lankan Government.

The party had further expressed concerns over the continuous deterioration of governance in the country and had also pointed to the recent appointment of the Chairman to the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).

The SJB meanwhile stated last week that the party would meet the IMF officials this week.

Opposition and SJB Leader Premadasa has said during a public event last week that his party would request IMF assistance for a nutrition package for women and schoolchildren. 

Udaya’s proposal

Meanwhile, dissident SLPP MP and Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Leader Udaya Gammanpila last week presented a bill to Parliament to repeal the recent arbitrary increase of salaries of staff at the CBSL. 

Gammanpila on Wednesday (13) handed over the proposed bill to amend the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act No.16 of 2023 to Assistant Secretary General of Parliament Hansa Abeyratne. 

The bill proposes to abolish the Central Bank’s arbitrary wage hike, as well as make it mandatory for the CBSL to obtain the Finance Minister’s approval for salary hikes of its employees.

After accepting Gammanpila’s proposal, Abeyratne had said that steps would be taken to forward it for the Attorney General’s consideration.

Push for General Elections

On the electoral front, the SLPP has been hinting that a Parliamentary Election should be held prior to the Presidential Polls. However, the party’s stance on the upcoming elections is now clear, with the party’s theoretician Basil saying publicly that a General Election should be held prior to the Presidential Polls this year.

He had said that he believed that holding the Parliamentary Election after the Presidential Election would not accurately reflect the people’s reality. He had further explained that in the event a candidate won the Presidential Election by even a single vote, the party represented by that individual was likely to secure a significant majority in Parliament, as was the case in 2020.

Basil had therefore noted that a Parliamentary Election should be held first to ensure a balanced Parliament.

It is this plan that had earlier prompted Rajapaksa relative and Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga to say that Basil will be the SLPP’s prime ministerial candidate.

Meanwhile, Basil, who is in the process of meeting members of the diplomatic community, had held a meeting last week with Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha.

Electoral amendments

The SLPP’s push for a General Election when President Wickremesinghe has on many occasions stated that the Presidential Election will be held first has prompted the Government to amend the parliamentary electoral system.

Since Parliamentary Elections are due next year, the Government is mooting amendments to the Parliamentary Elections Act under the purview of Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. 

Rajapakshe had recently presented a Cabinet paper proposing the introduction of a mixed electoral system. Under the proposed new system, 160 MPs will be elected under the First Past the Post system and another 65 MPs under the Proportional Representation system.

Under the First Past the Post system, the candidate who receives the most votes in a local constituency wins a seat in the House while the Proportional Representation system will see parties’ seats in Parliament being allocated in proportion to the number of votes cast for each party.

The proposed amendments have been referred to representatives of various political parties in the House for further discussion. 

In the event the Government moves ahead with amending the Parliamentary Elections Act, the SLPP’s call for General Elections could be held back.

SLPP concerned

The SLPP meanwhile is reported to have reiterated its concerns to President Wickremesinghe over his direct dealings with individuals of the party, bypassing its hierarchy. This, amidst the party’s decision to openly distance itself from the Wickremesinghe Government.

These concerns were reiterated in the wake of some SLPP MPs and electoral organisers siding with the President and even operating out of the President’s Office. Several senior SLPPers had expressed objections to President Wickremesinghe directly over the manner in which he had convened several meetings with the ruling party and its coalition members.

SLPP seniors believe that the visible split in the party over its candidate for the upcoming Presidential Election will obstruct the party from reaping the full benefit of the ongoing programmes at the grassroots level.

Basil’s displeasure

Meanwhile, details of the recent meeting between President Wickremesinghe, former President and SLPP Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR), and Basil are gradually trickling out.

It is learnt that MR’s second son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, had also accompanied MR to the meeting.

During the meeting, it is learnt that Basil had expressed his severe displeasure at the manner in which SLPP MPs are being treated by the Government. He had pointed out that Wickremesinghe’s Government was operating on the SLPP’s mandate and that the SLPPers had to be looked after. Basil had referred to the SLPP MPs who had not been given Cabinet portfolios.

Wickremesinghe however had responded saying that he had been unable to appoint more SLPPers to the Cabinet since there was an anti-SLPP sentiment in the country at the time. Basil had nevertheless reiterated that Wickremesinghe had assumed office due to the support of the SLPP.

SLPP Ex-Co to meet

Given the ongoing clashes within the party over the SLPP’s candidate at the next Presidential Election, the party, it is learnt, is to convene a meeting of its Executive Committee within the next few days to discuss the upcoming Presidential Polls.

Basil has already informed a group of senior SLPPers that it is now time to meet with the Executive Committee since MR and he had also held a discussion with Wickremesinghe.

The key feature of the meeting is expected to be a decision on whether the party will field a candidate or not.

Meanwhile, SLPP theoretician Basil is conducting meetings with SLPP MPs to discuss political plans and their problems.

