• Cabinet agrees to move 22A Bill in the House this week, public exposure on those opposing
• Pro-BR group in SLPP informed by Govt. that their amendments to 22A requires two-thirds
• Cabinet briefed by IMF reps and on ‘Gap’ facility for funds, Bandula’s blunder irks Prez
• Govt. ministers surprised by RW’s talk of referendum on electoral reforms, ask for details
• GL calls Sajith to discuss plan to delay polls, agreement on joint Opposition approach
• Opposition parties sans JVP meet to discuss polls, joint front to demand holding of polls
• SLPP pushes referendum on new constitution, says electoral reforms can also be included
• SLPP MPs whose houses were burnt get tough, ask RW for firm answer on compensation
• SLPP dissidents invited to SLFP Headquarters, welcome to ‘Maha Gedara,’ say Dayasiri, MS
• After Kalutara, MR to attend second SLPP rally in Nawalapitiya organised by Mahindananda 

By Capt. Vasabha President Ranil Wickremesinghe will this week face the first litmus test on the strength of his alliance with the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) when the 22nd Amendment Bill will be subjected to a vote that will require a two-thirds majority in Parliament. A group of SLPP MPs loyal to Basil Rajapaksa (BR) have expressed their unwillingness to support the 22nd Amendment Bill in its present form. The pro-BR group, while demanding the removal of the clause preventing dual citizens from holding public office from the 22nd Amendment Bill, called for the increasing of the timeframe to dissolve Parliament from the two-and-a-half years to four-and-a-half years. The Government however has disagreed with this proposal and the Opposition side in Parliament has also expressed its displeasure at moving such amendments at the committee stage of the debate on the Bill. Despite moves by Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe to push the Bill in Parliament during the previous session when it was earlier scheduled to be taken up, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena informed the House that the 22nd Amendment Bill would be postponed.    However, the Cabinet of Ministers last week decided to proceed with the 22nd Amendment Bill in Parliament despite doubts over securing a two-thirds majority in the House for its passage. It is the belief of the Cabinet of Ministers that the Government should proceed with the 22nd Amendment Bill, which has been stated as the first step in the political reforms promised by the President, and that the public should be given the opportunity to witness the MPs who oppose political reforms. “Let the public decide. Let the people see those who are opposing political reforms,” Justice Minister Rajapakshe said. The Bill is to be taken up for debate on Thursday (20) and for the final vote on Friday (21). As for the amendments to be moved at the committee stage, Rajapakshe maintained that the observations of the Supreme Court had already been included among the committee stage amendments while several amendments proposed by the Opposition had also been included among them. As for the amendments being mooted by the pro-BR faction of the SLPP, it is learnt that the group was under the belief that the committee stage amendments could be passed with a simple majority of 113. However, the Justice Minister had informed the group that the amendments had to be passed with a two-thirds majority. That the SLPP is continuing to be a headache for Wickremesinghe is evident with the party expressing its contradictory stances to those expressed by him (Wickremesinghe). The President and the Government will also face hurdles in the House, especially on electoral reforms that could delay polls, as well as taxes that are viewed by the Opposition as further burdens on the public, with the Opposition political parties forming an alliance to jointly defeat such moves. The fact that the SLPP was on a path to destroy Wickremesinghe politically was witnessed during a recent public statement by SLPP Leader, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR). Addressing the SLPP rally in Kalutara, MR called on the party members to get together to protect the Government led by President Wickremesinghe. “Those days we used to scold Ranil. We are now praising him because he is with us now. We believe he has come to the right path,” he said. However, MR made an erroneous statement during his speech by referring to the current President as ‘Gotabaya,’ with one of his aides, Neville, having to whisper in MR’s ear that the incumbent President was ‘Ranil’. MR has taken the lead in ‘re-awakening’ the SLPP and following the Kalutara rally MR is to attend the next rally in Nawalapitiya organised by former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage.  Nevertheless, MR’s endorsement of Wickremesinghe and the indication that the President was following the ‘path’ of the SLPP has undoubtedly affected the President’s credibility in the eyes of some members of the public who believed that Wickremesinghe should be given  the opportunity to effect change in the country. Bandula’s error  The Cabinet was last week given a briefing on the progress of the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the expectations laid down by the international monetary organisation. Joining virtually, representatives of the IMF had briefed the Cabinet members on the progress of the talks, including the reforms that were expected. Following the discussions, the task of briefing the media was undertaken by Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena.  