{"id":146141,"date":"2015-06-17T15:25:07","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T09:55:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=146141"},"modified":"2015-06-25T12:04:11","modified_gmt":"2015-06-25T06:34:11","slug":"what-if-maithri-called-the-unps-bluff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/what-if-maithri-called-the-unps-bluff\/","title":{"rendered":"What If Maithri Called The UNP\u2019s Bluff?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Malinda Seneviratne<\/span><\/a> \u2013 <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Malinda<\/a>

Malinda Seneviratne<\/p><\/div>\n

The United National Party (UNP) wants Parliament dissolved. This is not new. Party stalwarts Lakshman Kiriella and Kabir Hashim even bragged that they would dissolve parliament if the 19th Amendment<\/span><\/a> was not passed. That\u2019s the UNP-friendly version of the 19th, folks, a text which would have replaced the all-powerful executive presidency with an all-powerful executive prime ministership. What\u2019s funny is that dissolution is not the UNP\u2019s prerogative. Kiriella, Hashim and others might not have known this or else they thought that Maithripala Sirisena would do the UNP\u2019s bidding.<\/p>\n

The 19th was passed in the end. It was not the helping-UNP version which was essentially a shortsighted document crafted in anticipation of a quick parliamentary election. More time passed. The 20th Amendment<\/span><\/a> was taken up. Today the Kiriellas and Hashims don\u2019t say \u2018we will dissolve parliament\u2019. Today they know they can\u2019t and know that the President is no fool. So they are virtually begging him to dissolve.<\/p>\n

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ajith P Perera has said that a written request to this effect would be sent to the President \u2018in accordance with the resolution passed by the UNP\u2019s Working Committee,\u2019 the resolution of course being a call for dissolution.<\/p>\n

\"Maithripala\"<\/a>He adds that the UNP would remind the President that he would have to honor the pledge made during the Presidential Election to dissolve Parliament after hundred days.<\/p>\n

All this is understandable. The UNP has every right to believe that it can improve its numbers in Parliament if an election is held right now considering the crisis in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). The UNP, especially after the President showed signs of taking firmer control of the SLFP, must know that the party stands to lose much of the ground gained courtesy of the January 8 result if the President wrests total control of his party.<\/p>\n

The UNP knows, also, that the hope bubble has deflated. Economic relief proved to be a gimmick. The brag about clean-up has fallen flat due to the antics of the Minister of Finance and the Bond Fiasco<\/span><\/a>. The Foreign Minister arrogating upon himself the powers of the Defence Minister and his lame explanation of \u2018bringing Eric Solheim into the Sri Lankan equation\u2019 shows that the UNP just hasn\u2019t learned anything from 2001-2004 disaster. Things are not rosy and it is the UNP and not President Sirisena who is likely to be blamed.<\/p>\n

The letter to the President, the reference to election pledges notwithstanding, is therefore weak; it is not a polite letter of demand but is essentially a desperate plea. With respect to the pledges, the President can easily say \u2018I gave the UNP a free hand,\u2019 which would be the truth. He can add \u2018the UNP did not deliver\u2019. He could add more: \u2018if it is about pledges then the righteous thing to do would be to resign.\u2019<\/p>\n

Indeed. Now that the UNP is ready to issue an ultimatum to the President, what would the UNP do if the President calls its bluff? What if the President says \u2018Well, you were late on the 19th, you are very late on the Right to Information Act<\/span><\/a> and the Code of Conduct for MPs is not even talked of; so if it is about non-delivery and if \u2018charity should begin at home\u2019 is something you\u2019ve heard of, shouldn\u2019t you do the right thing, shouldn’t you resign?\u2019<\/p>\n

Ajith Perera is correct. This Government got a mandate to rule the country 100 days and not 200. The Parliament can remain for another 10 months. This Government, can resign or be sacked. A different Government can be put in place immediately afterwards, a cabinet appointed that has the support of the majority of MPs.<\/p>\n

The UNP moved. It made a risky move. President Sirisena can call the UNP\u2019s bluff. Or say all this and add \u2018get the 20th Amendment done\u2019 and the UNP might find that it doesn\u2019t have many options!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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