Basil meets organisers

Basil had last week also held a series of meetings at the Party Headquarters with party organisers as well as the executive boards of trade unions and organisations affiliated to the SLPP.

During the meetings with members of trade unions and affiliated organisations, Basil had discussed the reasons for some members of these bodies to join with other political parties including SLPP dissidents’ groups.

Basil had then asked the union and organisation members to work towards getting those who had joined the dissidents’ groups back into the party fold.

GR’s book controversy

Meanwhile, the book launched recently by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) on the conspiracy behind his ouster from office in 2022 has gathered much criticism from within the SLPP rank and file.

Udayanga had last week said during an online interview that Basil Rajapaksa was angered by GR’s book. It is by now evident that GR has failed to accomplish his target by launching the book on the ‘conspiracy’ behind his ouster. 

The controversy over the book also saw former Chief of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and former MP Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera saying that he had assisted in GR’s getaway plan when the latter had to flee the country amidst growing protests in 2022 and a denial by GR’s former Private Secretary.

GR’s former Private Secretary Sugeeshwara Bandara meanwhile has stated that there was no necessity to seek Ven. Sobitha Thera’s assistance for the former President to leave the country through the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

Bandara had noted that while the Thera had said he would secure safe passage for GR if he relinquished the presidency, there had been no need for the President to take up the offer.

Another book on ‘Aragalaya’

This past week also saw another book on the 2022 ‘Aragalaya’ people’s protest being launched. This time around, the author of the book is the Narahenpita Abhayarama Temple Chief Prelate Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera.

Ven. Ananda Thera had on Thursday (14) handed over a copy of his book ‘Jana Aragalaye Donkaraya’ to President Wickremesinghe.

The Thera is known as an MR loyalist and it was the Abhayarama Temple that was used by the Rajapaksas as their political office to form the SLPP following MR’s defeat in 2015.

RW begins campaign

Amidst all these political developments, President Wickremesinghe last week kick-started his campaign for the next Presidential Election through the Kuliyapitiya rally last Sunday (10).

Wickremesinghe also spoke of the party’s defeat at the 2020 General Election, saying that it was decided by the party to speak the truth although it might not ensure victory at the polls. “My point was that if we have a proper plan, we can easily take over a government at any time. But some did not agree. They believed that we should give false promises to win the election. That’s when they said they would provide pads and shoes. I said we should not be limited to pads and move forward. Then we (UNP) got divided,” the President noted.

Wickremesinghe also got on screen the UNP’s manifesto at the last General Election while he addressed the crowd and magnified a section in the document that stated the need to raise US Dollars as the country was going to lose a considerable amount due to loan repayments. “We were spot on, but we were defeated and everyone here lost their seats,” he added.

Hitting out at NPP

During his speech, Wickremesinghe took the opportunity to also take a swipe at the JVP/NPP. “What is their plan?” he questioned.

Wickremesinghe also took measures to show on screen some of the policies that were in the NPP’s policy statement. “Don’t hoot. They have said that an independent body will be appointed to increase the people’s revenue by twofold,” he noted.

He then went on to the NPP’s ‘Rapid Response’ programme launched afterwards. “In that they have said they will formulate a plan to increase the country’s foreign exchange in the next five years. But how? What is the plan? Is it to put salt, chilli, and ‘kunisso’ and make a ‘sambol’? But how are the ingredients going to be sourced? No one had a plan other than the UNP,” Wickremesinghe added.  

Navin, Harin absent

However, there were several notable absentees at the Kuliyapitiya rally. The UNP campaign’s National Organiser Harin Fernando and Sabaragamuwa Province Governor Navin Dissanayake were two such absentees.

Dissanayake had however given reason for his absence by stating that his name had been removed from the speakers’ list at the UNP rally in Kuliyapitiya. “I politely excused myself from the @officialunp meeting today as I was promised a speech and later found out I was cut. Wonder who is making these decisions on behalf of @RW_UNP. I will stand by the party, but a person’s dignity should not be compromised,” Dissanayake had posted on X.

Fernando’s absence at the rally was criticised by some senior UNPers, who questioned how he planned to be the National Organiser without attending the party’s first rally.

Harin’s comeback

However, responding to his detractors in the party, Fernando has now come out saying he will organise a massive May Day rally for the UNP in Colombo.

Speaking about planning the party’s May Day rally, Fernando has said that the UNP rally on 1 May will be a massive one when compared with the Kuliyapitiya rally, which was more of a meeting of party members.

The common candidate

The UNP meanwhile is working towards making Wickremesinghe the common candidate at the next Presidential Election.

In order to achieve this goal, the President has also taken several steps. The first has been to take into his confidence a group of MPs representing other political parties including the SLPP, SJB, and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

It is learnt that a committee consisting of a group of MPs from these political parties has been formed and that the UNP side is represented by the President’s Chief-of-Staff Sagala Ratnayaka.

