TOPPLE THE GOVERNMENT (99 Feb 03)
The UNP leader, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing a meeting on Tuesday the second called on all progressive forces to join hands to topple the government. He was protesting against the violence associated with the elections to the Vayamba provincial council.( see Vayamba Violence and Party Politics)
It is interesting to note that Mr. Wickremesinghe has called on all the progressive forces to topple the government. Obviously this is a reference to the JVP and the NSSP which also contested at the Vayamba elections. It would be quite an experience to see the NSSP, the JVP and the UNP working together to topple the government.
However the question is even if the government is toppled which party is going to form the next government. Is Mr. Wickremesinghe trying to tell the people that there will be no election violence under a UNP government? It is unfortunate that the people have a very bad memory and they might even elect Mr. Wickremesinghe as the next president.
The UNP under him will not be without violence and moreover will go for asymmetrical devolution of power meaning more power to the east and the north. The western countries have now given up hopes of a federal constitution from the PA government and they are bound to back the UNP. The US embassy has already issued a statement expressing their concern over the election violence and the westerners would like to see a UNP government in power.
The people in Sri Lanka will have to defeat al these conspiracies and evolve a scheme that will in the long term get rid of party politics and in the short term, they will have to make sure that both the UNP and the SLFP are controlled by a group of patriotic people in the parliament.