Government of MS and RW needs to get the Government to function

The leaders of the Rainbow coalition in December 2014

By Insider

According to Presidential sources the proposed Pada Yathra of the Joint Opposition helped the Prime Minister and the President to unify to prevent the Rajapaksa clan clawing back and getting control and dictating to the Government. 

The proposed Pada Yathra, a popular vehicle to mobilise disgruntled supporters of the Government, is a successfully-tested political strategy very close to the heart of the former President. The movement was steadily gathering momentum much to the embarrassment of the President. The JO had even successfully influenced some of the clergy to join them. 

The PM, according to sources, had advised the President to get tough with those SLFP MPs who were supporting the move. Some of the close confidantes of the President too had advised him to take control of the Government and the party. 

The President seemed to have taken that advice seriously as he was seen to be firmly in control in Moragahakanda. The President in Moragahakanda had said the Government would run the full five years and the Prime Minister was seen to be nodding in agreement. 

The Government that was deeply divided prior to the new Governor’s appointment after the new Governor’s appointment had finally unified, according to political sources, due to the ongoing pressure by the JO and also due to the pressure exerted by the people who put the two leaders into power. 

The new Governor who was over the moon with his appointment seems to be settling down after the few knocks he got for his connections to king Raj. The attempt by some people to highlight him as an economic hit man has now taken a back seat. 

The Government is now moving forward to implement the Cabinet Proposal to take the EPF out of the Central Bank and for an investment board to run the EPF, the Treasury to take over the Public Debt Department and the Foreign Exchange Act to be enacted. 

There was speculation that former Governor Mahendran would manage some of those functions sitting outside the Central Bank. The BOI that is managed by ruggerite and UNP nationalist Minister, a friend of the Premier, Malik Samarawickrama, came in for a scathing attack on TV by a key activist who was at the forefront of forming the Government, Azad Sally. 

The YouTube clip is now doing the rounds, being passed around by people in the administration. Someone had remarked this shows the disconnect between the top and the bottom in the UNP. Azad on TV had explained why investments are not coming into the country and the sad way the BOI is run. 

To add to all this, respected economist Professor Razeen Sally, the Chairman of the Government-owned IPS, was very critical of the way the Government was managing the economy. He expressed disappointment about the opportunity lost and said the Government was only catering to the Colombo elite. 

This statement of catering to the Colombo elite may not be true given that a powerful UNP Minister got booed last week at a concert that was heavily patronised by middle class and upper middle class folks from the city.  This is just the tip of the iceberg given the resentment within the UNP professional class and young ministers, largely due to – UNP sources say – the UNP led by the Royal old guard who were in the wilderness for a decade having now re-emerged and taken control of the workings in ministries and failed to recognise the correct people, but instead giving positions in the administration to their friends, while those who had toiled for the party while they were napping, have been given next to nothing.

Despite all these challenges the Government must be credited for the ongoing political liberalism, subdued atmosphere of ethnic tension and for getting the support from the West.