SJB hits out

The SJB meanwhile hit out at the UNP and Wickremesinghe’s speech at the Kuliyapitiya rally saying he had made false statements.

SJB MP S.M. Marikkar had said that if President Wickremesinghe was not travelling overseas, he travelled around the country making false promises.

Marikkar told a news conference on Tuesday (12) that Wickemesinghe had not fulfilled any of the promises made by him.

“In Trincomalee, he promises an investment zone, for Nuwara Eliya it is a tourism zone, an archaeology zone is promised for Galle, while saying in Arugam Bay that a surfing zone will be formed,” the MP had said, adding that the President was ready to sell off anything without any regard for the next generation.

Marikkar had further noted that through his attacks on the SJB, Wickremesinghe had shown he continued to remain a Rajapaksa loyalist.

Turning to Champika

Meanwhile, the SLFP-led alliance that has been in the making for weeks saw yet another delay in the appointment of new office bearers to the People’s Alliance (PA). SLFP seniors earlier stated that the alliance office bearers would be decided during last week.

The SLFP has held several rounds of discussions with political parties to join the alliance. However, one of the key issues being faced at the moment is finding the leader for the new alliance.

While SLFP Leader, former President Maithripala Sirisena is to be the chairman of the new alliance, the leadership position continues to remain vacant following former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s (CBK) refusal to accept the role.

However, it is learnt that a new leader for the alliance is currently being discussed and it is likely to be dissident SJB MP and United Republic Front (URF) Leader Patali Champika Ranawaka.

CBK fed up

Meanwhile, former SLFP Leader and former President CBK has expressed no desire to engage in active politics.

When asked during a recent event about her take on the current political scene, CBK had responded saying she did not want to talk about politics as she was fed up with it.

CBK’s recent response indicates that she does not have any intention of engaging in politics even with the SLFP under Sirisena.

Sirisena’s SLFP will therefore have to focus on getting the likes of Ranawaka to lead the PA alliance, with CBK now completely out of the race.

Canada-bound

The NPP/JVP meanwhile is continuing with its programme to build international relations, with several key figures of the party engaged in overseas tours.

NPP/JVP Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake is scheduled to visit Canada while MP Harini Amarasuriya visited England last week. Former MP Handunnetti had also travelled to the Middle East to engage with the Sri Lankan community there.

Prior to his scheduled visit to Canada, Dissanayake on Wednesday (13) met with Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Eric Walsh at the JVP Office.

Canadian High Commission Second Secretary (Political) Patrick Pickering and JVP Executive Member MP Vijitha Herath also participated in the discussion.

The two parties had discussed the current socioeconomic and political status in Sri Lanka, while they had also held an intense discussion on the NPP’s policies to build national unity.

Another new alliance

Meanwhile, another new political alliance is now in the making. It is learnt that members of this new alliance had earlier engaged in discussions with the NPP/JVP to explore the possibility of forming an alliance. However, the NPP had stated that the party was not interested in forming alliances with other groups and that the NPP would have to lead the alliance.

The new alliance, which is an anti-Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa force, consists of MPs Dayasiri Jayasekara, Roshan Ranasinghe, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Dullas Alahapperuma, Wimal Weerawansa, Gammanpila, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, and Asanka Navaratne.

Led by Jayasekara, this new alliance named Humane People’s Alliance (Manusheeya Janatha Sandhanaya) is to be launched on Wednesday (20) at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute auditorium in Colombo. It is learnt that 18 registered political parties have expressed their willingness to join the alliance and that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will take place that day.

The alliance has so far stated that it will extend its support to a candidate who agrees to its policies at the upcoming Presidential Election.

Speaker’s no-faith motion

However, the coming week will be an action-packed week when Parliament sessions kick-off on Tuesday (19).

The no-faith motion moved by the Opposition against Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is to be taken up for debate on Tuesday and Wednesday (20) with the vote on the motion expected to take place on Wednesday.

All parties in the Opposition have already expressed support for the motion while the Government side has claimed that it will support the Speaker and defeat the motion.

Allirajah withdraws petitions

Meanwhile, the clash between President Wickremesinghe and businessman Allirajah Subaskaran seems to be on a temporary break, with the latter’s move to block the divestiture of Government shares in Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) and Lanka Hospitals PLC being lifted.

Two writ petitions filed against the divestiture process of the SLT and Lanka Hospital Corporation PLC were on Monday (11) withdrawn before the Court of Appeal.  

The petitioners, Lyca Leasing Holding Ltd. and Lyca Mobile SARL, had decided to withdraw the two petitions, reserving their rights to file fresh applications.

The respondent parties, including the State Minister of Finance, had raised objections regarding the maintainability of the petitions, citing that in terms of Article 35(3) of the Constitution, the President cannot be named as a party.

The Court of Appeal had earlier issued an interim order preventing the authorities from proceeding with the divestiture process of the Lanka Hospital Corporation PLC and SLT until 12 March.