Corruption poser to SLPP and Rajapaksa leadership

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Can the Bond issue catchword be replaced by PRECIFAC? This is emerging as the possible campaign issue for both the SLFP and the SLPP. President Sirisena’s loud campaigning against corruption, with the immediate target of the Bond issue and the UNP, could well move towards the charges based on the Presidential Commission on Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) findings, which are being revealed with much concern for the SLPP and its Rajapaksa leadership.

President Sirisena speaking at a poll rally at Panadura on Thursday, said parliament should discuss both the Bond issue and PRECIFAC Reports before February 10, to show any commitment of the main parties there to fight corruption. He believed they were not ready for such a debate and true exposure, which was the reality of their position on corruption, while he was determined to proceed with this fight.

The battle to gain control of a majority of local bodies in the coming local government poll is the material of politics this week with increased rivalries among the three main contenders – the UNP, SLFP with UPFA, and the SLPP. President Sirisena has a bigger role in the battle, having to be strong in his campaign against both the UNP and SLPP, with the first being the coalition partner of the government that he leads, and the other the strategic opponent of the SLFP led by him and challenged by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was defeated by him in January 2015.

The largely attended public rallies addressed by President Sirisena in this campaign give an impression of going back to the anti-Mahinda Rajapaksa campaign of the Common Candidate for the Executive Presidency in January 2015, with his key policy slogans being the fight against corruption. This is somewhat of a tightrope for the President with the necessity to show his determined opposition to the corruption of the Rajapaksa years, as well as the emergent corruption of the UNP as seen in the Central Bank Bond issue.

This clash with the UNP was seen by his long and tape recorded statement to the Cabinet this week, and storming out of the meeting, to be persuaded to return later by the UNP leader and coalition partner Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe; who later cautioned his members in government, to refrain from public attacks on the President. While some pacification was achieved by this in what was a major threat to the unity of the ruling coalition, the politics of this week did see President Sirisena taking on the UNP even more in his campaign against corruption; with his public request to the Prime Minister to help him to fight corruption, which issue has certainly grown beyond slogans on the Bond issue revelations.

The Local Government election that the Joint Opposition (JO) and SLPP have described as a national referendum on the record of the ‘Coalition of Unity’ is moving on to a major clash between the formal SLFP leadership of President Sirisena and the SLPP or ‘Pohottuva’ campaign led by the once defeated President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The strategy of the rivals is to seek the majority of the rural SLFP vote, which has remained the strength of the SLFP for many years. The large crowds at the meetings attended by the rival leaders give little indication of the actual public strength of the two leaders and their parties. Political analysts see a bigger support for Mahinda Rajapaksa on crowd sizes, but they are also aware that in local government polls the government in office certainly has a bigger draw, other than in major urban centres such as Colombo.

An important aspect in what seems to be a tightly fought out election, will be the role of the JVP, that could hold a balance in areas where there is a strong fight between the UNP and either the SLFP or SLPP, with its slogan that all three of these runners cannot be trusted as they have been part of the failure in government through several decades; and it is time for the public to think of new political leaders. The slogan is certainly interesting, and recent criticism of the JVP by Mahinda Rajapaksa shows the message could be having an impact among voters.

Single largest

As the Blue Party fight between the SLFP plus UPFA’s “Hand” and Betel Leaf” symbols and the SLPP’s ‘Pohottuva’ symbol makes headway in rivalry, the UNP remains the single largest party in all areas, especially in the majority Sinhala areas, and with support from smaller parties of the minorities in alliance with it. The UNP faced with a major issue on the Bond issue, is seeking to draw voters by its claim of good record on economic development in the past three years and the efforts to overcome the major debt burdens brought to the country by the Rajapaksa Regime. The ability to remain undivided, despite considerable criticism from both the SLFP and SLPP, as well as the present and past presidents, shows the UNP retains its considerable strength, led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, which saw the election of President Sirisena in January 2015.

However, the UNP showing considerable strength in its unity may face further problems if more material on the Bond issue comes into wider public discussion in the campaign. It certainly has to face up to the reality of the disadvantages of its Deputy Leader, Ravi Karunanayake, remaining in its front ranks, although there are no formal charges against him on the Bond issue. It is important for the party leadership to learn that public impression is not built only on formal charges, but on the overall image conveyed by the person, and the RK image is certainly not one that is green for the UNP today.

The PRECIFAC case

As the campaign centred on the fight against corruption moves on, there are signs the JO and SLPP may be more concerned about the revelations and actions that can come from the findings of the Reports PRECIFAC, presented to the President and now before Parliament.

The loud and determined attacks on the Bond issue and the UNP is a good means for the JO and SLPP, and its Rajapaksa leadership, to keep public interest away from the many charges it would have to face, once the government takes serious action on the charges and issues in the PRECIFAC reports. Among those reportedly found responsible for and involved with acts of fraud and corruption in these reports are former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, his brothers - former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, former ministers Wimal Weerawansa, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and many other high ranking persons in the former government.

It is reported that the Attorney General’s Department is already studying the possibility of instituting legal action against persons involved in a range of frauds such as the free or low rate TV advertising on ITN for Mahinda Rajapaksa as a candidate in the last Presidential Poll, with higher charges for candidate Maithripala Sirisena, Basil Rajapaksa on frauds involving the Divi Neguma projects, similar allegations relating to Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, and other ministers and leading government personalities on misappropriation of public funds, and serious acts of fraud.

If brought out with speed and a clear legal commitment to bring whoever is responsible for such fraud and corruption to justice, it will be a major success for President Sirisena, in his new moves to take control of Economic Policies after the Local Government polls. He has already given indications of the need for such action against those responsible, in his recent Polonnaruwa election rally, where he referred to how Mahinda Rajapaksa did away with the 'Ten Giants' or ‘Dasa Maha Yodayo’ of his government after he won the war against the LTTE, ad among the ‘Giants’ were him in the Cabinet, and how MR carried on the government through his family.

This situation also raises the big issue of the UNP still having control of the Police and the Departments of Justice – the Attorney General, Legal Draftsman - which have seen very little action taken against corruption in the past three years. President Sirisena has made personal references to this at Cabinet meetings, but there have been very little signs of progress. The situation that prevails after the Local Polls, will lead to the government, having to continue with serious action on PRECIFAC as well as those involved in the Bond issue.

The Coalition Unity

The post polls situation will also have to deal with the coalition between the UNP and SLFP-UPFA in government.

The agreement that brought them together ended on December 31, 2017. Questions are raised in parliament whether a new agreement has been reached. If not, the size of the Cabinet will come down to 30.

This will be the next major issue facing President Sirisena and the UNP after the rivalry of the polls gives way to the needs of government.