He is reported to have told Solheim that the LTTE would only sign after the Colombo government signed. With the situation being so in London, Solheim arrived in Colombo to persuade the government on the need to see the agreement through. He first met the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who stated that an agreement on the issue was a business of the government in power and his party stood for a negotiated settlement to the problem.

Solheim who thereafter met government leaders on the issue was told that the LTTE should first come to the table without conditions. Meanwhile Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake continues to make statements boosting the morale of the forces. Unconcerned about the developments in the peace effort by the Norwegians, Wickremanayake declared this month as the month of the soldiers fighting the war and called upon the youth to join the forces to help win the war.

Though Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte is the Deputy Defence Minister, Wickremanayake as Prime Minister is working closely with the three armed forces and the police. He was chief guest at many ceremonies of the forces in the past weeks.

Troops have successfully recaptured many areas in the war front driving away the LTTE from their strongholds such as Muhamalai. In May last year, the Tigers swept through these areas to take Elephant Pass. Over the past three months the troops under the directions of the Prime Minister launched many successful operations. As the deputy head of the Security Council, Wickremanayake monitors the progress on the war daily from Temple Trees and is in direct contact with the commanders in Jaffna encouraging troops as in the days of Ranjan Wijeratne and Lalith Athulathmudali who were deputy defence ministers. The LTTE suffering severe defeats extended its ceasefire by a further month to gain sympathy from the international community. However, this truce too war violated when the Tigers launched attacks on troops in Jaffna this week though this war not broadcast by it abroad.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga informed the Norwegians of LTTE violations despite the ceasefire and asked how the government could trust them. "They want a response from the government to build up for another major attack", the President told Solheim.

Floating rupee

With local elections drawing near government this week was deeply concerned about the effect on prices of floating the rupee. Ministers do not favour a postponement of the election despite the rupee being floated at the wrong time according to them without it being discussed in the cabinet. Ministers were heard after the cabinet meeting this week wanting to know who advised the President to float the rupee when the cost of living itself was a burden to the people. Prices of rice, dhal, sugar and milk food have sky rocketed and a minister was heard quipping that this was not a floating but a rocketing of the rupee.

UNP’s Ravi Karunanayake told parliament that the rupee was floated without cabinet approval and therefore it was not valid. He was informed about that development by two cabinet ministers who were against the move and asked the young UNP chartered accountant cum MP to raise it in the House.

The UNP which this week went to court on the floating of the rupee to seek a determination on its legality will make this an issue at today’s protest march from Kandy to Colombo.

Having got wind of the government’s move to revert to the ward system of elections for local bodies in April, the UNP says it will only agree if the four independent commissions are set up before the nominations. The government has already proposed another select committee on that issue which helped Rauff Hakeem to save face on the expiry of his 100 days deadline.

As the President said the four commissions should be those already included in the draft constitution in parliament last year which were agreed upon by both sides. Another select committee on the matter would be a repetition and a waste of time. Having saved face with the help of Kumaratunga, Hakeem is now engaged in a leadership battle with his co-leader Fariel Ashraff who finished her mourning period last week.

Hakeem indicated his desire to have one leader for the SLMC to have a better control over the party and suggested his name for that position. He argued that the SLMC constitution did not permit a co-leadership. However, with the death of Ashraff, the SLMC supreme body made temporary provision for co-leadership. As the deadline drew closer to end Fariel‘s mourning period her supporters mounted pressure on Hakeem. Fariel who met Kumaratunga and thanked her for assistance during her husband’s funeral and giving her the opportunity to be in government politics also pledged to support the government. Fariel’s support enables Kumaratunga to control Hakeem who was trying to dictate terms to her government. This is similar to J. R. Jayewardene deadline with the TULF of Amirthalingam by taking Rajadurai to the government side — a divide and rule policy. Later Fariel hosted a dinner for her party politbureau at her residence to muster support for her in her political journey.

Kumaratunga met the SLFP ministers and organisers last Friday in Colombo to discuss the floating of the rupee and the cost of living. With the local elections due in April, party general secretary, S. B. Dissanayake had an organisational plan. As there was a delay in the arrival of Kumaratunga, Dissanayake and Alavi Moulana started the meeting. Moulana said the plan envisaged a strengthening of party activities at the headquarters and Dissanayake explained the plan to strengthen the party at grassroot level. Kumaratunga came in at this juncture and stressed the need to streamline party activity according to the needs of the electorates. She said plans at grassroot level should be handled by Anuruddha Ratwatte and Mahinda Wijesekera while administration should be the responsibility of Dissanayake and Moulana. Kingsley Wickremeratne and Fowzie were asked to handle financial affairs. Prof. G. L. Peiris and Jeyaraj Fernandopulle were requested to handle party development activities while Susil Premjayanth and Mahinda Rajapakse were given in charge of public relations. Mangala Samaraweera who lost the media portfolio was entrusted party media activity to be assisted by Amarasiri Dodangoda. Thereafter, Kumaratunga announced a series of appointment of others in the party in the move to reorganise it.

Keerthi Mawallege said as the preferential system has created differences among party candidates in the SLFP they should revert to the earlier system. He complained that when vacancies were filled in local and provincial bodies, the next person in the list was overlooked as there was provision to bring people from outside the list. Athula Nimalasiri Jayasinghe proposed that all defeated MPs should be brought into the organisational fold to strengthen the party. "Some defeated MPs are looked after while many others are being ignored", was his complaint. S. B. Dissanayake assured that a scheme would be drawn up to give them places in public bodies. With regard to changing the electoral system, Dissanayake said it would be done after considering views of all parties represented in parliament. Kumaratunga chipped in to say that her government had no intention to put off the polls without valid reasons. "If other parties do not agree for a change, I will go ahead with the polls on schedule", she added. At the conclusion of the meeting the members were invited to dinner at President’s House.

While Kumaratunga’s dinner was on, the young UNPers had their "Green Bash" at the CR & FC the same night. Though the architect of the bash was a security man turned political aide, the party had to call upon Ravi Karunanayake, a professional to give it a professional look. This event raised a controversy within the party but after Karunanayake took control things were settled after he explained the motive behind it. Karu Jayasuriya and Gamini Athukorale who opposed it from the start absented themselves. The first to come was Mayor Omar Kamil followed by Azwer, Johnston Fernando, Lilantha Perera, Sagala Ratnayake, Ananda Kularatne, Ranjith Maddumabandara, Indika Bandaranayake, Hemakumara Nanayakkara, Neomal Perera, Gayantha Karunatilleke and Shantha Punchihewa to name a few of the youngsters.

When Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived there he was apprised by Ravi Karunanayake that the rupee had been floated without cabinet approval and he was directed to take the issue to court. Shibly Aziz and Tilak Marapona met Ravi at the leader’s office the next day to plan out the legal strategy and the issue was taken to court challenging the decision to float the rupee.