March 12 Movement expands live debate, ready to accept all 39 candidates

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Jana Aragala Sandhanaya (JAS) has questioned President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s contradictory positions on the Supreme Court order that an Acting IGP be appointed pending the conclusion of the fundamental rights applications filed against Deshabandu Tennakoon, and the subsequent unseating of MPs Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando.

JAS spokesman Tharindu Uduwaragedara said though the SC order pertaining to Tennakoon, given on July 24, hadn’t been carried out yet, Harin had been appointed as an advisor on sports, lands and tourism affairs and Manusha received appointment as an advisor on labour and foreign employment.

Addressing the media, Uduwaragedara said that the President was pursuing an agenda contrary to the laws of the land. Breakaway JVP faction, the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), or Peratugaami Pakshaya, that played a significant role in ‘Aragalaya’ that forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa out of office in July 2022 is a key constituent of the JAS.

The government has said that former ministers were granted advisors posts in terms of Article 41(1) of the Constitution. The JAS spokesman said the President owed an explanation and the genuine Opposition should ask as to why an Acting IGP couldn’t be appointed yet. Pointing out that the former ministers had been engaged in Wickremesinghe’s campaign, the JAS spokesman said that the President’s action constituted a direct violation of the election law.

The civil society activist alleged that the foreign-funded PAFFREL (People’s Actions for Free and Fair Elections) was pursuing an IMF-led agenda.

Uduwaragedara said that PAFFREL planned to conduct a live debate involving six candidates, namely Ranil Wickremesinghe (independent candidate), Sajith Premadasa (SJB), Anura Kumara Dissanayake (JJB), Namal Rajapaksa (SLPP), Dilith Jayaweera (CP) and Pakkiyaselvam Ariyanethiran (independent) as they promised to adhere to the IMF programme.

JAS has fielded Attorney-At-Law Nuwan Bopage as its candidate at the Sept. 21 presidential election. The former JVPer is an active FSP cadre who actively participated in ‘Aragalaya.’

JAS spokesman questioned the PAFFREl’s motive in restricting the debate to a selected group of persons.

In the wake of the JAS allegations, PAFFREL said that the proposed debate, scheduled to be held on September 07, was organized by the March 12 Movement and not by them as alleged. PAFFREL said that it functioned as a member of the operations committee of March 12 Movement, in addition to being co-convener of the grouping.

Although PAFFREL refrained from responding to the live debate, being part of IMF project, the March 12 Movement, in a statement signed by Attorney-at-Law Nadeeshani Perera of TISL and Rohana Hetticrachchi, Executive Director, PAFFREL, declared that all 39 candidates could join the debate. The candidates could get in touch with organizers of the debate by writing to march12movement@gmail.com, by or before Aug 24 at 12 noon, March 12 Movement said.

The JAS spokesman emphasized the responsibility on the part of so-called major political parties to explain how they raised money for massive propaganda campaigns. Referring to the Election Commission (EC) declaration that a candidate could spend Rs. 1.8 bn, with expenditure on a single voter restricted to Rs 109, Uduwaragedara said that it would be pertinent to ask who provided funding for these high profile campaigns.

Uduwaragedara pointed out that previously campaign expenditure for a single voter was calculated at Rs 20. Altogether 17.0 mn voters are eligible to vote at the forthcoming presidential election. Of them, one million are first-time voters.

The JAS spokesman said that some couldn’t engage in a basic campaign for want of funds though certain candidates simply overwhelmed the electorate with massive funds. “The issue is who made such funds available,” Uduwaragedara said.