Despite efforts by the international community, especially India, to promote a bi-partisan consensus between Sri Lanka’s ruling party and the main opposition, President Mahinda Rajapaksa is instead hammering out an alliance with the ultra-Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), press reports say.
At the same time, the JVP has renewed its vehement opposition to the Norwegian peace process, demanding that the international monitoring mission overseeing Sri Lanka’s tenuous ceasefire be thrown out.
“There was no peace process, and there is no peace process. The SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission) is virtually defunct. The SLMM should be thrown out of the country,” Somawansa Amarasinghe, the JVP leader, said.
“The LTTE is also not accepting its role,” he incorrectly claimed – the LTTE has asked for the withdrawal of monitors from Nordic countries within the European Union, following the 25-nation bloc’s proscription of the Tigers in May.
The JVP is to join Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition, after talks currently under way to formulate a Common Minimum Programme (CMP), are concluded, the Sunday Times reported this week.
According to The Morning Leader weekly, the JVP has put two conditions for joining the government: first, annul the 1988 merger of the Northern and Eastern province (a province with a majority of Tamil-speakers); second, disarm the LTTE before re-commencing talks with it.
The JVP was hopeful of obtaining its objectives, and towards this end, the talks with the President were being conducted in a "friendly manner", Amarasinghe was quoted as saying.
Press reports earlier this month had suggested the JVP had refused President Rajapaksa’s offer to join the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led government.
However the Sunday Times reported government and JVP leaders have already had three rounds of talks so far to work out areas that should be covered by the proposed CMP, the paper said. “It is expected to include a joint approach towards resolving the ethnic issue, dealing with the international community and tackling economic issues.”
President Rajapaksa led the government side during the three rounds of talks held at “Temple Trees” on July 14, 19 and 20, the paper said. The President made clear during the talks that the support and backing from the JVP, as a partner in the Government, “would go a long way in achieving the ideals his government stood for.”
“Among the key areas [discussed] were the joint approach to the ongoing ethnic conflict, related role by the international community including foreign lobbies, economic issues and how to deal with terrorism,” the paper’s political column further said.
Mr. Amarasinghe’s attack on the Norwegian peace process is in keeping with the pact the JVP signed with Mr. Rajapakse ahead of the Presidential elections last November, which he won with a wholly Sinhala vote boosted by the JVP’s grassroots campaigning.
The JVP leader said his party was presently engaged in a dialogue with the President to "reinvigorate and operationalise the Mahinda Chintanaya", referring to the title of Rajapakse’s election manifesto (“Mahinda’s thoughts”).
The JVP leader also said that the international community, including the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo donors'' conference – EU, United States Norway and Japan - were lecturing to Sri Lankans about how to run their country, and abridging Sri Lanka''s sovereignty in the process.
They were also equating the sovereign state of Sri Lanka with a terrorist group like the LTTE.
These were not acceptable positions, Amarasinghe said, singling out Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi, who visited the island last week for criticisim.
The Sri Lankan armed forces were fully capable of defeating the LTTE, the JVP leader said.
Amid persistent fears of a resurgence in Sri Lanka’s protracted conflict, the international community, especially India, has been pushing for a bipartisan approach to the conflict between the SLFP and the main opposition United National Party (UNP).
Two weeks ago, India’s Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran flew to Colombo and met with both Mr. Rajapakse and UNP leader Ranil Wickremsinghe.
However an initial agreement Mr. Saran thrashed out between the two leaders collapsed within two days when President Rajapakse persuaded another UNP lawmaker, the fourth this year, to cross over.
Analysts say the President killed two birds with one stone, continuing to weaken the UNP while escaping the Indian obligation when the outraged opposition unilaterally pulled out of the deal.
Accompanying President Rajapaksa during the talks with the JVP were SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena, Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayantha and Parliamentarian Dullas Allahapperuma.
The JVP team was headed by its leader, Amarasinghe and comprised General Secretary Tilvin Silva, Parliamentary Group leader Wimal Weerawansa and Anura Dissanayake.
JVP leader Amerasinghe made clear his party wanted to ensure that there was a clear cut programme of action agreed upon. Hence the move to agree on a Common Minimum Programme.
Mr. Amerasinghe wants to go public with such a CMP at a news conference soon after an accord is reached during talks with President Rajapaksa and other Government leaders.
Although the issue of cabinet portfolios to the JVP members has still not been discussed, The Sunday Times learns that President Rajapaksa may offer them four ministries.
A cabinet reshuffle that is to take effect after the Government and the JVP reaches accord on a CMP will see the emergence of a total of 36 ministries, according to highly-placed government sources, the paper said.
The next round of talks to reach finality on the CMP is to be held at Janadipathi Mandiraya. President Rajapaksa moved in there last Saturday. This was after a Buddhist pirith ceremony on Friday night followed by a dana.
