By

Upul Joseph Fernando

The United National Party (UNP) rank and file looked stunned over the statements made by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Leader of the House and University Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella when Wimal Weerawansa was questioned and arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, recently for attempting to travel on a ‘lost and found’ passport.

Ranil assured that he would create the necessary conditions for Wimal to travel abroad. When Wimal spoke to the media using skype facilities from the airport, Ranil did not respond to Wimal’s comments. After Wimal was bailed out by Court, he too did not comment about Ranil’s statement. On the day Wimal’s passport was released by Court, the media asked him whether Ranil helped him. “You can see the extent of his help”,

Wimal scoffed with a smile. However, it was the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) that did not object to the release of Wimal’s passport. The CID requested Court to release the passport on conditions. The CID also had the power to object to the release of the passport. Similarly, had the CID objected to bail on the day he was arrested, Wimal may have ended up in the Remand Prison. Even SLFPers say that if a person attempts to travel on an invalid passport, the suspect should have been behind bars for 28 days. That means there is some truth in the story that Ranil had helped Wimal.

When the controversy erupted over Wimal’s arrest, it was UNP’s Ajith Perera who launched an attack on Wimal. Others in the UNP decided to maintain silence. If Wimal is an enemy of the UNP, why didn’t it attack him having all facts in hand? Those who know the basics of politics also ask that question. Wimal’s wife Sashi Weerawansa also faces charges over a forged National Identity Card and a passport.Wimal is charged for having distributed houses to his relatives at lower rates when he was Housing Minister. UNP supporters are asking why the government is silent over the Weerawansa couple’s corruption despite having evidence to prove such malpractices.

Geneva Resolution

Wimal attempted to fly overseas at a crucial juncture. The United Opposition held a rally at Viharamahadevi Park against the Geneva Resolution demanding a debate in Parliament and won that demand. Hence, Wimal’s attempt to go overseas at that point has raised many eyebrows. Wimal’s political party claimed that he was to address a series of meetings organized overseas on the Geneva Resolution. If someone raises a question that Wimal wanted to address such meetings to heat the Geneva situation here it will be no surprise. Though Wimal could rally Sri Lankans living in the West and opposed the Geneva Resolution, it would not have had an impact here. Instead of going overseas, Wimal should have organized events to mount pressure against the Geneva Resolution within and outside Parliament.

However, Parliament conducted the debate on the Geneva Resolution in the same week the Opposition opposed it in public. During the debate Dinesh Gunawardena ran away with the Mace because Wimal was not given time to speak. Later it was revealed that Wimal had been listed as a speaker. Dinesh then tendered an apology to the Chair. The inner-truth was that Wimal wanted to speak on the debate as he was scheduled to travel overseas the next day. So Dinesh ran away with the Mace to create an opportunity for Wimal to speak on that day. It is not clear whether Wimal had told Dinesh to try that anti-parliamentary exercise to get an opportunity to speak during the debate.

The most interesting day of the debate was the following day. Wimal chose to leave the country on that day. Why did Wimal decide to absent himself on that day? Wimal was in such a hurry to leave the country on that day and he went to the airport with an invalid passport. When the airport authorities pointed out that it was an expired passport, Wimal hurriedly lodged an entry with the police and obtained a new passport in a flash by 7.00 a.m. that day. A normal citizen is not privileged to get a passport at that time.

If a normal citizen faced such a situation, he would have been recognized as a fraudulent person with appropriate action being taken against him. If that person was a Muslim or a Tamil, he would have been labelled as a terrorist. LTTE’s Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP was accused of having several passports in his possession. The Interpol charges persons who possess more than one passport. But Ranil’s Government does not see any wrong in Wimal’s conduct. That is why Wimal was granted bail and the passport was returned to him. What was the hurry for Wimal to travel if he had decided to stay overseas for a month? And, why did Ranil go out of his way to help Wimal to travel abroad? These are questions raised by the people.

Local politicians invited overseas by Sri Lankan organizations to address them are similar to the musical events organized over there to invite local artistes. Unlike for musical events, attendance is very much less for political events. Hence, politicians and artistes treat such trips as holidays. If the Geneva Resolution is dividing the country and sending the gallant armed forces personnel to the guillotine, is it a time for politicians go on holiday to European countries? We cannot answer that question.

The fact remains that Wimal is viewed as a patriot who loves his people and the country by some people. Any person’s identity of the country he was born is established by the National Identity Card. Hence, the Sri Lankan identity is established in that manner. When overseas, the passport is the valued document to establish the identity of the holder’s country. If any person insults these two vital documents by forging same, it is difficult to recognize him as a patriot.

Courtesy:Ceylon Today