By Shamindra Ferdinando

Senior Vice President of the SLFP Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa says the continuing mismanagement of the affairs of the ruling coalition is causing turmoil.

“The deepening crisis we are in should be examined against the breakdown in basic discussions at party level,” Prof. Piyadasa, told The Island, underscoring the urgent need to address the issues affecting the coalition.

Due to the absence of a proper dialogue among constituent parties of the SLPP, the government was moving in the wrong direction and conducting its affairs in a messy manner at the expense of political stability, Prof. Piyadasa said.

Prof. Piyadasa warned of dire consequences unless the SLPP took meaningful measures expeditiously to address the grievances of the constituent parties. Responding to another query,

Prof. Piyadasa emphasised that the SLPP shouldn’t treat constituent parties according to the number of seats each secured at the last parliamentary election in August 2020.

The SLFP with 14 seats, including one National List is the second largest party in the SLPP led coalition. The SLPP obtained 116 seats.

Appreciating an opportunity the SLFP recently had to make representations to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as regards problems experienced by the party, Prof. Piyadasa emphasized the need for a mechanism wherein all constituents could take up issues. Noting that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in spite of being the President, didn’t hold a position in the SLPP, Prof. Piyadasa urged the ruling party to take the constituent parties as well as the public into confidence.

Asked to explain, Prof. Piyadasa stressed the responsibility on the part of the government to acknowledge the precarious economic situation. The raging Covid-19 epidemic had caused a debilitating setback to the national economy, Prof. Piyadasa said, drawing attention of the government to take into consideration choking of key revenue sources-remittances from Sri Lankans working abroad, tourism and garment and other exports.

Wouldn’t it be better for the government to take the public into confidence and explain the financial crisis the country was experiencing? Prof. Piyadasa asked.

The academic questioned the rationale in some government spokespersons declaring that the national economy was on a sound footing. Such declarations sounded foolish against the backdrop of Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila warning of banking sector collapse and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa acknowledging the daunting challenge in settling annual foreign debt amounting to USD 4 bn.

Prof. Piyadasa said that the SLFP shouldn’t be expected to blindly throw its weight behind the SLPP. Pointing out that there hadn’t been consultations at party level after the 2019 and 2020 presidential and parliamentary polls, respectively,

Prof. Piyadasa called for a serious re-assessment of the overall coalition strategy.

Asked whether the SLFP was considering future options, Prof. Piyadasa said that party leader Maithripala Sirisena, MP was engaged in consultations with the party at district level. Referring to consultations, the former President had in Galle, Puttalam and Ratnapura, Prof. Piyadasa said that Kandy would be the next venue. At the grassroots level, both members and supporters believed the party shouldn’t hesitate to take a path of its own unless the SLPP changed its style of governance, Prof. Piyadasa said.

The academic however, acknowledged that some of those who represented the party in the government at a higher level felt the need for the continuation of the existing arrangement. But, district level consultations underscored the growing disenchantment among the electorate, the one-time SLFP General Secretary said.

In the run-up to 2019 presidential election, Prof. Piyadasa functioned as the Chairman of the SLFP as the then President Sirisena didn’t want to exercise powers as the leader of the party.

Prof. Piyadasa alleged that the SLPP caused quite a crisis by responding brashly to various situations. There couldn’t have been a better example than demanding Energy Minister Gammanpila to resign over the increase in the fuel prices. “All of us were surprised over Minister Gammanpila being attacked over the unpopular decision taken by a committee chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa with the participation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who held the finance portfolio,” Prof. Piyadasa said.

The SLPP shouldn’t make the mistake of trying to intimidate and dominate constituent political parties, Prof. Piyadasa said. The SLFP backed the enactment of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution at the expense of the 19th Amendment though the party remained committed to abolishing of the executive presidential system.

Having informed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of his predicament, the SLFP leader Maithripala Sirisena refrained from voting for the 20th as he was one of the architects of the 19th enacted in 2015, the SLFP senior Vice President said.

According to Prof. Piyadasa, the incumbent government deteriorated in a very short period as those in authority acted in an irresponsible and reckless manner.

Prof. Piyadasa said that the government was in a bind though an influential section seemed to be unable to recognize the ground situation.

Commenting on the growing controversy over the recent death of a 16-year-old domestic servant Ishalini as a result of an incident at the former minister Rishad Bathiudeen’s Bauddhaloka Mawatha residence, Prof. Piyadasa emphasized whoever in power would have to inquire into the real problems. Thousands of children wouldn’t have sought employment as domestic servants if their parents could provide for them, Prof. Piyadasa said, urging all political parties represented in parliament to address grievances of the community.

“We are in such a desperate situation that no political party can take advantage of the deterioration of the national crisis,” Prof. Piyadasa said.