However, several ministers were heard voicing concerns outside the Cabinet room following the meeting over Gunawardena’s role. The main concern seemed to have been the fact that he had looked quite uninterested during the IMF briefing. These concerns were to come to fruition the next day, when Gunawardena announced that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to downgrade its economic status from Middle Income to Lower Income. This announcement expectedly set the media off, with breaking news alerts fired off. It had also caused a stir in the President’s Office, with officials rushing to speak to the President over this apparent mistake by the Spokesperson.  Highly-placed sources said the President had instructed that an immediate clarification be dispatched by the President’s Office. The statement explained that no such proposal had been tabled at the Cabinet meeting; rather, a Cabinet paper had been tabled outlining that while Sri Lanka’s current GDP has meant Sri Lanka remains a Middle Income country, the downgrading of the country’s credit rating has meant the Treasury is unable to apply for loans from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). These loans are reserved for countries of Middle Income status. However, the Cabinet paper went on to explain that several other countries including Indonesia had faced similar situations during their economic crises and had availed themselves of a facility called ‘Gap,’ which allows a Middle Income country with a low credit rating to apply for International Development Association (IDA) loans. These loans which are for Low Income countries had been made available for specific nations which faced similar financial constraints as Sri Lanka. The process is considered a ‘reverse graduation,’ which is a temporary relief.  Certainly this blunder left many Cabinet ministers and officials angry, with them spending the better part of Tuesday (11) reassuring the corporate sector and the diplomatic community that no such downgrade had taken place. Several economic advisors to the Government had also stressed that Gunawardena be kept away from media briefings concerning economic matters. It appears that he has failed to understand that Sri Lanka cannot decide whether it is ranked as Middle Income or Low Income, with that decision left to the World Bank which decides based on the economic indicators of the country. Meeting the aggrieved  President Wickremesinghe, as part of his programme to indulge the SLPP MPs, last week invited the governing party MPs whose houses were burnt down during the 9 May mayhem. The President’s Office called 74 MPs to attend a meeting with the President at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday (12) evening. However, given the split in the SLPP over the 22nd Amendment Bill and the party’s stance on it, a majority of the MPs were uncertain on whether they should attend the President’s meeting. Several MPs had even called each other to inquire about attending the meeting called by the President. A senior SLPP MP whose house was burnt had noted: “There is no harm in attending the meeting since it is for those who had lost their houses, but the issue is whether the numbers will be taken as SLPP MPs who supported the Government.” Finally, it is learnt that around 44 MPs had confirmed their participation at the meeting by Wednesday morning. However, only around 34 MPs had attended the meeting in the evening. During the meeting, the MPs had been asked to fill forms for compensation and had been informed that compensation payments would be allocated to each of them through Parliament. During the meeting, SLPP MP D. Weerasingha had asked the President for a firm response on whether or not compensation payments would be paid to the MPs who had lost their houses due to the 9 May mayhem. Several MPs had pointed out that they had attended several meetings similar to the one convened by the President where the issue of compensation was widely discussed, but no action had been taken afterwards. Other MPs had also endorsed Weerasingha’s statement. Wickremesinghe had requested the MPs to be patient, saying that the necessary arrangements were being made as the finances for the programme would cost the Government a lot as well. The President had also said that the matter would also be discussed with the Speaker of Parliament as some of the responsibilities would have to be carried out by the Speaker. The President had further noted that a special representative would be appointed on his behalf to coordinate matters related to compensation. United National Party (UNP) MP Vajira Abeywardena, who was also at the meeting, had said that the Government believed in building better after destruction. He had explained that when a shack by the sea or a temporary settlement was destroyed due to a natural disaster, the Government had always re-built a better housing facility. “A thatched hut has been rebuilt as a solid house with bricks. Therefore, we believe in rebuilding better,” he had said.  