COLOMBO: With his military forces battling the LTTE in the north-east, President Mahinda Rajapakse and his three brothers who are all top government officials are facing a whole new battle — within their own alliance regime, one which could well culminate in another election.
Faced with the prospect of his ministers defecting to the breakaway Sri Lanka Freedom Party (Mahajana Wing) founded last week by former foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera, President Mahinda Rajapakse has said he is ready to dissolve parliament and seek a fresh mandate.
According to top political sources Rajapakse had on last Friday told a special meeting of ministers and senior members of the Sri Lanka Freedom party, the key constituent party of the government, that the situation was “worsening” daily with Samaraweera claiming that around 15-20 MPs are ready to join his party.
Adding to President Rajapakse’s worries is the return of his rival, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to the country following an invitation by Mangala Samaraweera to head the break away SLFP group. Kumaratunga is expected to return to Sri Lanka from Britain shortly. Matters have been further complicated for Rajapakse with the main opposition party, the United National Party (UNP) publicly proposing an alliance with the SLFP(MW). Local media reports indicated that Kumaratunga has expressed willingness to help ‘resurrect’ the SLFP founded by her father, the late S. W. R. D Bandaranaike.
While Mahinda Rajapakse is clearly a perturbed man, in comparison Mangala Samaraweera who was sacked from his foreign ministerial post months ago appears confident.
In an interview with Dawn on Wednesday, Mangala Samaraweera said a change of regime was the ‘only alternative’ and claimed he was confident that over 90 per cent in the government were ready to join hands with him to free the country of what he described as a ‘vindictive and petty minded’ political leadership.
Calling upon the international community to introduce ‘some form of sanctions’ on the government for its allegedly gross violations of human rights, Samaraweera pointed out that his immediate goal is to wrest the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) from the ‘Rajapakse brothers’ whom he refers to as the ‘Rajapakse quartet’.
This could be only done by ‘rededicating the SLFP’ with the help of former President Chandrika Kumaratunge, to the ideals for which her late father set it up, he said.
Meanwhile, the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Pramuna (JVP) which strongly campaigned for Rajapakse in the November 2005 Presidential election is now threatening to launch strikes on various issues and is likely to lean towards Samaraweera who has a good relationship with JVP members, political sources said on Wednesday.
Samaraweera acknowledged that he would shortly commence talks with the JVP to discuss among other issues, their stand on the ethnic conflict. Talks with the main opposition, the United National Party (UNP) would commence on Thursday, he said.
In the backdrop of an escalating war, the pro LTTE Tamil National Alliance has openly expressed support to Samaraweera who is said to hold ‘moderate’ views with regard to the Tamil ethnic issue.
Samaraweera has already broached the idea of a common alliance with a limited five point programme with opposition parties. Main among the five points is the restoration of democracy and the resultant re-imposition of the rule of law.
“In a time when abductions and human rights violations are more the rule than the exception, the aim is to unite all opposition forces to avert the rapidly deteriorating situation in the country and restore democracy. When we begin this process, we are confident that even those in the government who are now compelled to be silent would join us”, the former Foreign Minister said.
