Political Pact Shatters Peace Hopes in Sri Lanka
|
COLOMBO, Jan 15 (OneWorld) - Analysts believe Wednesday's decision to sign a pact between Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the firebrand Marxist political party -- Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) -- has dealt another blow to the fractured peace process, and may trigger anarchy in the island nation.
The decision to sign the agreement on January 20 marks the culmination of talks which first commenced in December 2002 between the SLFP - the main constituent party of Sri Lanka's key Opposition coalition - People's Alliance (PA) - and the JVP. The proposed agreement has dashed hopes of a consensus between warring Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, creating more instability in the country. Significantly, the JVP is rabidly against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels, and has also staged two anti-government rebellions in 1971 and 1988/89 during which 65,000 people were killed. The JVP protested against the August 2000 draft Constitution tabled in Parliament by the then SLFP-led government, which promised broad-based devolution to the predominantly Tamil Northern and Eastern provinces. Country-wide protests by the JVP and other Opposition parties, later led to the government's withdrawal of the document. In 1987 the JVP set off a bomb in Parliament killing a Member of Parliament and seriously injuring many, including then National Security Minister, Lalith Athulathmudali. Given its revolutionary character, the SLFP-JVP agreement is regarded as the biggest threat to any peace process between the LTTE rebels and governments in the South. Declares political analyst and convenor of the Free Media Movement, Sunanda Deshapriya, "The SLFP-JVP pact sounds the death knell of Sri Lanka's peace process." Worse, Deshapriya warns that the SLFP-JVP agreement may lead to a major violation of the ceasefire, as it comes at a time when army-LTTE tensions have touched a new high. With political uncertainty gripping the island nation, during the last few days, two critical confrontations between the LTTE and government troops were averted at the last minute. In a major violation of the January 7 ceasefire agreement, some 60 armed LTTE rebels entered the government-controlled area of Seruwila, in the Eastern district of Trincomalee. Again on January 13, a clash was averted after nearly 30 LTTE rebels tried to forcibly enter the government-controlled area in Vavuniya, in the northern province, without obtaining permission from the Defense Ministry. Tension continues to build up in the country after the President took over the ministries of defense, interior and media on November 4, 2003, thereby stalling the peace process. Declares Professor of Sociology at Colombo University, S.T. Hettige, "The uncertainty created after November 4 is damaging the stability of both the North and South." In rather ominous vein he adds that, "There are signs that the country is heading for an anarchical situation. The only way to avoid a major calamity is for the two principal parties -- the SLFP and the UNF -- to get together." But the imminent pact between the SLFP and the JVP has made that a distant dream. Analysts fear the repercussions may be disastrous. Remarks Professor Hettige, "It will further polarize the country and increase political instability." Even the business community which was badly hit by the economic slowdown after the President's takeover of the three ministries, has pressed panic buttons on hearing confirmation of the SLFP-JVP deal. The reason ? The JVP has consistently been promoting a closed economy as opposed to the open economy promoted since 1977 by both the SLFP-led governments and the UNF. Contrary to the latter's approach, the JVP believes there should be an equitable distribution of all resources. Says the CEO of a garment company, Abdul Majeed Noashed, "It is very likely that the JVP is pushing the SLFP towards these objectives, reversing the country's tradional economic policies." He adds, "The November 4 move chased away a large number of our foreign buyers, and if there are still any diehard ones, they will have second thoughts after getting news of this agreement." But, predictably, SLFP strongman and Chief Opposition Whip Mangala Samaraweera dismisses these fears as unwarranted. He remarks, "There will be very little change in the economic policies. The present JVP is not the same party as it was a year or two earlier." Apart from the apprehensions of the business community, peace promoters and civil society, the pact has triggered internal dissension within the SLFP as well. Till recently, a SLFP-JVP deal was strongly opposed by a large number of SLFP strongmen and Parliamentarians. The list includes SLFP stalwart and leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mahinda Rajapakse. Rajapakse is considered by many as the potential SLFP candidate for the next Presidential election in case President Kumaratunga fails to amend the Constitution which prohibits a person from holding the position for more than two terms. President Kumaratunga will be completing her second term in December 2005. Before the confirmation of the SLFP-JVP agreement, two SLFP Members of Parliament from Colombo district, reportedly began collecting signatures from SLFP parliamentarians for a petition against it. They argued that such an agreement would have a detrimental effect on the independence of the SLFP, destroying the prospects of a negotiated settlement to the North and East conflict. Their apprehensions do not sound too far-fetched. As JVP Parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa threatens, "We will go for an election soon and topple the government." He adds stridently that, "The whole purpose of our agreement is to chase out the Ranil Wickremesinghe government which dances to the tune of the imperialists and the LTTE." Weerawansa alleges that Wickremesinghe has a plan to divide the country by handing over the Northern and Eastern provinces to the LTTE, and that his party has forged a pact with the SLFP to foil his intentions. For its part, the LTTE has expressed a more moderate view. On January 14, LTTE Chief negotiator Anton Balasingham told the Norwegian peace facilitators in London that despite the political instability in the South, the LTTE would abide by the ceasefire agreement. Balasingham said the LTTE was prepared to hold negotiations with any government which had the people's mandate and the legislative and executive powers to implement decisions. |
Printable version
Back to top
