Political bickering amidst Beefy’s Big Sri Lanka Walk

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The Working Committee members of the United National Party (UNP) gathered at the party headquarters, Sirikotha’ on Monday. Top on the agenda of the meeting was the item to discuss proposed structural changes, mooted by the party’s Bhikkhu wing United Bhikkhu Front, to revive the party both at national and grassroots level for future electoral success.

At the commencement of the meeting, leader Ranil Wickremesinghe announced the proposal to set up the leadership council chaired by MP Karu Jayasuriya-- comprising nine members.  The General Secretary, the Chairman and the head of the media division are members of it by virtue of their positions in the party.  MPs Sajith Premadasa, Ravi Karunanayake, Lakshman Kiriella, Thalatha Athukorale, and Ruwan Wijewardene were the members of it, as proposed.  The position of Mr. Wickremesinghe was meanwhile proposed to be renamed as national leader.




UNP WC members become tense

Shortly after Mr. Wickremesinghe announced the latest step for political reforms in the party, the other MPs started putting forward their views, and the meeting, once in a while, was tense, roaring and full of humour amid cross talks, arguments and counter arguments by the members.

MPs Ajith P. Perera and Harin Fernando hailed the new move by the party, and stressed the need for all to act in unison in the greater interest of the party during its trying time.




Harin’s respect for Karu
MP Fernando, who topped the UNP’s Badulla district preferential votes list at the 2012 general election, said he respected MP Jayasuriya very much though some others of the party were critical of his defection from the party in 2007 along with 17 others.

“There are those critical of him. True, he joined the government, and teamed up with the UNP again later. His critics say he went with 18 but came back with none. True, he challenged Mr. Wickremesinghe in the leadership battle once. He was defeated. Yet, he did not criticise the leader here and there. He attacked only the government in press conferences conducted at his small private office. Therefore, I respect him.  Today, there is a greater responsibility for him as the leader of the proposed council. He has to direct both Mr. Wickremesinghe and Mr. Premadasa for the revival of the party for future electoral victories,” he told the meeting.




Sajith skeptical about the move
Despite his nomination to the leadership council, Mr. Premadasa was skeptical    about the new move. He said he could not accept it because it had not been incorporated in the party’s constitution for legal validity.  By raising that, he refused to accept his position as a member of the leadership council.

There was a great deal of persuasion by his colleagues such as MPs Harin Fernando, Ajith P. Perera and Chandrani Bandara for him to be a part of the new process. Also, it was assured to him by them that legal barriers for the incorporation of the new move in the party constitution would be cleared in due course.  In fact, Mr. Fernando, backed by others, said he would guarantee that a legal validity would be ensured as there was an assurance from the leadership in this respect. All these attempts could not convince Mr. Premadasa who eventually withdrew from the leadership council.




Ravi wants sincerity
MP Karunanayake expressed his views at the meeting, and said a concrete step had to be taken at this moment for the right direction of the party after discussions on so many occasions in the past.

“If we do something, we should do it with sincerity. We cannot revisit this issue all the time.  If anything is done, it should be given the full authority. The committees such as the Political Affairs Committee, appointed in the past, were proven to be futile,” he said.

 The stands, taken by Mr. Karunanayake and Mr. Premadasa, sounded similar in content to the party’s MP for the Moneragala district Ranjith Madduma Bandara. The two members are not on good terms with each other over policy issues within the party. Their rift is common knowledge in the party.  Therefore, MP Bandara, a critic of the party hierarchy, promptly remarked, “There seems to be a pow-wow between Mr. Karunanayake and Mr. Premadasa to take a common stand this time.”




Joseph Michael threatens to leave
Upon hearing his remarks, the entire meeting roared into laughter.  Angered by the failure on the part of Mr. Premadasa and others to reach a common stand on the leadership council despite persuasion attempts, was MP Joseph Michael Perera nominated to Parliament on the National List.

“If there is no agreement yet, there is no use of my presence here. I want to leave,” he thundered and tried to walk out. However, the party leaders consoled him. “Joseph, Joseph don’t go,” the others said.




 Spat over opposition leader’s post in CPC
Meanwhile, MP Gamini Jayawickrama Perera and Mr. Joseph Michael Perera had a showdown over the issue involved in the appointment of the opposition leader of the Central Provincial Council.  A section of the elected members wanted to appoint member Lucky Jayawardane to the post whereas the others wanted former MP Ranjith Aluvihare to hold the post.

MP Ranjith Aluvihare’s brother Wasantha Aluvihare is an MP. At the Working Committee meeting, young Aluvihare spoke against a plan to rotate the opposition leader post in the council for two years between the two members.

