Parliament

Politics of co-habitation recedes with the waves
By Chandani Kirinde, Our Lobby Correspondent
The political waves caused by the tsunami disaster lashed the Chambers of Parliament last week with one of the main partners in the UPFA -- the JVP -- deciding to boycott the two-day debate on the natural calamity and it's aftermath and sending out a veiled threat to the SLFP segment in the Alliance that more was to follow unless there was a change in the modus operandi in the handling of relief work.

As the differences within the UPFA came to light, it was also obvious that the great promise of consensual politics that the Government and the main Opposition party -- the UNP -- had decided to embark on soon after the tsunami has receded as fast as the waters of the ocean and with ominous signs that the remaining debris of the politics of co-habitation between the two sides would not last much longer.

The slaying of the LTTE Batticaloa-Ampara political wing leader E. Kaushalyan, a former parliamentarian Chandra Nehru and several others was the main issue that the Tamil National Alliance MPs had on their mind but this was coupled with criticism of the Government for it's step motherly treatment towards the north and east regarding aid distribution.

On Wednesday, TNA MPs arrived in Parliament wearing black arm bands in protest at the killings and soon after the TNA's Trincomalee district MP R. Sambanthan made a statement blaming the Government for the Kaushalyan killing, three of the legislators decided that a mere statement was not sufficient to show their displeasure at what had happened. So as a further form of protest they walked to the well of the house and sat in front of the Speaker's chair.

Surprisingly with little or no support from their other colleagues M.K. Eelaventhan, M.K. Sivajilingam and S. Gajendran returned to their seats. It was in the middle of this disturbance that the JVP Parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa rose to speak.

With the news of the JVP's decision to stay away from participating in the debate already out in the media, Mr.Weerawansa read out a statement making official their stance on the matter stating that none of the 39 JVP members would take part in the debate stating that "sometimes silence is more powerful than a thousand spoken words" and sending out a warning to the Government that "this silence could be the preamble to a long story".

The JVP seemed to be caught between the devil and the deep blue sea but by its nonparticipation in the debate managed to avoid answering the criticism directed at the Government for mismanaging the distribution of aid to the tsunami affected areas and having no proper plan of action in place.

UNP MPs used the JVP decision to stay away from the debate, as its main weapon in attacking the Government for failing to streamline aid distribution despite receiving aid worth millions of dollars.

Leader of the House Maithripala Sirisena admitted there were some shortcoming in the relief work but defended the government's performance so far saying that it was moving in the right direction. He said plans had to be drawn up before the work was carried out and these plans were now in place. "We have done the maximum a government could do given the magnitude of the disaster", Mr. Sirisena said.

Several other senior Government ministers too took the same position with Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera blaming persons on both sides of the political divide for being "jealous and envious" of the international acknowledgment the President received for her appeal in the aftermath of the tsunami catastrophe and the Government's prompt response to the disaster.

The government's decision to impose a ban on construction within a 100 metre buffer zone from the coast also drew criticism from several UNP MPs who said it was not a practical option, as more people would lose their property if this rule was implemented.

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem too raised this issue and said the problem of relocating displaced families in the eastern district of Ampara had increased to acute proportions due to the imposition of the 100-metre no-reconstruction zone. He said the problem in the area was compounded by the fact there was no crown land for relocation and urged the Government to allow temporary structures within this area while it starts purchasing and acquiring land for relocation.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya too expressed its dissatisfaction in the manner in which the relief work was proceeding. Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thero, the monk MP also said the Government had been unable to check the large amount of goods being smuggled to the LTTE in the guise of tsunami aid through various NGOs.

The tsunami debate concluded two days and many speakers later, but only a few spoke on the issues faced by those affected, instead used the occasion for political issues rather than for national issues.

And when the Government on Friday sought parliament approval for the re imposition of emergency regulations for a period of one month, it came in for severe criticism from the UNP and the TNA saying the emergency regulations were too Draconian but was passed by a majority of 86 votes with the UPFA securing 106 as against 20 votes by the opposition with only the TNA voting against the regulations and the UNP abstaining. UNP rebel MP T. Maheswaran too joined the TNA in opposing the re imposition of the emergency.

UNP MP G.L. Peiris sharply criticised the regulations saying they were a "covert attempt to infringe on the democratic rights of the people". "This is a museum piece, worth presenting to the democratic world. This is a blemish on the statute books of Sri Lanka," Professor Peiris said.

But despite the criticism levelled by the UNP it decided to abstain saying that some of the powers were necessary to deal with problems that had arisen after the tsunami like looting, kidnapping etc., but said the regulations needed to be toned down if they were being re-introduced again next month failing which the UNP would oppose it.

Public security, Law and Order Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said he agreed that regulations needed to be confined to only the tsunami affected areas as suggested by the Opposition and said he hoped there would be no necessity for the emergency regulations in a month's time.

Even though the JVP voted for the emergency, their only speakers during the debate were two back-benchers R. Chandrasekar and Jayantha Wijesekera with party frontliners deciding to continue in their "silence mode' for another day.

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