A new constitution However, despite efforts by the President to placate the SLPP MPs, a considerable group of SLPPers continue to express their objection to the Government’s 22nd Amendment Bill.  The SLPP has expressed its opposition to introducing the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, claiming that some content included in the respective piece of legislation is in violation with the party’s Constitution. The SLPP’s pro-Basil faction has instead called on President Wickremesinghe to introduce a new constitution instead of another constitutional amendment. SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam continues to call for a new constitution. “Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a committee of senior legal experts, including President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva and Manohara de Silva and a group of constitutional experts, which drafted a constitution that protects the unitary state of the country and one that would not make the country a playing field for imperialists. I believe that as a party we should bring about a new constitution and that constitution should be subjected to a parliamentary debate and it should be introduced to the country,” Kariyawasam added. The split in the SLPP over the 22nd Amendment and the failure to ensure the receipt of a two-thirds majority in Parliament resulted in the Government postponing the debate on the 22nd Amendment in Parliament.  Criticism mounts against SLPP However, the split in the SLPP over the proposed 22nd Amendment and the objections raised against it by the pro-BR faction of the SLPP have been subjected to criticism by Opposition parties, including SLPP dissidents currently seated in the Opposition in Parliament. The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) has urged the Government to convene a discussion with the Opposition parties, the Attorney General, and the Government to decide on appropriate amendments to the proposed 22nd Amendment Bill prior to this week’s scheduled two-day debate and vote on the Bill. The SJB has expressed concerns that the Government may introduce ‘unconstitutional’ provisions to the Bill at committee stage despite the Supreme Court already having given its special determination. “We want the Speaker of Parliament to sit with the Government and the Opposition, together with the Attorney General, to discuss the Bill and the amendments to it, following which it should be taken up for a debate in Parliament,” Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella has maintained. The SJB has expressed concern that once the Bill is passed in Parliament, the Supreme Court cannot review the Bill and although Justice and Constitutional Reforms Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has stated that he is comfortable with the amendments proposed by the Supreme Court, the Government could get some other to propose unconstitutional amendments, such as changing the dissolution of Parliament from two-and-a-half years to four-and-a-half years and allowing dual citizens to enter Parliament.  Meanwhile, SLPP National List MP Gevindu Kumaratunga has questioned if the incumbent President and the Prime Minister have fallen prey to the shameless politics of the SLPP. Kumaratunga told the media recently that it was a dark day for democracy when the scheduled House debate on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was put off due to the objections raised by the SLPP. Kumaratunga, who is also the Secretary of the Supreme Lanka Council (Uttara Lanka Sabhagaya), accused the Government of deliberately preventing the scheduled House debate on the amendment. The amendment’s aim was to incorporate more democratic features to State administration, he noted. Instead, President Wickremesinghe used the day to make a speech on his foreign trips, which was intentional, charged Kumaratunga. “This amendment was not at all a hurried one. It was discussed and agreed upon by more than 40 party leaders, including the SLPP, when Wickremesinghe was the Prime Minister.” Therefore, any revisions should have come only because of it being challenged by national and civil society organisations, he said. This country has such disgraceful politics that presidents go against their previous promises and do everything possible to safeguard the powers of the Executive, he noted.  The MP pointed out the recently-experienced repercussions of the Executive’s not listening to the voices of the people and their representatives and hoped the amendment would be tabled at least at the next session in order to expand democratic space. Namal’s leading role SLPP’s Acting National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa has been appointed to a position similar to that of the Prime Minister, where he has been vested with the task of formulating short-, mid-, and long-term policies. The appointment caused many inquisitive eyes to wonder why such an appointment was vested with Namal.  