Sunday,
November 18,2007
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President
Rajapaksa and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in
conversation at the funeral of Mrs Elina Jayewardene
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President
Mahinda Rajapaksa has ruled out the possibility of dissolving
Parliament in the face of threats posed by the opposition
to defeat him at Monday’s crucial budget voting. The
President, informed sources said, had told Sri Lanka Freedom
Party (SLFP) organisers he summoned for a meeting on Friday
that, in the event the government is defeated in the budget,
he would not dissolve Parliament under any circumstances,
and would call upon the majority party who commands support
in Parliament, to form a government. President Rajapaksa
indicated that, in any case, he would still be the Commander
in Chief and would retain the key ministries of Defence
and Finance, in the event of a shakeup. It is reported that
he would also pick and choose his Cabinet from various other
parties too.
Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga appointed three members
of her party to key portfolios, during the latter part of
the premiership of Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his short stint
from 2002 to 2004.
In the meantime, government has also rejected the conditions
put forward by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), to reconsider
their support to the budget. The JVP put forward four conditions
early last week, which were: To scrap the Ceasefire Agreement
(CFA), dissolve the All Party Representatives Committee
(APRC), safeguard the territorial integrity of the country
and to block United Nations interference in the affairs
of the country.
However, the government, which toyed with the idea of giving
into the JVP demands, backed out after they received strong
messages from Japan, the United States and India.
The message was that, if the government bans the LTTE or
abrogates the CFA with the LTTE, there is a Constitutional
impediment in Japan and the United States, in giving assistance
to Sri Lanka.
The two countries had warned that they would consider that
Sri Lanka is on a war footing, if the country abrogates
the CFA or bans the LTTE
In these circumstances, the little military assistance given
by the US and the development assistance given by Japan
to Sri Lanka, would not be forthcoming.
Taking stock of the situation, the government has now decided
to back out from its original plan to enter into an agreement
with the JVP.
Meanwhile the JVP Saturday ruled out any meeting with the
President ahead of Monday’s crucial parliamentary
vote on the budget, but did not completely shut the door
on the possibility of extending its support if some of its
main conditions were met.
“The President should demonstrate that he can take
the country in the right direction. He can start it by abolishing
the CFA (ceasefire agreement) or dissolving the APRC (All-Party
Representative Committee). Our prime concerns are the sovereignty
and the security of this country and taking the country
along a proper economic path,” JVP Leader Somawansa
Amarasinghe, flanked by party heavyweights General Secretary
Tilvin Silva and Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa,
told a media briefing.
On Friday Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga wrote
to the JVP inviting its leaders for talks with the President.
The JVP leader said they would reply informing the President
that there is nothing to negotiate.“We will not go
for any meetings or enter any pacts or agreements. We have
made our position clear. He (the President) must have the
confidence to act now,” Amarasinghe said.
Both the Government and the UNP have expressed confidence
that the vote will go their way but the JVP with 37 MPs
holds the key in case some government members cross over
to the opposition. The JVP leader said the party’s
decision would be one that was favourable to the country
and not to serve the interest of either the Government or
the UNP.
Presidential advisor and parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa
said the Government was confident that the JVP would not
take a decision that would betray the country. “The
JVP is a party which has always put the country before the
party,” he said.
However, Rajapaksa said that even without the support of
the JVP, the Government would be able to get the budget
approved at Monday’s vote. “We are confident
that every MP on the government side will vote for the budget.
We have the required 113 votes,” he said.
Chief Opposition Whip Joseph Michael Perera said some government
members were expected to cross over to the opposition on
Monday, leading to the Budget being defeated. “We
have asked all our MPs to be present in parliament and we
are confident that we can muster the votes to defeat the
Budget,” he said.
The vote is scheduled for 5.30 p.m. at the end of the seven
day debate on the second reading of the Appropriation Bill.
If budget is defeated
Under the constitution if the Appropriation Bill is defeated,
parliament does not stand dissolved immediately but the
government is required to present another Appropriation
Bill.
If the second budget is also defeated, Parliament should
be dissolved by the President. However the Cabinet stands
dissolved when the Bill is defeated in the first instance
itself.
Courtesy
- South Asian Media |