At the same time, the JVP has renewed its vehement opposition to the Norwegian peace process, demanding that the international monitoring mission overseeing Sri Lanka’s tenuous ceasefire be thrown out.
“There was no peace process, and there is no peace process. The SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission) is virtually defunct. The SLMM should be thrown out of the country,” Somawansa Amarasinghe, the JVP leader, said.
“The LTTE is also not accepting its role,” he incorrectly claimed – the LTTE has asked for the withdrawal of monitors from Nordic countries within the European Union, following the 25-nation bloc’s proscription of the Tigers in May.
The JVP is to join Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition, after talks currently under way to formulate a Common Minimum Programme (CMP), are concluded, the Sunday Times reported this week.
According to The Morning Leader weekly, the JVP has put two conditions for joining the government: first, annul the 1988 merger of the Northern and Eastern province (a province with a majority of Tamil-speakers); second, disarm the LTTE before re-commencing talks with it.
The JVP was hopeful of obtaining its objectives, and towards this end, the talks with the President were being conducted in a "friendly manner", Amarasinghe was quoted as saying.
Press reports earlier this month had suggested the JVP had refused President Rajapaksa’s offer to join the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) led government.
However the Sunday Times reported government and JVP leaders have already had three rounds of talks so far to work out areas that should be covered by the proposed CMP, the paper said. “It is expected to include a joint approach towards resolving the ethnic issue, dealing with the international community and tackling economic issues.”
President Rajapaksa led the government side during the three rounds of talks held at “Temple Trees” on July 14, 19 and 20, the paper said. The President made clear during the talks that the support and backing from the JVP, as a partner in the Government, “would go a long way in achieving the ideals his government stood for.”
“Among the key areas [discussed] were the joint approach to the ongoing ethnic conflict, related role by the international community including foreign lobbies, economic issues and how to deal with terrorism,” the paper’s political column further said.
Mr. Amarasinghe’s attack on the Norwegian peace process is in keeping with the pact the JVP signed with Mr. Rajapakse ahead of the Presidential elections last November, which he won with a wholly Sinhala vote boosted by the JVP’s grassroots campaigning.
The JVP leader said his party was presently engaged in a dialogue with the President to "reinvigorate and operationalise the Mahinda Chintanaya", referring to the title of Rajapakse’s election manifesto (“Mahinda’s thoughts”).
The JVP leader also said that the international community, including the Co-Chairs of the Tokyo donors'' conference – EU, United States Norway and Japan - were lecturing to Sri Lankans about how to run their country, and abridging Sri Lanka''s sovereignty in the process.
They were also equating the sovereign state of Sri Lanka with a terrorist group like the LTTE.
These were not acceptable positions, Amarasinghe said, singling out Japanese Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi, who visited the island last week for criticisim.
The Sri Lankan armed forces were fully capable of defeating the LTTE, the JVP leader said.
Amid persistent fears of a resurgence in Sri Lanka’s protracted conflict, the international community, especially India, has been pushing for a bipartisan approach to the conflict between the SLFP and the main opposition United National Party (UNP).
Two weeks ago, India’s Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran flew to Colombo and met with both Mr. Rajapakse and UNP leader Ranil Wickremsinghe.
However an initial agreement Mr. Saran thrashed out between the two leaders collapsed within two days when President Rajapakse persuaded another UNP lawmaker, the fourth this year, to cross over.
Analysts say the President killed two birds with one stone, continuing to weaken the UNP while escaping the Indian obligation when the outraged opposition unilaterally pulled out of the deal.
Accompanying President Rajapaksa during the talks with the JVP were SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena, Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayantha and Parliamentarian Dullas Allahapperuma.
The JVP team was headed by its leader, Amarasinghe and comprised General Secretary Tilvin Silva, Parliamentary Group leader Wimal Weerawansa and Anura Dissanayake.
JVP leader Amerasinghe made clear his party wanted to ensure that there was a clear cut programme of action agreed upon. Hence the move to agree on a Common Minimum Programme.
Mr. Amerasinghe wants to go public with such a CMP at a news conference soon after an accord is reached during talks with President Rajapaksa and other Government leaders.
Although the issue of cabinet portfolios to the JVP members has still not been discussed, The Sunday Times learns that President Rajapaksa may offer them four ministries.
A cabinet reshuffle that is to take effect after the Government and the JVP reaches accord on a CMP will see the emergence of a total of 36 ministries, according to highly-placed government sources, the paper said.
The next round of talks to reach finality on the CMP is to be held at Janadipathi Mandiraya. President Rajapaksa moved in there last Saturday. This was after a Buddhist pirith ceremony on Friday night followed by a dana.
