The Crisis Of The Opposition & The Crisis Of The State
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka
It is no accident that the renovation and recovery of the British Labour Party during the long night of Thatcherism was intellectually spearheaded by three outstanding theoreticians of the Marxian Left, Eric Hobsbawm, Stuart Hall and Martin Jacques, all of whom drew on the political science of Antonio Gramsci to critically comprehend the success, national and cultural, of the Thatcher phenomenon of ‘authoritarian populism’ (Stuart Hall) and the ossification and obsolescence of the Labour Opposition.
There is no better guide to understanding the dual crises of Sri Lankan opposition and state and likely outcomes than Gramsci. His pertinently titled ‘Observations on certain aspects of the structure of political parties in periods of Organic Crisis’ in the essay ‘State and Civil Society’ in his Prison Notebooks could well have been about the United National Party:
VIP SECURITY PERSONNEL WERE ALSO AT PROTEST AGAINST RANIL - MANGALA
October 11, 2013
Speaking on the clash which erupted between UNP supporters on October 5 during a protest demanding the removal of Wickramasinghe from UNP leadership, he stated that several state employees were among those wounded from the incident.
The Parliamentarian stated that various pro-government media had reported the incident in a biased manner and that comments made by him regarding the clash were edited.
He claimed that Herman Gunrathne, the father of Provincial Councilor Maithri Gunarathne, who was arrested over a shooting incident at the protest, is a Presidential Advisor and that he had joined the UNP from the Hela Urumaya and is involved with the government again.
Samaraweera stated that there is no problem in arresting even his supporters, who he says were engaging in a peaceful march, if they had committed any wrongdoings.
However, a dispute which could have been resolved at the Mediation Board was ultimately dragged to the police on an order from “higher-ups,” he said, adding, that the government and also pro-government media had backed it.
He claimed that even the Matara Police Station in acting in regard to the incident after considering the news reported by these media organizations.
The Parliamentarian stated that various pro-government media had reported the incident in a biased manner and that comments made by him regarding the clash were edited.
He claimed that Herman Gunrathne, the father of Provincial Councilor Maithri Gunarathne, who was arrested over a shooting incident at the protest, is a Presidential Advisor and that he had joined the UNP from the Hela Urumaya and is involved with the government again.
Samaraweera stated that there is no problem in arresting even his supporters, who he says were engaging in a peaceful march, if they had committed any wrongdoings.
However, a dispute which could have been resolved at the Mediation Board was ultimately dragged to the police on an order from “higher-ups,” he said, adding, that the government and also pro-government media had backed it.
He claimed that even the Matara Police Station in acting in regard to the incident after considering the news reported by these media organizations.
