Nalin de Silva

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has been asked by South Africa to take part in Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) when the former wanted the latter to mediate in talks between them and the Sri Lankan government. It is clear as to why the South African government did not want to mediate between the TNA and the Sri Lankan government, and it can be speculated that it is difficult for a foreign government to mediate between a political party and the government of a country. If any other party wants a foreign country to mediate between the party and the Sri Lankan government on some matter or other then the relevant foreign country would not be able to justify it.

The UNP in the meantime wants to take the Hambantota “toy pistol” incident to the Commonwealth. However, after Nandikadal, there is very little that the foreign governments can do to interfere in internal politics at present, and the political parties would have to realise this sooner or later. Even England could not do much at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) held last year and Canada by withdrawing its contribution to the Commonwealth Secretariat has only exposed itself as a country that is not prepared to accept a decision by the other governments.

Western countries

It is not Sri Lanka that is affected by the withdrawal of Canadian money but some other countries in the Commonwealth. Canada by its action is working against the “development projects” of these countries, and the UNP should realise that the Commonwealth would not be in a position to interfere in the “toy pistol” incident. The political parties should become independent of the foreign countries, as more they get involved with external agencies the public would be more and more suspicious of the parties.

The Sri Lankan politics have been controlled by the Western countries for a long time even after the “independence” of 1948. The climax was during the days of Chandrika Kumaratunga government, especially when Ranil Wickremesinghe was the Prime Minister of the country. We were a colony except by name with India, England and US controlling our affairs. PTOMs, the so called ceasefire agreement etc., were introduced during this period, as Chandrika Kumaratunga was the direct agent of the Western forces, and was imported to the country by these forces in order to give what the Tamil racists wanted on a platter. She has become their agent again as these forces cannot find any other suitable candidate. Ven. Sobhitha Thera is only an also ran who will be dropped at the final stage. In any event a candidate cannot contest on a single issue especially on the issue of the abolition of the executive presidency as an elected president cannot abolish the presidency on his own as there is no provision for that in the constitution.

It is the Parliament that can amend the constitution and not the executive president, and an executive president by himself cannot change the system without the support of the Parliament. It has to remembered that amending the constitution of the country is not a simple matter and without a two third majority in the Parliament it is not possible to amend the constitution. As it is nobody other than the incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa can think of having a Parliament with two third majority supporting him, and Ven. Sobhitha Thera, Chandrika Kumaratunga or even a popular cricketer would not be able to abolish the executive presidency even if they are genuine in what they say. It appears that the “common candidate” for the executive President even to abolish the executive Presidency is none other than Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, it is doubtful after the Nandikadal victory the people are interested in abolishing the executive presidency. The pundits who continue to live in pre Nandikadal era are welcome to do so.

Internal politics

At the height of foreign, meaning Western, interference in the country it was Solheim who played the most important role, and it is reported that he has said that the LTTE was responsible for the killings of Neelan Thiruchelvam and Lakshman Kadirgamar. Why Solheim waited so long to come out with this fact is not clear, but it may be due to the realization that the Tamil racist policies are coming to an end even if England, Canada, USA and the dispersed Tamils are interested in reviving the anti Sinhala policies.

South Africa is the best example where the wish and will of a minority governs even though the majority is in power nominally. Thus England, USA, TNA and the dispersed Tamils would be interested in a South African style deal as far as Sri Lanka is concerned. However, though the TNA and the dispersed Tamils would not realise it the other stakeholders mentioned above and South Africa know that it is not possible to mediate between a government of a country and a political party operating in the country unless an extraordinary situation has arisen. Otherwise as mentioned above the UNP or even the NSSP would want some foreign government to mediate between them and the government. TNA and UNP still live in pre Nandikadal era and think in terms of facilitators mediators, foreign governments in internal politics of the country.

This is not to say that England has given up its objective of weakening if not destroying Sinhala Buddhist culture or Sinhala Buddhism that they commenced the moment North set foot in this country. However, England with its history of about thousand years since Hastings days in 1033 know through experience, empirically and not through any theory, after all England ruled the world through its philosophy of empiricism, in spite of Newton and his laws, probably following Locke, that one has at least to pretend that one abides by rules.

Northern Provincial Council

If there was a “war” in the country England could have justified mediation by South Africa, between the government of Sri Lanka and the TNA, provided of course TNA was involved in the “war”. However, as it is there is no “war” between TNA and the government of Sri Lanka and England would find it extremely difficult to get South Africa involved in mediation between the government of Sri Lanka and the TNA. However, England would try to do the next “best” thing in order to intervene again in Sri Lankan politics. It is by creating a neo LTTE and starting another “war”. After Nandikadal the “best prospect” for England is another “war” and Gopi and others had been used with that in mind. They would think of ways and means of defending Gopi and the rest. Already the West is questioning the conditions under which Gopi died and this “line of attack” would be pursued by their agents in the NGOs, media led by BBC and others in days to come. TNA will also be used by England, as its two factions could be controlled through Sumanthiran (as we have already said Sampanthan and Vigneswaran are only ceremonial heads) and people such as Premachandran.

We have to be in the lookout within the next couple of months as we are now heading for a presidential election early next year. However, we have gone through Nandikadal and the fact that Thavaraja who worked with me in the APRC has taken oaths as a member of the Northern Provincial Council should be an eye opener for the TNA and all those who are behind Tamil racism. If TNA is genuinely interested in the welfare of the Tamils it has no alternative but to take part in the PSC.