Sarath Wijesinghe former Ambassador to UAE and Israel

No confidence motion is now history

The no confidence motion which is now history was won by the United National Party regime and the associated groups with ease after struggling and maneuvering day and night to get the members of the conflicting fractions to their sides with great stress strain and uncertainty for all worrying parties. The main issue/s of the motion that is the BOND SCAM” now appears to be sidelined as the aftermath and implications of the results have surfaced with further complicated political diversities. It is certain there was a period of tension and uncertainty for the Prime Minister to exert all local and foreign resources to defeat the motion threatening his political future and the Premiership after January 8th victory with a slim majority forming a weak government of two major parties of different ideologies. Though the motion was won by 46 votes of members of future do not appear to be solid as most decisions including UNP members were taken the last few hours prior to the motion taken for vote due to varied reasons alleging bribery, and other perks and pledges long and short term. Every member was well looked after with special attentions which are no secrets to the common man while guaranteed a safe way to Prime Minister for the rest of the period in power unless the difficult promise, reforms, and pledges individual and collective are not fulfilled. Tree of money was shaken with millions if not billions!. United National Party is jubilant that they strengthened the party unity and the cadre patching up the difference at least temporarily expecting reforms awaiting for three decades and the information is that a new set of members will be given new positions among the legislature awaiting until the end of the parliamentary period for the pension and more vehicles and perks during intervals. MR appears to be relaxed on the drawing board preparing strategies and vision for 2020 and future!.

Valid reasons for mode of voting

26 members of the legislature willfully absented themselves must have very valid reasons to do so. The perks enjoy, funds paid by the tax payer, vehicles and other facilities are the highest in the world with the power annexes are so attractive in addition to the new perks and remuneration received from invisible and interested local and international hands. Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara’s” positive firsthand information/accusation on millions passed over is serious. Not only the 26 members who absented themselves – those who voted against the motion are equally winners in the game with prizes, pledges and promises to be fulfilled in the future mostly from private/foreign and tax payers money. Those who are supposed to have lost the motion are not real losers as they destabilized the governance technically losing the 2/3 majority and the credibility locally and internationally during the debates and deliberations of washing dirty in public days and weeks continuously which are in

the public domain to be taken stock on the Dee Day” in 2020 a group of members of the Parliament and a fraction of the population is waiting for. Legal opposition led by Hon Sambandan” never opposed the governance at any stage and never will, are also winners in open and under cover. According to media news Prime Minster has pledges to fulfill 10 conditions in addition to pledges to individual members for various perks and benefits with lot of money allegedly passed by in millions according to the proponents of the motion. Legal opposition will continue to enjoy perks and privileges in addition to the new pledges, perks, and facilities being in the government opposition denying the citizen of a real opposition in the Parliament with the main targets of passing a new constitution and implementation of Geneva directions of the co-sponsored binding resolution which is opposed by the proponents of the motion.

Real winner/s looser/s ?

President is not the loser as his period as tenure is assured by the 19th amendment and the other positions as the Chairman of the SLFP still safe, with freedom to visit the other countries in the world he has not visited so far- He has covered quite a few. He has now ample time to take a stock of large number of MOU’s signed in every visit and offers and pledges of development projects offered by leaders of the world to the President as the leader responsible for the defeat of the difficult man Rajapaksa” against whom many leaders and organizations were eying to control. President’s power is tested and proved below the Prime Minister in terms of the 19th amendment- but the privileges and the immunity for President is intact with enormous funds allocated for the Presidential Secretariat on a very special budget. His hopes for re-election for another term may be shattered but could enjoy all privileges including travelling and perks un- interrupted till the end of the tenure to making him also a winner in the game.