However, Namal was appointed as Chairman of the ‘National Council Sub-Committee for Identifying Priorities in Formulating Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Policies’ following his nomination to the council as the chairman by SLPP General Secretary Kariyawasam and seconded by MP Ali Sabri Raheem. The members of the sub-committee have presented their opinions and suggestions on the formulation of State policies and they have agreed to call experts in the relevant fields before the sub-committee to get ideas and proposals related to modernisation of public administration, health, and education policies, fisheries and food policies, power and energy sector policies, and the modernisation of climate change policies. Namal’s sub-committee has agreed to submit short-term proposals within one month, medium-term proposals within two months, and long-term proposals within three months. Back at the ‘Maha Gedara’  Amidst the changing political landscape in the country, there seem to be incidents where old ties and friendships are also being rekindled. It was such a scenario that played out when the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) organised a ‘pirith’ ceremony at the Party Headquarters to commemorate the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, and Anura Bandaranaike and to invoke blessings on the country and its people. SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara had invited former SLFPers, who are currently dissident SLPP MPs, for the event – G.L. Peiris, Dullas Alahapperuma, John Seneviratne, etc. MP Udaya Gammanpila was also invited for the ceremony. When the MPs arrived at the SLFP Headquarters, Party Leader Maithripala Sirisena and General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara had made their way to the entrance to greet them. Both Sirisena and Jayasekara had smiled and welcomed the MPs saying, “Welcome back to your ‘Maha Gedara’.” The SLPP dissidents had smiled and nodded in agreement. They had then engaged in a conversation about their days in the SLFP and fond memories they had of the SLFP Headquarters as most of them had started their political careers from the SLFP. Alahapperuma meanwhile had said that his history with the SLFP went back several decades as he had been visiting the SLFP Headquarters from the time he was a schoolboy. The SLPP MP had then recounted an incident when he had been denied using the lift when he had walked into the SLFP Headquarters in his school uniform. “At that time there was a gentleman named Kannangara who operated the lift. Whenever I came in uniform, he used to tell me to use the stairs. It was only later that I found out that schoolboys sometimes used to visit the office just to use the lift.” Everyone had laughed and recounted similar incidents. Jayasekara had then said that Kannangara still visited the SLFP Headquarters. All the MPs, led by Sirisena, had then attended the ‘pirith’ ceremony and afterwards engaged in a discussion about the current political situation in the country and the need for a united front to ensure the Government did not discard the demands of the Opposition. RW reveals plan The political discussions and the formation of a joint platform of Opposition political parties were initiated following a statement made by President Wickremesinghe last Sunday (9).  The President had invited UNP professionals for a meeting at the Presidential Secretariat at 9.45 a.m. on 9 October. Most of the attendees had been under the impression that the meeting was to inform them to start working on elections next year. However, there had been no reference to holding elections next year during the President’s speech. Wickremesinghe had instead said that a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) would be appointed to decide on the parliamentary voting system by July next year, with the next General Election to be held under the new system. This will rule out the possibility of Parliament being dissolved or an election being held in the first half of 2023, despite the President being vested with powers to dissolve Parliament by February next year under the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. President Wickremesinghe had noted that a referendum would be called to decide on the parliamentary electoral system if the PSC that was proposed to be established failed to reach a decision on the matter by July next year. “I discussed this matter with Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe as well. We will propose a PSC to decide on the parliamentary voting system. That committee has to convene and discuss the matter. This matter cannot be delayed, because a decision should be taken by July next year – failing which I will opt for a referendum to seek public opinion on which electoral system is preferred,” he had noted. He had also said: “The PSC should finish the activities entrusted to it. If not, I will divert the responsibility to the people to do the work. We can’t avoid these responsibilities; we must move on.” President Wickremesinghe had further noted that the main reason for corruption in Sri