Columns

• President, in public speech, says he has no intention of remaining ‘glued to power’; willing to hand over the baton to the next generation
• Ruling party supporters release photo showing President, PM, and top ministers; Bimal dismisses rumours of replacing Harini as PM, calls her a key government asset
• UN Human Rights Council set to take up Sri Lanka’s case; FM Herath to oppose recommendations for international involvement in investigations
• As SJB presents no-confidence motion against Deputy Defence Minister, UNP prepares to open its doors to SJB dissidents

By Our Political Desk

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s intention probably was to put the record straight and distance himself from the rather alarming remarks made by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva on the need for one party to stay in power for at least ‘15 to 20 years’, but whatever the reason, the President’s statement this week that neither he nor his party planned to stay ‘glued to power’ and are well aware of the time they have in office caught the attention of many.

While Mr. Silva made his view public on the need for one party to stay in power for several terms so as to achieve their objectives, which was made following his visit to one-party China, with the rider that it will be through the ballot (the Sunday Times Political Column of August 10), President Dissanayake seemed to have a more realistic view on the fleeting nature of political power, as he told attendees at the National Youth Conference in Colombo on Wednesday that in due course the baton of power would be passed on to the youth of the country.

“Today, we hold positions such as the presidency, ministerial offices and parliamentary seats. Even as we occupy these seats, we do so with the firm understanding that there is a date on which we have to leave these seats. This country was under the control of highly destructive forces. We have taken over political power from that group. The power we now hold, we do so with the expectation that, in due course, we will pass the baton to you, the next generation. We will under no circumstances stay glued to our chairs like ‘multi-bond’,” he said.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake waving at participants who came for the National Youth Conference in Colombo on Wednesday

It was also here that the President announced around 62,000 new state sector jobs would be made available while making it clear that the Government was not a job provider but could only be a job creator.

The demand for government jobs by state university graduates, however, is unlikely to stop with a growing number of protests by them demanding jobs. On Tuesday, a group of protestors gathered near the JVP headquarters in Pelawatta, Battaramulla, demanding jobs. The gathering was broken up by the police after the situation got tense, and the protesters attempted to enter the lane leading to the JVP office.

Graduates aren’t the only ones who have been protesting this week. A group of Buddhist monks from the Inter-University Bhikkhu Federation (IUBF) staged a protest in front of the Education Ministry at Battaramulla on Wednesday, voicing opposition to the government’s proposed education reforms.

Education reforms are spearheaded by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is also the Minister for Education, Higher Education and Vocational Studies and is in the centre of a political storm over an answer she read out in Parliament to a question posed by Hambantota District Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP D.V. Chanaka on foreign direct investment, specifically on the controversial ‘SupremeSAT’ satellite project undertaken during the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration. While she has made no comment on the fallout from the answer which she gave to parliament, it has been interpreted by SLPP supporters as having vindicated Rohitha Rajapaksa, the youngest son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who faced allegations that he benefited financially from the project for which state funds were used.

The controversy is unlikely to die down anytime soon, with several government members publicly stating that the figures provided to the PM by the Board of Investment (BOI) were incorrect, alleging that officials at the Board had deliberately misled the House through the PM. Government members have also hinted that an inquiry is underway against the BOI officials who may have given the wrong information to the Parliament, and they have vowed action against them. The BOI comes under the purview of President Anura Dissanayake, who is also the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

Opposition political parties, however, have read a lot into the incident, going so far as to predict a political implosion within the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), of which the JVP is the single largest party. Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila, known for making sensational claims, called a press conference to air his views on the ‘SupremeSAT’ controversy, stating that there was a move within the JVP to undermine Prime Minister Amarasuriya and have her replaced by Minister Bimal Rathnayake. Some SJB MPs too have been making such claims, but those in government have dismissed such claims as wishful thinking.

There were also furious exchanges on social media between NPP supporters and opponents, with NPP loyalists—in an attempt to dispel rumours of internal conflict—sharing an undated photo where the President, the Prime Minister and Ministers Bimal Rathnayake, K.D. Lal Kantha and Harshana Nanayakkara are seen enjoying a relaxed moment together.

While those in the SJB and other opposition parties may be waiting to pounce on any dissension within the NPP, the Government seems united and strong, at least for now. Bimal Rathnayake, considered the ‘hawk’ in the Government, rarely minces his words when it comes to expressing his feelings for those in opposition as well as the country’s past rulers. He rubbished the claims and said Harini Amarasuriya is an important asset for the Government in the same manner as President Dissanayake. “She is a highly valued political asset. We work with “full love” and are “full fit” and work with a great deal of understanding,” Mr. Rathnayake said when responding to a query from the media while on a visit to Hambantota.

He said that the NPP Government would not collapse and would remain in power till the end of its five-year term while taking a dig at Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa.

