Daily News Editorial

Gammanpila in cuckoo land

08 September 2016

Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila can be questioned over many things, notably his financial propriety. But there can be no question of his loyalty towards the Rajapaksas. Gammanpila it appears is sticking limpet like to the Rajapaksas, if his current efforts to defend the former first family of any or all allegations is anything to go by.

While arrogating to himself the task of being the media spokesman for former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Gammanpila has now let out an Ureka in making an earth shattering discovery claiming to have found a novel method to install Mahinda Rajapaksa in the seat of the Presidency once again. Issuing a media release, the Colombo District MP contends that Rajapaksa indeed is eligible to hold Presidential Office again. The reason: Rajapaksa is only barred from being elected President by the people under the 19th Amendment. There is nothing to stop him being elected President by Parliament in the event of the incumbent Presidency falling vacant.

Such is his focus to enthrone Rajapaksa in the Presidency for a third time, it appears that he has divined that some time soon the incumbent Presidency is going to fall vacant paving the way for Rajapaksa to fill in the breach. Speculation that President Sirisena would not go for a second term would also have emboldened the MP. But Gammanpila has overlooked an important fact. That is in the event of the Presidency becoming vacant, for whatever reason, during the current Parliament, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be the automatic President, in terms of the Constitution. Where will that take Mahinda Rajapaksa?

Gammanpila no doubt has a very urgent need for getting Rajapaksa back into the seats of power. The long arm of the law is closing in on him. Two cases of cheating against the Colombo District MP are coming up for inquiry in January. How Rajapaksa got people who had fallen foul of the law, but were his close buddies, may still be fresh in his mind of Gammanpila. Hence he has pinned his hopes on a return of Rajapaksa. There will also have to be a Rajapaksa at the helm, come the next general election, to ensure his nomination as a SLFP/UPFA candidate or guarantee a place on the national list.

For good measure, Gammanpila also says that Rajapaksa even can be made Prime Minister by Parliament. The MP who threatened to blow up a fictitious Hanuma bridge has also warned that he would bring the people to the streets if attempts were made to postpone the Presidential Election, due three years hence.

Be that as it may, any attempts to install Rajapaksa as President for a third term on Gammanpila’s terms has to be made under the current Parliament. But given the state of play, Gammanpila’s project is doomed before it can even get started. To begin with, the UNP- SLFP tie up in Parliament has been extended for a full five years, from the original two. The lifespan of the current Parliament overlaps the Presidency so the present Parliament will still be intact when the next Presidential Election is called. Besides, the current arithmetic in Parliament does not allow for a sudden surge of support for Rajapaksa, with the Joint Opposition hardly commanding 50 MPs (seven of them are to switch sides, it is reported). The unprecedented gathering at the SLFP Anniversary celebrations in Kurunegala is also a clear sign that President Sirisena wields the whip hand in the party and a firm guarantee that there won’t be any realignment of forces in favour of Rajapaksa before the next Presidential election ie is assuming if the Presidency falls vacant. The President also said at the convention that he would take up the responsibility of steering the party towards forming an SLFP led government the next time around. The main grouse of the likes of Dullas Alahapperuma and Kumara Welgama had been that they cannot join a government where the SLFP was an appendage of the UNP. Now, with the assurance by the President of giving leadership to the formation of an SLFP led government the raison d’é tat of the Joint Opposition had been neutralized. Hence there cannot be any logic in enthroning Mahinda Rajapaksa once against in the Presidency in the manner described by Gammanpila. In addition most of the fire at the Anniversary celebrations were directed at Gammanpila and Weerawansa. Minister and senior SLFPer Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said that Gammanpila has no moral or ethical right to talk or comment about the SLFP. “He does not have any connection with the SLFP. Frankly I feel sorry for him”, the Minister added. Going one better Special Projects Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama said the Gammanpila-Weerawansa duo had passed their expiry date.

Hence it is clear that Gammanpila stands isolated in the general scheme of things of the SLFP and his “Bring back Mahinda (part 11)” project is a non starter. Therefore Gammanpila who has this pathological desire to hog the limelight would do well to think of other options and present them for public entertainment next time around.