After the Ceylon Workers and the Upcountry Tamils’ Front became partners of the government, the question now is, “who next”. Basil Rajapakse, President’s brother and advisor has held talks with Rauf Hakeem, the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim congress immediately after the latter’s return from India. It is believed that their talks centred on Muslim Congress joining the government.

Although President Rajapakse displays great enthusiasm in accommodating JVP in the government, it could not come through because of their twenty demands, some of which were related to the ethnic problem. As a result the chances of JVP joining the government are bleak.

The demands of the JVP to drop Norway from functioning as a facilitator, to abrogate the Ceasefire agreement and to de-merge the North-East are, it is learnt, unacceptable to the President.

It cannot be said that President Rajapakse will be prepared to antagonize the JVP which, he himself has said, was a force for his victory. He will not have the courage to go against the wishes of the Sinhala hard-liners. President Rajapakse’s willingness to accommodate the two main parties representing the upcountry Tamils is only a response to the shift in India’s approach to Sri Lanka.

President has made an appeal to the United National Party, a major opposition political party in Parliament to join his government. In fact, he wrote a letter last week, to Karu Jayasurya, deputy leader of the United National Party. This appeal has been made at a time when there is internal problem in the UNP and when Ranil Wicremasinghe, the UNP leader, is away from the country. Therefore. there is a doubt as to how genuine President Rajapakse is in his appeal for a National Government.

The whole exercise is nothing but political opportunism.

An English translation of the Editorial in Thinakkural, a Tamil Daily, based in Colombo

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