“The party should not limit the post only for a limited period,” he said. He was against the limiting of the term of his brother at the top post in the opposition in the central province.





Joseph Michael faces fury
At that point, MP Gamin Jayawickrama Perera turned towards Mr. Joseph Micahel Perera   who is the assistant leader of the party.
“You are the assistant leader. You should address these problems,” he said. This led to an exchange of views between the two senior members.
Besides, Mr. Jayasuriya   , in his remarks, tried to justify his decision to join the government in 2007, and called it a step taken in support of efforts by the then shaky ruling coalition to resurrect the country from the scourge of terrorism.

“I feel glad about my decision even today.  I supported the war against terrorism as a principle.  I joined the UNP again upon invitation,” he said.   
Ian Botham, the former English test cricket and test team captain is in Sri Lanka at the moment. Also, in the country, are former India test captains Sunil Gavaskar and Saurav Ganguly. The charity organisation called ‘Laureus’ and headed by Sir Ian Botham has organised a walk from Kilinochchi in the north. It will end in Seenigama in the south.  These three cricketing stars participated in the walk to express their solidarity to Sri Lankans.  




Botham in Beefy’s Big Walk
Botham has chosen Sri Lanka for the walk this time.This is ‘ Beefy’s Big Sri Lanka Walk’, a fundraising trek across Sri Lanka. The day’s leg of walk was 40 kilometres- twice the size of the previous day’s walk. He is required to finish his walk on November 8, and it is an exercise that warrants a daily walk of at least 20 kilometres to the reach the finishing line finally.

The charity organisation says in its webpage that , “ After the Tsunami of 2004, which devastated parts of the country, killed 35,000 people and displaced over 500,000, Sir Ian Botham went to Sri Lanka, on behalf of Laureus, to assess the situation and see what could be done to help. He saw how the creation of a sports-based project in the town of Seenigama could play a significant role in the rebuilding of the community.

Since then Laureus has worked with the Foundation of Goodness in Sri Lanka to help build sports facilities and supply coaching for young people in the rural communities of the south around Seenigama. Here, sport has helped the region to recover its community spirit and rebuild lives, especially through the love of cricket.
During Monday’s walk, they arrived in the Pinnawala elephant orphanage.  Among those present to receive these three giants of the cricketing world was the she elephant called ‘Menike’.  Beaten by the sweltering sun, they stopped for a while at the elephant orphanage. Perspiration was trickling down on their faces, and their clothes were wet with sweat.    Cool drinks were served at the welcome reception to the three cricket stars. Botham was so beaten by the tropical heat of Sri Lanka that he had got corns on his feet after a long walk to Pinnawala on Monday.  No sooner than he arrived, he was comfortably seated in a chair.  He even received treatment from the volunteer workers present at the moment.




Gavaskar playing banana ball
Gavaskar who is skillful at handling leather balls and cricket bats-- threw a bunch of bananas one by one into Menike’s mouth.  He took hold of the bananas that Menike failed to put into her, without letting them fall on to the ground—reminding the onlookers of his professionalism in cricket-- much to their amusement.
 Many people had come with cricket bats to be signed as a mark of souvenir by these cricket icons. Among them was government MP Kanaka Herath.





President’s concern about abnormal teachers
At the Cabinet meeting conducted last Thursday, President Mahinda Rajapaksa brought the attention of Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane to look into the mental health of teachers. The President noted that it was all the more important to work for the well-being of teachers for a successful education service.
In this case, he referred to two instances where teachers had behaved in an abnormal manner. In one case, teacher, who wanted to punish a child in his school, had run after him for quite some time, creating a funny situation. In the second incident, a teacher had assaulted the principal and physically thrown him out from his seat. Subsequently, this particular teacher occupied that seat introducing himself as the newly installed principal.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena made a sarcastic remark on those handling the education sector at present, engulfing the entire Cabinet meeting in ripples of laughter.




Palmyra mace for NPC
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), which is governing the first Northern Provincial Council, is now busy with this plan to make a ‘ mace’ , the symbolic item kept in the chamber of the council during sessions.   

The other provincial councils have made mace depicting the traditional symbols unique to each of them. For the NPC, council member M.K. Sivajilingam proposed to have the mace made of Palmyra wood, with the symbol of the tree carved on it. Palmyra tree is iconic in the north since it epitomises the Tamil culture. Some writers and poets have even used the Palmyra tree as an allegory to refer to the Tamil community in the north.  The committee working on the mace is headed by chief minister C.V. Wigneswaran.