“They can continue their mudslinging campaigns on social media, but it won’t affect our administration,” he said.

Despite his confidence in dismissing rumours of internal party conflicts, Mr. Rathnayake’s role as Transport Minister in particular is under scrutiny given the number of officials either resigning or being removed from various transport sector institutions.

This week, he obtained Cabinet approval to remove Dhammika Jayasundara from the post of the General Manager (GM) of the Railways Department. Government sources said that he had failed to carry out the programmes mooted by the minister and thus undermined his authority.

Mr. Jayasundara, who was attempting to combat corruption in the electronic ticketing systems and improve railway-based tourism, has now been relegated to the ‘pool’ at the ministry.

He was replaced by Ravindra Padmapriya, a Sri Lanka Administrative Service Special Grade Officer, who served as the Director General of the Department of Information Technology Management at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

Prior to Mr. Jayasundara’s removal, several others who were appointed by the NPP as heads of institutions coming under Minister Rathnayake resigned after a few months on the job. These include the chairman of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), Ramal Siriwardena; the chairman of the National Transport Medical Institute (NMTI), Ruwan Wijayamuni; and the chairman of the National Transport Commission (NTC), Dr. Bandura Dileepa Vitharana. Another institute head in the sector too is likely to be removed within the next few weeks, government sources said.

The blame has been put on the officials for not working to achieve the Government’s objectives, though there are also claims that Minister Rathnayake’s high-handed attitude is making officials give up and quit.

The human rights front

Away from domestic politics, the Government will face new challenges on how it handles the human rights situation of the country. The country’s human rights situation came under focus in two reports released this week—the United States’ 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and, more importantly, the comprehensive report of the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk.

While the Government has reiterated that it wants to break from the past and make a genuine effort to address human rights issues facing the country as well as prevent future such situations, the UN report is far from flattering to the new administration.

“The Government has pledged a fresh direction on several long-standing issues, including addressing some emblematic cases to deliver justice to victims, restoring the rule of law, and eliminating ethnic discrimination and divisive politics. Those commitments need to translate into a coherent time-bound plan and concrete steps that demonstrate the capacity and willingness of the State to address the issues. This must include accountability for serious crimes and human rights violations committed during the war,” the report said.

Also flagged by the UN Human Rights Commissioner in his report are the continued use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which the Government had pledged to repeal and replace with a more acceptable anti-terror law, the Online Safety Act, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act, the draft Non-Governmental Organisations (Registration and Supervision) Act, and the proposed amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act.

“The ongoing trends observed during the reporting period, such as threats, intimidation, and violence targeting victims and civil society actors, as well as continued serious human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and detentions under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, torture, and custodial deaths, must be addressed,” the report said.

The UN Human Rights Commissioner who visited the Chemmani mass grave site during his visit to Sri Lanka in June called on the Government to proactively seek international support to ensure sufficient financial, human and technical resources to conduct exhumations in line with international standards.

“At the time of writing, OHCHR is aware of five mass grave sites currently being exhumed or active in Mannar, Port City in Colombo, Mullaitivu, and Chemmani near Jaffna. During his visit, the High Commissioner had the opportunity to visit the Chemmani site. There is an urgent need to ensure the preservation and exhumation of mass graves and strengthen forensic capacity,” the report said.

Some of the main issues that the UN Human Rights body wants the Government to act on promptly include the creation of an enabling environment for transitional justice by acceding to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; implementing confidence-building measures such as releasing military-held lands, halting new land seizures and accelerating titling efforts in the north and east; releasing all long-term detainees under the Prevention of Terrorism Act; supporting victim’s memorialisation initiatives; and ensuring impartiality of the Office on Missing Persons, including by seeking international expertise and monitoring to build its credibility.

Some of the other areas the UN body wants the Government to act on are:

• Remove from power and refrain from appointing or promoting credibly alleged perpetrators of human rights violations to high-level positions in the Government, the security sector, or diplomatic postings.
• Apply a moratorium on the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, expedite its repeal and ensure that any replacement legislation is consistent with international human rights law and the benchmarks previously laid out by United Nations human rights experts.
• Publicly issue unequivocal instructions to all branches of the military, intelligence and police forces that enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, and other human rights violations are prohibited and will be systematically investigated and punished;
• Ensure that the public prosecutorial body is fully independent, effective and robust to be able to assess relevant information and make independent prosecutorial decisions, and consider the creation of a judicial mechanism with an independent special counsel in relation to the cases of human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law committed in previous decades.
• Accelerate investigations and prosecutions in emblematic cases of human rights violations, as well as the Easter Sunday bombings, in compliance with international human rights standards; seek international assistance to strengthen capacities; ensure the full participation of victims and their representatives; and ensure victim and witness protection.
• Order all security and intelligence agencies to immediately end all forms of surveillance and harassment of and reprisals against representatives of civil society, human rights defenders, journalists, victims and their families, especially women.

