SJB courting SLPP dissidents while tightening grip on its own

Analysis
By Editor_1
Monday’s (April 24) opposition leaders’ meeting chaired by Samagi Jana Balawegaya leader Sajith Premadasa -Twitter
By Himal Kotelawala

COLOMBO– Sri Lanka’s main opposition the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is attempting a collaborative force against “undemocratic actions” of the government with other opposition parties that include dissident factions of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) while reining in any defections from its own fold.

SJB and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said in a statement on Monday (24) that several groups within the opposition took the first step in working together as a “giant force” against what it called the undemocratic actions of the government.

A discussion was held at the Parliament complex on Monday between the SJB and members of a number of other parties representing the opposition on the formation of a common program against “arbitrary” actions of the government in the face of the political, economic and social problems that confront the country, Premadasa said in a post published on his official Facebook page.

Chaired by Premadasa, the meeting was attended by former chairman of the SLPP, Prof G. L. Peiris and other MPs who entered Parliament as part of a two-thirds majority-winning SLPP coalition, namely Dullas Alahapperuma, Chandima Weerakkodi, Nalaka Godaheva, Channa Jayasumana, Udaya Gammanpila, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, Gevidu Cumarathunga and Dayasiri Jayasekara, all of whom were key players in the government headed by ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Premadasa opted to be Alahapperuma’s running mate in a last-minute decision to back out of a race for the presidency with incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe who was elected by Parliament with the backing of the SLPP.

Some of the SLPP dissidents were silent in the face of, if not outright supportive of, what the SJB itself has called the destructive policies of the Rajapaksa administration that contributed to what became Sri Lanka’s worst currency crisis since Independence. A not insignificant number of the dissident faction also remains ultranationalist in their outlook with regard to the island nation’s ethnic question.

Others at the discussion, according to Premadasa’s statement, were Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader Rauf Hakeem, Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader Mano Ganesan and All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) leader Gajendra Ponnambalam.

The SJB was represented by MPs Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Lakshman Kiriella, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar and Harsha de Silva.

Notable absentees were the leftist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). According to at least one opinion poll, the NPP still holds a considerable lead against the SJB.

“We all have to move on from old ideas in order to work together, because this is a different Sri Lanka. For us to develop as a nation, we cannot be cornered from the international community,” Premadasa said at Monday’s discussion.

“It is very clear, we need to become internationalists. We must win a comparative advantage, and develop it,” he said.

Premadasa, whose party is not ideologically opposed to International Monetary Fund (IMF)-backed reforms and advocates for a social market economy, said Sri Lanka must strive to achieve its targets through domestic production without foregoing trade.

“We must understand that we need to bring about value addition to the country, as opposed to value reduction, through international deals,” he said.

Monday’s discussion was primarily focused on the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) proposed by the government to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

“We will defeat this extremist act that violates human rights, desecrates democracy and allows the president to name all 20 million of the country terrorists,” said Premadasa.

“Let us all get together and discuss whether to introduce a new act to achieve human rights objectives of the country as well as democratic rights and national security, or whether to continue with the existing Public Security Ordinance,” he said.

Meanwhile, the SJB’s working committee has decided to appoint a disciplinary committee to take action against party members who issue statements that promote the government or are considered detrimental to the party.

“Today the Working Committee decided to appoint a strong disciplinary committee to take immediate disciplinary action against anyone who issues statements that damage the SJB or promote other parties or the government,” said SJB Thushara Indunil Amarasena speaking to reporters in Colombo after a party meeting on Monday.

The decision comes in the wake of speculation over the past few weeks that a number of high-profile SJB parliamentarians were planning to cross over to the government accepting an open invitation from President Ranil Wickremesinghe to support his government’s International Monetary Fund (IMF)-backed reforms.

SJB Weligama organiser and former Urban Council Chairman Rehan Jayawickreme tweeted quoting party leader Premadasa that “the party will not tolerate further indiscipline and tough choice will be made irrelevant of who the individuals are.”

These developments come amid continued speculation of crossovers and talks of a national government at the invitation of President Wickremesinghe.

Rejecting these reports, SJB MP Nalin Bandara said April 10 that the SJB was in fact contemplating a grand alliance targeting upcoming elections with Premadasa as a common presidential candidate. Bandara said the United National Party (UNP), which President Wickremesinghe leads, is welcome to join the proposed alliance as the SJB currently holds 54 seats compared to the UNP’s solitary seat in Parliament.

The SJB broke away from the UNP following the defeat of then UNP deputy leader Sajith Premadasa at the 2019 presidential election. The UNP, once Sri Lanka’s single largest party, was reduced to one seat at the 2020 general election, with Wickremesinghe occupying that seat as a national list member.

TPA leader Ganesan, who recently made an abortive attempt to bring the UNP and the SJB together, said last week, his own party has yet to decide on a future course of action in the event of an open invitation from the president to form a national government.

In a tweet posted Monday evening after the discussion with Premadasa, Ganesan said the meeting focused on the IMF and the ATA. He said the establishment of a joint committee was formulated, rather than a common alliance.

-economynext.com

 

 

 

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