Lanka’s political sphere was the preferential system. “We need to prepare a new voting system. A decision should be taken to implement either the list method without preference or the mixed method (single and proportional method). A decision should be taken after discussions, before the upcoming election and that election should be held under the new system.” He had further stated: “The suitable people will subsequently be elected. This is something that we have to do. Today, there is no agreement among the parties. The main parties are told one thing and the minor parties are told another. We cannot seek progress in this manner. Hence, the political parties need to take a decision in this regard.” Meanwhile, Wickremesinghe had also noted that the number of council members of local authorities such as Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas should be reduced from 8,000 to 4,000 and the Jana Sabha (Public Councils) system implemented before the next election. He had further said that the Executive power of Pradeshiya Sabhas should be vested in a chairman-based committee instead of the same being vested in a single chairman, adding that laws would be drafted for this purpose before the next Pradeshiya Sabha Election. However, the President’s statement had resulted in him receiving many inquiries, including from Government ministers. After last week’s Cabinet meeting, Minister Manusha Nanayakkara had noted to the President that Opposition members had been carrying placards accusing him (the President) of trying to delay elections. Wickremesinghe had smiled and responded: “I said one thing, but they are holding placards for something else.”  Minister Prasanna Ranatunga who had also been present had endorsed the President’s statement, saying: “People want an economic recovery plan and relief before holding elections.” GL calls Sajith As soon as news of the President’s comments at the meeting with the professionals was released via the media, SLPP dissident MP, former Minister G.L. Peiris had telephoned SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who had been attending several political meetings out of Colombo. Peiris had noted that the President’s statement indicated a plan to delay the holding of polls and that it was a dangerous trend. He had proposed that the Opposition parties take a united stand on the matter. Premadasa had also agreed and noted that he would make a statement against Wickremesinghe’s plan at his next political meeting. The Opposition Leader had also stated that the Opposition should work together on this issue. Peiris had said that his group would also issue a statement against the comments made by the President. Wide criticism Political parties representing the Opposition in Parliament last week expressed concerns and displeasure over the moves by the Government to delay the holding of Local Government Polls under the guise of introducing electoral reforms. The Opposition parties including the main Opposition SJB warned of a possible public uprising once again if the President and his Government resorted to ‘undemocratic’ and unethical moves. SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara noted that the Government should not attempt to hoodwink the public as well as the international community. He further noted that holding a referendum on electoral reforms instead of an election would cost the same and would not bring about a government change as demanded by the people at present. The SJB believes that it will be disastrous to hold a referendum on electoral reforms rather than the delayed Local Government Elections or a parliamentary election. The SLFP notes that neither the President nor the Election Commission (EC) have the authority to delay Local Government Polls and that there is no way to prevent the commission from holding the Local Government Elections as well. SLFP General Secretary Jayasekara observed that the EC has the mandate to call for Local Government Elections from 20 September 2022. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) maintains that it is a dangerous trend to postpone elections and that all parties as well as people should unite to fight for the holding of elections. JVP General Secretary Vijitha Herath noted that President Wickremesinghe, who had increased the councillors to Local Government bodies, was now trying to get them reduced. He explained that the Local Government Polls were being indefinitely delayed using the over one-year delay in getting parliamentary approval for the Local Government delimitation report. “Ranil does not have the right to use Executive powers since he is not a president elected by the people’s vote. There was a huge din about bringing the 22nd Amendment and that too has been pushed back, closing even a slim opportunity to expand democracy in the country,” he added.  