International role in investigations

For the Government, the biggest sticking point at the upcoming UNHRC sessions will again be the continued calls for an international role to investigate alleged war crimes in the country. The NPP has followed the previous Government in rejecting any such international role. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, who will represent Sri Lanka at the sessions in Geneva, is likely to reiterate the same position as he did in March. He said then that domestic processes had gained more credibility under the new government and were capable of carrying out the needed investigations.

Mr. Turk will present his report at the 60th session of the UNHRC on September 8, following which Sri Lanka will present its case.

Ahead of the UNHRC sessions next month, the Tamil political space has also become quite active, with one of the major Tamil political parties, Ilanki Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), calling for a hartal to be observed tomorrow in the North and Eastern provinces.

The reason, according to ITAK Secretary M.A. Sumanthiran, is against the continued military involvement in civilian affairs in both provinces. Initially, the hartal campaign was scheduled to be observed on Friday (August 15), but the date was changed to accommodate two major religious events in the Northern Province: the annual feast of the Madhu Shrine on Friday and the Nallur Kandaswamy temple annual festival.

The call for a hartal, which is likely to cripple the transport services and normalcy in the region, came in the wake of a recent incident where a youth who entered an Army camp to collect scrap material, reportedly following an invitation by a soldier, was found dead on August 9 in Muththaiyankaddu Kulam, Mullaitivu.

This happened while the 12th Sinha regiment near Muththiyankaddu tank was being shifted to another location. A local youth who maintained close ties with a soldier in the camp by supplying illicit arrack and substances is said to have asked to come to collect scrap materials such as used iron bars, beds, and roofing.

The youth who was in contact with the soldier left Vallam with four others to reach the camp from the other side of the Muththaiyankaddu tank when a different group of army personnel noticed them and started to chase them away. Four others escaped, while the person who was in touch with military personnel was found dead on Saturday morning in the tank. The victim was identified as Ethirmannasingham Kapilraj, 32.

Five Army personnel were taken into custody by Oddusuddan police the following day. The army categorically denied any involvement of its personnel in the death of the civilian and assured cooperation with the police investigation.

Leading Tamil politicians, including ITAK Secretary Sumanthiran, All Ceylon Tamil Congress Leader Gejendrakumar Ponnambalam, ITAK parliamentarian S. Shritharan and Peoples’ Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) Leader D. Siddarthan, took part in the funeral of the victim while condemning the incident.

Days later, the ITAK called for a hartal but had to reschedule the date.

Other Tamil political parties were a bit hesitant to extend support since they were sceptical about the move. They believe it could be an attempt by the grand old party to rejuvenate itself ahead of expected Provincial Council polls where Mr. Sumanthiran is tipped to be the Chief Minister candidate of the party.

Weeks earlier, Mr. Ponnambalam’s ACTC reached out to ITAK to become co-signatories to a collective letter that was to be sent to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights detailing key aspirations of Tamil people ahead of the release of the report on Sri Lanka. The ITAK refused to sign it, saying the other party merely approached them to sign rather than to discuss the contents of the letter.

The letter was signed by other Tamil political parties, religious leaders, and civil society outfits in two provinces. One of the key demands in the letter to the UNHRC is that Sri Lanka be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the crime of genocide.

SJB’s no-confidence motion

Meanwhile, the main opposition, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), handed over a no-confidence motion against Deputy Defence Minister Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara to Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne this week. The SJB motion alleges that during the period leading up to the 2019 April Easter Sunday terror attacks, Maj. Gen. Jayasekara was serving as the Security Forces Eastern Province Commander, and therefore, his current role as Deputy Defence Minister could be an obstruction to ongoing investigations into the attacks.

The motion also accuses the deputy minister of dereliction of duty, failing to act properly during related investigations, and being a potential impediment to future investigations.

The motion is signed by 32 MPs, including SJB leader Sajith Premadasa. No date has been fixed to debate the motion, but it’s likely the government will grant an early date, as it would give the ruling party the opportunity to showcase that the NPP MPs remain united despite external efforts to cause friction within it.

The SJB’s no-faith motion against Deputy Minister Jayasekera has also drawn the ire of Sarvajana Balaya MP Dilith Jayaweera, who voiced his opposition to it, saying he would not support a motion that sought to undermine the sacrifices made by the country’s war veterans. “This is an attempt to tarnish the image of the members of the security of this country, and it comes at a time when the Human Rights Council is going to be in session. This will also unite the Government, and the opposition will not gain anything from this,” Mr. Jayaweera said.

