Thursday, 16 June 2016
On economic affairs and foreign policy, political fault lines inside the ruling UNF-SLFP coalition have begun to emerge more clearly than ever this past week. As the campaign against Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran begins to crystallise, with the SLFP, anti-corruption activists, civil society and even the ‘Joint Opposition’ vehemently opposing his reappointment, both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe have legacy decisions to make in the next 15 days
Last Thursday (9), President Maithripala Sirisena walked into the Parliament Complex in Battaramulla when the no faith motion against his Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake was being taken up – one day later than scheduled – for debate. The President spent most of Thursday inside his offices in Parliament, and even took a seat inside the Chamber while senior Government members including SLFP Ministers took the floor to defend Karunanayake against the Joint Opposition charges.
On the one hand the President became a talisman of sorts to ensure members of his own Party in the Unity Government would hold the line in the face of sustained efforts by the ‘Joint Opposition’ to persuade SLFP MPs to vote with their conscience on the no confidence motion. His presence served to reinforce his support for his Finance Minister who was under fire from the pro-Rajapaksa faction of the UPFA and helped the UNF-SLFP ruling coalition to show a solidly united front.
But the proceedings also posed a unique opportunity for President Sirisena to send clear signals to the United National Front led by his Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. Using his loyalists inside the Chamber that day, President Sirisena made his position on Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran abundantly clear. One by one, SLFP Ministers staunchly loyal to President Sirisena rose to extend support to Minister Karunanayake, but each speech had the same caveat – Governor Mahendran had to go.
Minister for Social Empowerment and Welfare S.B. Dissanayake harked back to remarks President Sirisena made publicly in June 2015 that it was best that the Central Bank Governor resigned his office. “Once a President says such a thing, usually the official responsible should tender a resignation. That is to be expected from decent officials,” Dissanayake asserted last Thursday.
Fisheries Minister Mahindra Amaraweera, one of President Sirisena’s closest SLFP confidants, told the House that it was imperative for the Government to act against the Central Bank Governor. Chandima Weerakoddy, former Deputy Speaker and Petroleum Minister in the Sirisena Cabinet, charged that Governor Mahendran’s conduct had been found ‘undesirable’ and “should be removed for the sake of the President and the Prime Minister”.
Shifting dynamics
