Presidential security men escorted President Mahinda Rajapaksa from Battaramulla to Nugegoda and took a circuitous route. It was almost 6.30 p.m. when he arrived at his official residence.By then, a delegation from the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) had started a meeting with UPFA leaders. It was more an exchange of pleasantries and did not focus on the subject matter then.

The JHU delegation was led by Party Leader Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thera and included Ven. Athureliya Rathana Thera, Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and Nishantha Warnasinghe. Representing the UPFA were its General Secretary Minister Susil Premajayantha, Ministers Basil Rajapaksa and Dullas Allahapperuma. External Affairs Ministry Monitoring MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena was seen walking in and out when the meeting was under way.

After Rajapaksa took the chair, the meeting assumed a more formal atmosphere. He first hurriedly gleaned through a three-page document encompassing the resolutions adopted at the JHU’s 11th annual convention. It was held last Sunday at the National Youth Service Council auditorium in Maharagama. In fact, last Monday, a day ahead of their meeting, the JHU had delivered to Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga a copy of the same document.

The gloves come off

Almost as the President finished reading, Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera began to brief Rajapaksa on the JHU’s position. He said that his party was satisfied with the first five years of Rajapaksa’s presidency since 2005. The JHU was also happy with the period after the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). However, the JHU was not pleased with what was happening in the UPFA Government from 2010 till 2014, he declared. There were many issues domestically, internationally and on the economic front. The Government was spending enormously but there were little or no returns to the people. The JHU had been speaking a lot on this issue but nothing had happened, he said.

The Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said there was no independent mechanism to combat humongous corruption. There should also be an independent Elections Commission, measures to ensure the independence of the judiciary and a Right to Information Act (which would only exclude national security matters). He pointed out that the JHU raised strong protests when large hauls of heroin were discovered in Colombo. The party also voiced similar protests when there were moves to open casinos. He said, “Our voices were not heard. That is why we are presenting a package of reform proposals,” he added. JHU’s Ven. Rathana Thera had warned earlier that if Rajapaksa did not heed the JHU’s calls, they would have to do what they could to defeat Rajapaksa at the presidential election.

Rajapaksa was to explain that there were time constraints. It was not possible to bring Constitutional changes within the time available before the presidential poll. He said that if the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) was in favour, the reforms could be implemented later. Government sources say Rajapaksa will issue a proclamation on November 20 calling for a presidential poll. Whilst there is strong speculation at the highest levels of the UPFA that nominations would be in the first week of December, polls are to be held on one of three dates — January 7, 8 or 9. The most favoured is said to be Rajapaksa’s favourite number 8. The presidential election in 2005 was held on November 17 (his birthday). The two numerals when added are 8. Similarly, the 2010 presidential elections were held on January 26, where the two numerals added also make 8. These sources said astrological advice was that the timing for the presidential poll was most auspicious until January 23.

Unable to face the truth

President Rajapaksa was visibly angry at the turn the meeting was taking. He rose from his chair, excused himself and walked away saying he had another engagement. He asked the other UPFA leaders to continue the discussion. Whilst moving away from his seat, he told Ven. Rathana Thera that “You and I come from the same village” and expressed displeasure that remarks about defeating him at the presidential poll had been made. At an October 14 BMICH meeting where leaders of the UPFA and opposition political parties were represented, Ven. Rathana Thera had issued the ultimatum to the President either implement the JHU proposals or face efforts by the JHU to defeat him. Palatuwa in the Kamburupitiya electorate of the Matara District was where Rajapaksa was born. It was in his mother Paltuwawe Dona Dandina Samarasinghe Dissanayake’s village. Ven. Rathana Thera was born in the adjoining village of Athureliya.

The JHU delegation talked for a while with Minister Basil Rajapaksa and two of his colleagues. Minister Rajapaksa said the JHU reform proposals could be placed before the SLFP Central Committee, discussed and implemented thereafter. It was no secret that the JHU delegation was displeased when they withdrew.
If their ultimatum was not heeded, there was also strong displeasure that Rajapaksa had walked out in a manner which a senior JHU member described as “most disrespectful.”

The next day, Wednesday, Rajapaksa telephoned Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera to say he was sorry if he had in anyway offended their feelings when he walked away. He had said it was not intentional or was in any way meant to insult members of the sangha in the JHU delegation. However, that Tuesday night the party had already embarked on a string of measures that would see the exit of the JHU from the UPFA Government even before the presidential proclamation is issued. The party has sought meetings with other Buddhist organisations in the next few days. Although a formal decision is still pending, a high ranking JHU source said, “We will make a public announcement very soon, possibly next week.”

