Nomination for PC Elections The much anticipated leadership change in JVP

Ahead of the provincial council elections, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), an active Opposition party, had a change of leadership last Sunday at its convention. At the event conducted at the Sugathadasa Stadium, party members were waiting anxiously for the moment to select the new leader.

Followed by the speeches of party stalwarts such as Tilvin Silva, and the adoption of eight resolutions outlining the party's way forward, that exciting moment came. None other than Somawansa Amarasinghe who had held the leadership since 1995, announced the name of Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the new leader.
"The Central Committee of the party has proposed the name of comrade Dissanayake for the leadership post. It is hereby referred for approval by the party members at this convention," Mr. Amarasinghe announced.

The crowd, already trembling with excitement, burst into a thunderous applause coupled with cheerful sounds in various forms.  They unanimously endorsed the proposal by the Central Committee. On an emotional note, Mr. Amarasinghe, the outgoing leader, escorted his successor to the stage, to be congratulated by party members.

People anticipated a change in the JVP leadership after the media reported about it. The names of Tilvin Silva and Anura Kumara Dissanayake were mentioned as the likely leader. All the rumours were put to rest at the convention on Sunday.

The JVP Central Committee, in fact, had taken this decision three months ago. But it was never leaked to the media by anyone. Today, the party views that its well-disciplined cadres kept that secret. Only after the decision was announced at the convention did the party's media unit officially communicate it to the media through text messages on mobile phones.

With the change of leadership, appointments were made to the party's Central Committee. Five new names are featured in this year's committee.  The latest additions are former MP Namal Karunaratne who spearheads the party's farmers' wing, T.B. Sarath (a farmer organiser in Polonnaruwa), Sudath Balagalla (Uva Provincial Council member), and Janaka Adikarai (a trade union activist).

Besides, the JVP increased the membership of its politburo to seven, with the inclusion of MP Sunil Handunnetti and Bimal Ratnayake for the first time. This is the highest decision making body of the party. It meets frequently for policy decisions on various matters that arise in the political and social sphere. However, politburo decisions on key political matters are referred to the Central Committee which normally meets once in two or three months for final approval.  The politburo members are Mr. Dissanayake, K.D. Lalkantha, Tilvin Silva, Vijitha Herath, Bimal Ratnayake, Sunil Handunnetti and Somawansa Amarasinghe.

Mr. Dissanayake, as the new leader, received messages of congratulation, from the communist parties of Greece, Cyprus, Belgium and Lebanon.  
He also received a large number of congratulatory messages from journalists, politicians, artistes and academics.  Among them, a deputy minister of the government also contacted MP Handunnetti over his mobile phone and said, "You have done a great thing by appointing Mr. Dissanayake as the new leader of the party. We like Anura very much. He is the real voice in Parliament."

Besides, a group of United National Party (UNP) supporters, upon hearing of the leadership change in the JVP, assembled at the scene and tried to enter the place when the convention was in progress. JVP members blocked their entry. The UNPers had demonstrated saying the JVP leader had set an example to the country by resigning at the right time.   A section of the UNP has been agitating for a leadership change for a long time. The insinuation seems clear.





Kelaniya a political testing field  
Today, Kelaniya has become a political testing field. The Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Prasanna Ranaweera, backed by a few others, is opposed to Public Relations and Public Affairs Minister Mervyn Silva being re-appointed as the Kelaniya organiser of the party.  Therefore, they had sought a meeting with Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa to ensure the matter was sorted out. During their meeting, they had insisted that Mr. Silva's entry posed a threat to their lives and, therefore, Mr. Silva should be kept out of political activities in Kelaniya.

However, Minister Rajapaksa had given an assurance that the Kelaniya local authority members would be safe, and crafted an interesting solution to pacify both sections. At the upcoming Western Provincial Council election, he said Mr. Silva had been assigned to seek the support of Kelaniya voters for  candidate Nimal Lansa. In the meantime, he asked the local authority members, who are at loggerheads with Minster Silva, to campaign for former Chief Minister Prasanna Silva.

