Politics and governance

As a fresh week opens for the rejuvenated Government it will find itself already on the fighting lines on two fronts. 

Firstly, this week will likely see the swearing-in of the Cabinet and the possible breakup of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) with pro-Rajapaksa parliamentarians opting to take on the responsibilities of the Opposition. 

Secondly, the Government will have to move to tackle international expectations ahead of the release of the United Nations Human Rights (UNHRC) report.

Weekend media reports were filled with speculation of an imminent Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) split, with a section set to support former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and sit as an Opposition group in Parliament while the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is set to take a decision Sunday whether the alliance should continue or function as a separate group.

If a split takes place then President Maithripala Sirisena could move to dissolve the UPFA, leaving stalwarts such as National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya head Udaya Gammanpila and Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) leader D.E.W Gunesekera on the side of the Opposition. It could still leave the UNP and Sirisena-loyalists with enough support to muster a two-thirds majority in Parliament if constitutional changes are necessary. In fact the entire Parliament could sit as a Constituent Assembly to discuss and decide on constitutional changes.

This is while some 20 SLFP MPs will accept portfolios plus an equal number will support a National Government. They include Nimal Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayantha, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Sarath Amunugama, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, A.H.M. Fowzie, Dr. Sudharshani Fernandopulle and Dilan Perera.

The faction in support of Rajapaksa, said to number more than 50 MPs, met for the first time at the official residence of the Western Province’s former Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga last Wednesday. Among those backing Rajapaksa are Dullas Alahapperuma, Kumar Welgama, Pavithra Wanniaarachchi and T.B. Ekanayake. Together with the JVP they could form the basis of a strong Opposition.

On the forefront will be a visit by the US State Department’s senior-most official handling the Sri Lanka desk for meetings with Sri Lankan leaders. Nisha Biswal, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, will meet Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera first on Tuesday morning and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe thereafter followed by calling on President Maithripala Sirisena.

Samaraweera is expected to be reappointed Foreign Minister in time for the Biswal visit. The visit, originally scheduled for weeks earlier, had been placed on hold on account of last Monday’s parliamentary elections. Its significance is that it comes on the eve of the UN Human Rights Council’s findings on the complicity of the then Sri Lankan Government and the Armed Forces in the conduct of the military campaign to defeat the LTTE in May 2009.

A three-member UN probe team’s report is being presented to the UNHRC early next month. The new Sri Lankan Government is on record as saying that it will only permit a domestic inquiry into any adverse findings by the UN team.

With such a short time for the Government to get its act together it cannot be distracted by internal politics and has to muster all its resources to progressively deal with the UNHRC report.