The SJB, on its part, has begun a campaign to win over voters disgruntled with the Government over its failure to fulfil election promises. The first stop was Sevenagala, where sugar farmers are facing numerous difficulties with little assistance from the authorities. “There are around 1,400 workers and 4,500 farmers dependent on these factories, but the government shows no concern for them. The subject minister sits in Parliament spreading lies instead of working with Treasury officials and the board of directors to find solutions. He should visit Sevanagala and Pelwatte in person, hold mobile services, and resolve these issues urgently,” Mr Premadasa said during the visit to Sevenagala, where he met with aggrieved farmers and their family members.

SJB sources said the next visit would be to meet with paddy farmers agitating continuously for better prices for their produce as well as a solution to elephant raids on their villages.

UNP opens its doors for SJB rebels

While the SJB seeks to capitalise on the Government failures, UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was also active this week, consulting the party’s working committee (WC) and seeking its approval to open the door for several SJB members who plan to rejoin the party. He did not name these likely crossovers, but the WC was told that UNP Chairperson Talatha Atukorala and its Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene were in talks with those seeking to rejoin the party, while some were in direct contact with him.

“I have informed those who seek to rejoin the party that they will not be given district organiser positions immediately, as some young SLPP members who worked with me in the last Government are also keen to join us,” he said. The 79th anniversary of the UNP falls on September 6, and party reforms are expected to commence on that day, while the annual convention of the party will be in March next year, party sources said.

The former president had also taken a dig at the main opposition SJB, saying that there were only two effective members in the opposition, namely MPs Chamara Sampath and Dayasiri Jayasekera. “This Government has no energy, and this opposition also has no energy,” he said.

Mr. Wickremesinghe and two former presidents, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, also met this week at the wedding of the daughter of former Cabinet Minister Prasanna Ranatunga. Speaking to some of his loyalists after the ceremony, the UNP leader said there had been many misleading reports that all five former presidents were planning to challenge Government plans to repeal the President’s Entitlement Act.

“Only former President Maithripala Sirisena and I met to discuss the issue, while MP Namal Rajapaksa represented his father. We discussed the need for our lawyers to work together so there would be no conflicting views on the matter, but I will not go to court seeking privileges,” he said.

His explanation came amidst denials by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who went public stating she is in no way involved in challenging the bill, while Gotabaya Rajapaksa too has not shown any interest in challenging it.

One petition has been filed so far in the Supreme Court by Renuka Perera, the Administrative Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), challenging the constitutionality of the bill.

Meanwhile SJB General Secretary Ranjith Maddumabandra told the Sunday Times that no plan to form an opposition political alliance would succeed without the support of the SJB. “Some parties that have not won a single seat in parliament are trying to dictate terms, but they will not succeed without the SJB, which is the second largest party in Parliament,” he said.

New IGP

The country got a new Inspector General of Police (IGP) this week, but not under the usual circumstances where a new person is named to the position after the retirement of the person previously holding the post. Instead, Senior DIG Priyantha Weerasooriya was sworn in as the country’s 37th IGP after the removal by a resolution in Parliament of his predecessor Deshabandu Tennakoon on grounds of misconduct and for bringing the Police Department into disrepute.

IGP Weerasooriya was nominated to the post by President Dissanayake and got approval from the Constitutional Council this week. He assumed duties on Thursday, becoming the only officer who has risen through the ranks in the department to reach its highest position.

After assuming office, IGP Weerasooriya spoke to the media, where he highlighted the nexus between politicians and criminals and said such persons have been identified by the police and action would be taken against them in due course.

He also said that new laws are needed to deal with drug traffickers and illicit drug trade in particular.

IGP Weerasooriya takes over the Police Department at a time it faces numerous challenges. Gun violence has seen a steep rise in the past few months, with more than 75 shootings since January and over 40 deaths. This, despite claims by the police that they have special operations in place to tackle gang violence and recover illicit weapons.

There is also the growing number of cases against politicians and public officials, with the success of the investigations resting with the police. Former MPs Venerable Aturaliye Ratana Thera and Rajitha Seneratne are among those the police are seeking to arrest, but their whereabouts have not been traced so far. It is similar to the case of former IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, whom the police failed to arrest after several court orders, and he surfaced on his own much later and surrendered himself to court.

When queried about the failure of the police to track down suspects against whom arrest warrants have been issued by courts, a senior government source said that Deshabandu Tennakoon surrendered himself to court only after there were threats to confiscate his properties, and a similar method would be used to smoke out the two former MPs evading arrest.

Fifty-six-year-old IGP Weerasooriya has four years in the job until his retirement. It will no doubt be four challenging years, not only in the law-and-order front but also in how the police conduct investigations into the numerous cases of corruption linked mainly to politicians and big businesses in the country. Building public confidence in the Police Department, however, would be the biggest challenge.