The mandate, polled by each of them, will be used as the yardstick to gauge public opinion regarding Mr. Silva's return. If Mr. Lansa polls more votes from Kelaniya with the support of Mr. Silva, it will be assumed that Mr. Silva is still popular. If Prasanna Silva polls more it will be interpreted as a rejection of Mervyn Silva. This is the solution suggested by Mr. Rajapaksa to appease both sections in the run up to the election.

Minister Rajapaksa, as the political leader of the district, is expected to address at least two or three meetings in each electorate. Besides, President Mahinda Rajapaksa will participate in two or three major rallies for the entire Gampaha district.





UNP unhappy over Mano's decision
The United National Party (UNP) is disappointed over the decision of the Democratic People's Front (DPF) to contest alone in the Colombo district for the Western Provincial Council Election.  The UNP made every possible effort to lure this party led by former MP Mano Ganeshan to its fold at this election.  As a last resort, a group of UNP MPs even called on Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran at his Colombo residence and requested him to prevail upon Mr. Ganeshan to join hands with the UNP.  The UNP is concerned that Mr. Ganeshan will split the party's vote bank particularly in the Tamil majority areas, diminishing its prospects for a high number of seats.

Mr. Wigneswaran and Mr. Ganeshan have better political relations. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and DPF are seen as brotherly parties representing the ethnic Tamils.  Mr. Ganeshan campaigned for the TNA in the north at the last election.  Therefore, the UNP might have thought that Mr. Ganeshan would listen to Mr. Wigneswaran.

However, it is learnt that Mr. Wigneswaran turned down the UNP's plea, on the basis that he cannot work against the interests of the DPF which maintains a good rapport with him.

Also, Democratic Left Front (DLF) leader Vickramabahu Karunaratne unsuccessfully sought nomination from Mr. Ganeshan's party.  

The UNP was riddled with more and more squabbles over the selection of candidates this time. First, the party's Colombo district leadership was opposed to the nomination of Feroza Muzammil, the wife of Colombo Mayor Mohamed Muzammil, as a candidate.  Former provincial council members Mujibur Rahman and Fairoze Haji were also against her candidacy.  Later, her name was omitted from the list.





Ravi resigns from nomination board
The crisis within the UNP over nominations reached a climax on Tuesday when MP Ravi Karunanayake resigned from the board as a mark of protest over what is described as 'unilateral actions and parachuting of people from outside' by the party to the Colombo district.' Mr. Karunanayake addressed his letter to party's General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, citing his reasons for the resignation from the nomination board. It is learnt that he is perturbed over the nomination of a few persons he dislikes. The party has infused young blood into the campaign this time with the introduction of 15 new faces from the Colombo district.




Vasu elated
National Languages and Social Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara remained disappointed since his party could not field anyone to contest the last provincial council election. However, he is elated this time because two of his nominees- Mahinda Kahandagama (Colombo) and Saman de Silva (Galle) - were accommodated on the ticket of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA).    




Love for Tamil culture
Meanwhile, Minister Nanayakkara attended a function at the Jaffna University, organised by the National Language Commission. The Minister was wearing a shawl worn by Tamil leaders. A scribe who was present at the scene asked why Mr. Nanayakkara projected himself as a Tamil leader at this event.
He replied, "I wore it as a mark of respect for Tamil culture."




Actresses dropped
Despite wide anticipation, the UPFA finally dropped actors and actresses who aspired to be contestants at this election. Finally, it chose 43 candidates representing six different parties politically aligned together.  They are Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, Lanka Sama Samaja party, National Freedom Front, Jathika Hela Urumaya, and Desha Vimukthi Janatha Peramuna.





Udaya Gammanpila's novel fund raising  campaign
Former Minister of the Western Provincial Council Udaya Gammanpila started a novel form of election this time. He announced it at a recent press conference.  Instead of seeking financial assistance from businessmen like most other politicians, Mr. Gammanpila asked the general public to donate Rs.100 to his campaign, considering it an investment for good governance. In the country, politicians are noted for amassing wealth for their electoral success. Some politicians hoard wealth while holding office. There are others who give opportunities for businessmen to hoard wealth on their behalf. Once Mr. Gammanpila announced this, singer Madu Madawa rose from his seat and donated 13 hundred rupee notes to Mr. Gammanpila as a donation symbolising 13 electorates in the Gampaha district where he is planning to contest the election. Besides, a journalist also donated a hundred rupee note.