…..Radical Centre claims to follow centrist path

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who quit the 2020 parliamentary election in the second week of June, will launch a programme today (6) to protect, what a close associate of his called democratic gains made during the yahapalana administration.

 Samaraweera will launch social media-based campaigns, in stages, beginning 10 am. The former minister’s aide told The Island that the carefully arranged project aimed to sustain post-war reconciliation efforts launched in the wake of the change of government in January 2015.

 In spite of quitting the contest, Samaraweera yesterday exercised his franchise in Matara.

Samaraweera led the Matara District Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) nominations list. There had never been a previous instance of a senior politician quitting the contest having accepted nominations.

Samaraweera served as foreign and finance ministers alternatively during the previous administration.

Responding to another query, the aide said that the launch of the project coincided with the commencement of the counting of the ballot papers. “The former minister will issue a statement around noon, about two hours after the issuance of new movement’s first statement,” the aide said.

 As part of the overall measures in place to neutralize continuing threat posed by the coronavirus, the Election Commission did away with overnight counting. Counting of ballot papers will commence today (Thursday) at 7 am.

 Asked whether Samaraweera’s project was aimed at challenging the new government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the aide emphasized it certainly was not the intention.

 The former minister, in spite of giving up parliamentary politics was however determined to pursue his political objectives, the aide said, adding that he would closely work with those elected to the new parliament.

The new civil society initiative undertaken by some of those who backed the yahapalana administration was unveiled at an event held at the New Town Hall on July 8. Samaraweera participated in the event though he did not address the gathering.

 The grouping styled itself as ‘Freedom: People’s Collective’ vowed to do whatever it took to thwart the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) plan to do away with the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Jaffna District candidate M.A. Sumanthiran PC represented the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

Minister Samaraweerra, in a statement under the theme ‘an agenda for true patriots’ issued via a new set up called ‘The Radical Centre’ stated: ‘The ‘Radical Centre’ entails the creation of a centrist middle way where dissenting voices and opinions from every part of the political spectrum would have a place within a democratic framework of decentralized governance. It is a system where diversity in all its manifestations is celebrated; the years of deep mistrust between the different communities must lose its sting within a non-violent, democratic framework where pluralism and secularism flourish. The radical centre should show the intolerant that those they hate are in fact, quite similar to them and have the same dreams and aspirations as well as the same fears and concerns as human beings. The radical centre should be the point where all Sri Lankans can discover their common humanity going beyond the boundaries of race, creed and caste.”

 Declaring that democracy, in spite of all its shortcomings remains the best system of governance as we move towards the second quarter of the 21st century, Samaraweera emphasized that an urgent re-commitment to democracy has become the need of the hour as Sri Lanka hurls towards an autocracy with the rapid convergence of the executive, the military and the clergy; the legislature and the judiciary are being turned into mere rubber seals of the executive President.

Commenting on the growing threat posed by narcotics, the former minister said that stringent new laws were required to curb the menace. Samaraweera said: “Many of the big time drug barons have the highest political patronage and drug money is being laundered into the mainstream, formal economy through casinos, stock market, media institutions et al. In the fight against drug abuse, only addicts and low level dealers are brought to book. Stringent new legislation is needed urgently to curb this menace. A three pronged war against extremism and drug abuse is the need of the hour while special rehabilitation programmes must be introduced to treat the addicted youth.”