The mood in the JHU vis-à-vis the UPFA Government is one that is bitter. Ven. Omalpe Sobhita Thera was absent at the annual convention since he was abroad. He had arrived on time for the meeting with President Rajapaksa. The speech by Ven. Rathana Thera at the convention last Sunday reflected the party’s thinking.

Here are edited excerpts:

“At the next Presidential election it will be decided whether a single person’s horoscope is powerful or the future of some twenty million people is more important. We wish to tell the astrologers that the auspicious times of the millions of people are stronger than those of one person.

“One of our proposals is to streamline the ministries because they are overlapping. We want this done before the Presidential election. Another proposal is the independence of the judiciary. A good leader should be someone who shares responsibilities and makes judgement on the good and the bad. The leader should be a judge. But what has happened today. Some ministries are less influential. Portfolios held by Vasudeva Nanayakkara, D.E.W.Gunasekara and some others are less important. Majority of the funds are spent by the ministries held by the President. That is indecent. The late J.R. Jayewardene was one of the bad rulers we have seen. But even he did not do that. The Finance Ministry was given to someone else. The Mahaweli Ministry was given to Gamini Dissanayake. Houses were constructed by Mr. Premadasa. Therefore there were seven to eight ministers who were powerful. But today how many influential ministers do we have? I do not want to tell too much of that, because we are still in the Government.

“Wherever there has been foreign intervention in countries it has been due to a breakdown of democracy. We have witnessed some bad events in the past like in 1989. This type of situation arises when there is no democracy and no independent judiciary. On the introduction of casinos we were told that they would be allowed to function in areas where there aren’t many people. But instead what happened? Permission was given to set up casinos in the Colombo city. The JHU cannot agree to this. The government says the country has developed. But we depend on the remittances that come from the women who work overseas. This money is spent on import of milk food.

“It is under this Government that the Sinhala race will suffer. How many women do we send to Middle Eastern countries? We have demanded that this be stopped, but no decision has been taken to date. The country is run by two to three people who make arbitrary decisions. It seems the main objective is to make money. Remember life is short, but I do not understand why leaders are selfish.

“This President has gained a lot of respect for eradicating terrorism. He can have his name written in golden letters. It will depend on the policy he follows. If he follows the proper policies he can gain that respect. If he takes a policy decision on our proposals he can gain that respect. We will be with him. If not we will have to take a decision. These proposals should be implemented before the Presidential election.”

Some of the highlights of the JHU proposals placed before President Rajapaksa are:

POLITICAL REFORMS:

To limit the number of portfolios to be held by the Executive President through a provision of the Constitution.

The Cabinet of Ministers to be reduced to minimum of 20 Ministers and maximum of 25 Ministers. The subjects of ministries should be divided on a scientific basis. Maximum number of deputy ministers 35.
The Executive President to be answerable to Parliament and be subject to judicial action.
To amend the provisions of the Constitution that infringe on the sovereignty of the country. These provisions include Land and Police powers in the Provincial Council System.

STATE ADMINISTRATION:

Only professionals in the relevant disciplines or Public Servants to be appointed as Ministry Secretaries.

To have a Peoples’ Consultation Bureau consisting of intellectuals, entrepreneurs, professionals, trade unionists and representatives from NGOs to assist the Cabinet of Ministers for formulation of State policy.
Appointments of non-career diplomats to the Foreign Service cadre be limited to 35% and there should be proper guidelines even when these appointments are made.

LAW AND JUDICIARY:

To have a centralised judiciary for the whole country and scrap laws which are based on ethnicity or limited to certain areas.

Ensure the independence of the Judiciary and all appointments to the Judiciary on merit and experience.
The powers of the President to appoint any person to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court to be scrapped and to formulate proper procedures regarding such appointments.

GOOD GOVERNANCE:

To set up a Commission with powers, financial and human resources needed to investigate cases of corruption independently.

To create an independent Election Commission to regulate election laws, raising of funds by candidates, expenditure at elections and use of various propaganda methods. This Commission should have powers to control the misuse of State property for elections, to regulate media institutions and to direct the Police during elections.

BUDDHISM, RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS AND SOCIAL ETHICS:

Introduce a Bill in Parliament in keeping with clause nine of the Constitution which specifies the protection of the Buddha Sasana and fostering the religion while giving freedom to other faiths.

To have the Ministry of Buddha Sasana under the direct authority of the President.

To form a Supreme Religious Council giving priority to problems affecting the Buddha Sasana and other faiths and to promote co-existence among religious groups.

To punish severely by law those who are guilty of charges of narcotics and disclose the names of the offenders.

SINHALA HERITAGE:

To resettle the Sinhala population ousted from Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts in terms of the demographic distribution of ethnic ratio in the population census in 1971.

Courtesy:Sunday Times