National List controversy:

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Secretary to New Democratic Front (NDF) Ms Sharmila Perera yesterday (12) said that she couldn’t have further delayed the filling up of the National List vacancy under the circumstances.

The official said so when The Island sought an explanation as to why she informed the Election Commission of Faizer Mustapha, PC, as the NDF NL member without the backing of all political parties which contested under the ‘gas cylinder’ symbol.

Of the four parties that contested the Nov. 14 parliamentary election on the NDF ticket, three backed Mustapha, Ms Perera said, adding that a decision couldn’t have been held up pending consensus among all four.

On behalf of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), Podujana Peramuna and Nawa Sandhanaya, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Lasantha Alagiyawanna and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa have endorsed Mustapha’s appointment. All of them were ex-SLPPers.

However, Podujana Eksath Nidahas Peramuna has refrained from backing Mustapha. Its Secretary Dr. Ramesh Pathirana along with 17 other unsuccessful candidates have proposed former minister Kanchana Wijesekera as the NDF’s other NL member. That grouping according to Ms. Perera has claimed that Kanchana Wijesekera had the backing of former president Wickremesinghe.

The group consisted of ex-SLPP lawmakers.

Ms. Perera found fault with the absence of an inter-party mechanism to address such issues as appointment of NL members.

The NDF won three seats at the general election (Anuradha Jayaratne, Chamara Sampath Dassanayake and Rohitha Abeygunawardena representing Kandy, Badulla and Kalutara districts, respectively) in addition to two NL slots.

Responding to another query, Ms. Perera said that the selection of Ravi Karunanayaka and Faizer Musthapa couldn’t be compared as the former was chosen by the NDF in terms of the agreement with coalition members whereas Mustapha received the backing of three out of four political parties.

Ms. Perera said that she in her capacity as NDF Secretary in a letter dated Dec 10 informed former President and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe of the circumstances leading to Mustapha’s appointment. “No. I didn’t receive Wickremesinghe’s response,” she said, pointing out delay on her part could have paved the way for legal action against the appointment. Ms. Perera was referring to the SLMC securing a court order to prevent SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara from filling three remaining NL slots without including SLMC General Secretary Nizam Karippah.

Ms. Perera said that several constituents of the grouping that contested under the ‘gas cylinder’ symbol proposed various names to fill the remaining vacancy.

She pointed out that she delayed making the second appointment on a request made that the process be held up till the first week of Dec until Wickremesinghe’s return from an overseas visit. However, the NDF went ahead with the consent of the majority as the stakeholders seemed unable to reach consensus on the issue at hand, she said.

Ms. Perera revealed that Tissa Jayawardena on behalf of the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) twice wrote to her requesting that former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena be named NL member. However, the MEP hadn’t been a signatory to the agreement with the NDF though he was identified as the leader of Podujana Eksath Nidahas Sandhanaya.

Subsequently, the same party has again proposed Dinesh Gunawardena and Tiran Alles as an alternative but none of the signatories were party to the original agreement with the NDF, she said.

Of the 225 member parliament, 196 are elected and the rest appointed through the NL. The National People’s Power (NPP) won 18 out of 29 NL seats, while the main Opposition SJB won five, NDF two and SLPP, ITAK, SLMC and Sarvajana Balaya one each.