Small parties

Small parties and the individual members who took independent positions are also winners.” Ven Ratana” who is now in hot water, may have had very good reasons to abstain because accordion to him he could not take sides as a Buddhist monk. It is an interesting moot issue for a student of politics to find out whether he has not voted ever for or against before In the Parliament!. Dr/Lawyer Rajapaksa” took a smart step to save the membership in the UNP and in the Parliament disappointing the proponents of the motion, by voting for possibly not influenced by peacock leaves” as alleged by Hon Weerawansa”, unlike many others and there is strong gossip that he will be given back the same portfolio. He is a great winner who is getting ready for the next move in future in the stream of stormy politics. MP Thondman” and MP Devenenda” are men for all seasons and always winners under any governance and there is nobody for disciplinary inquiries against them. Minister Ranawaka” Minister Mano and Minister Hakeem” are always winners with row materials on ethnicity for sale. They respectively promote Sinhala and Tamil Muslim reconciliation in the most reconciled capital in the world led by minorities living as brethren’s in one family, but the fact remains the MP’s mentioned are also great winners in the game of course Madam Chandrika” backed by NGO’s mostly in North East on reconciliatory matters!.

Has SLFP won/lost the game?

Has SLFP lost in the game? Definitely not- Some members defected but they will be well looked after by the Chairman of the party who is mighty powerful leaving them room to enjoy perks and facilities

though they were denied of the additional direct and indirect remunerations received by those who voted for backed by the General Secretary giving unlimited protection. On the other hand President Sirisena” needs his supporters around in the government full of members of the other parties; thereby they will be well protected. Anyway the President will hold office until the tenure is over or no confidence motion to oust him which is very remote. For the parliament mafia country comes last and the priorities in life are cars, perks, funds, power, and properties in Sri Lanka and oversee.

Rajapaksa camp

Rajapaksa” camp lost the motion, yet the gains incidental to the aftermath of the results are interesting and ground breaking. Rakapaksa” Who was down at the defeat from the premature presidential election and let down by his men and cronies full of allegations, apparently rejuvenated with new hopes after the victory of the local government elections and the breakdown of the cradle of SLFP as a result of the motion is the man supporters expediting to run over Ranil Wickramasinghe” with his dwindling the popularity, as the beat candidate for the presidential election in 2020. Though the elections lost the gain of the popularity to Rajapaksa” group is a tremendous boost and an investment for the future. But the governance will take steps to reactivate the amendments to the adjudicator act as a last resort of put Rajapaksa” on the defense and his clan behind bars in view of 2020 elections will be the other test and will the time frame will be sufficient to end the cases on time are issues future will be deciding on new circumstances. Any way on the whole Rajapaksa group is also a winner in the game plan.

Real winners and looser/s

If everybody has won the game, then who are the losers? Who are the parties who have not gained from the entire episode? Obviously it is the ordinary citizen who is at the losing end as the governance now will carry on with new strength and vigor despite the bad loss of the local elections. Ranil is immune to loosing after loosing 29 occasions and having secured a position on President Sirisena’s” victory as the Prime Minister in a minority government whilst the former Prime Minster was still in office.Ranil Wickramasinghe” is a survivor and he should be credited for his capacity to manure to be in power at any cost so long. He is a fortunate man to have come to politics at the age of 28 and enjoyed power to date, which is a world record on any international standard. Now the SLFP is split up with exit of powerful 16 there is uncertainty brewing again threating Ranil and Sirisena equally in their hot seats! It appears that the contenders for leadership in UNP will have a long wait for their turn or until his natural demise. Citizen are the loosers to have the bunch of politicians always up to mischief, corruption nepotism and hold on to power any cost , irrespective which party they belong to with the end result that it is who are the only and main losers in the game plan.!

(The author Sarath Wijesinghe former Ambassador to UAE and Israel could be contacted on sarath7@hotmail.co.uk all the reading materials – Law and order for peace and co-existence 10.3.2010 Lanka Web/ Do we have a foreign policy 24.12.2017 Lanka Web/ Foreign Policy Is it effective and productive 5.3.2015 Colombo Telegraph / New Constitution 17.1.2016 Colombo Telegraph/Economic diplomacy 14.10.2015 Colombo Telegraph all by him could be retrieved from the World Wide Web).