Meanwhile, the SLPP dissidents group led by Peiris and Alahapperuma claimed that the President was trying to do away with elections as he was afraid to face the people. However, Peiris noted that the group of SLPP dissidents would not allow the people’s right to exercise their franchise be taken away. “The President’s statements on the Local Government Elections were the usual ploy. The only aim is to delay the Local Government Polls in the same manner the elections for the Provincial Councils were delayed. The Provincial Council Elections were also delayed, putting forward various arguments. This is because there was a fear of holding elections and facing the people. Therefore, a programme is now being carried out to delay polls in order to extend their political powers in an illegitimate manner,” the MP added. Peiris also noted that it seemed President Wickremesinghe had now taken membership of the SLPP and threatened the Government with legal action if the Local Government Elections are delayed. Opposition coalition  Meanwhile, a coalition of Opposition political parties was formed last week to demand that the Government hold the delayed Local Government Elections without resorting to more delaying tactics. The discussion also focused on the anti-democratic acts of the Government aimed at stifling dissent. The Freedom People’s Council (Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa) led by Peiris and Alahapperuma on Tuesday (11) morning telephoned members of all Opposition political parties and invited them for a meeting to discuss the move to delay polls.  The meeting was convened on Wednesday (12) evening at the Monarch Imperial Hotel in Thalawathugoda and was attended by 16 political parties represented in the Opposition side in Parliament, including the SJB. The only absentee at the meeting was the JVP-led National People’s Power (NPP). The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), which is not represented in Parliament, was also invited for the meeting. It was evident that the SLPP dissidents group, led by Peiris and Alahapperuma, has now taken the lead in launching a joint campaign demanding elections. The GL-Dullas group also met with the EC earlier that day and called on the commission to take the necessary steps to hold the Local Government Elections next year. The EC had noted that Local Government Polls would be held before next March. The Opposition coalition that met in Thalawathugoda reached a unanimous agreement that the Opposition would together defeat the Government if moves were made to delay the holding of polls. Three decisions were reached at the conclusion of the meeting. The first decision was to issue a joint statement condemning moves by the Government to delay polls, the second was to initiate a joint legal action, and the third and final decision was to ensure that any moves to amend the Local Government Act by the Government would be defeated in Parliament. SLPP to support However, the SLPP has expressed its willingness to accept the President’s proposal to amend the electoral system. SLPP General Secretary Kariyawasam has noted that the SLPP is agreeable to amending the electoral system as well as to extend support to hold a referendum if required. Kariyawasam told the media on Monday (10) that the President was on a clear path over the parliamentary electoral system and was willing to hold a referendum in the event there was no consensus on it in Parliament. He further noted that while the President had made such a proposal for electoral amendments, steps should be made to introduce a new constitution.  The SLPP General Secretary noted that if the President wanted to introduce electoral amendments by holding a referendum, the referendum should also include the introduction of a new constitution. Given the SLPP’s track record of U-turns, especially after the decision of a group of party members to object to the 22nd Amendment, several of the President’s aides had informed him that it was unlikely that the SLPP would support the electoral reforms or a referendum on the matter. “The SLPP will say they will not support the referendum if it does not include a provision on the introduction of a new constitution,” one of the President’s advisors said.   ECSL opposes delays  Nevertheless, Election Commission of Sri Lanka (ECSL) Chairman Nimal Punchihewa, while condemning the Government’s subtle attempts to delay the Local Government Elections, said last week that the commission would soon take a decision on conducting the polls before March next year. “The commission has the legal authority to hold the elections six months after the due date and accordingly the commission has gained the right to announce the elections after 20 September. We are now confirming our electoral registry. If we do not confirm this, then it will contain the same names as the voter register from 2021 and if so, close to 250,000 youth voters will not be provided with their rightful opportunity to vote and the commission is therefore not willing to do that. Thus, considering all these factors, the commission will decide regarding holding these elections soon. Either way, the commission is determined to hold these elections before March next year,” ECSL Chairman Punchihewa told a media briefing on Wednesday (12). The ECSL has further noted that the Provincial Councils had not disappeared and that they continued to function under ministries and officials without the participation of public representatives.