10 Wednesday 16th January, 2008

by Dr. Wimal by another about forty five signa- charismatic leader, was at the cli- Rehabilitation and over to the government of tories. But President Premadasa max of her popularity.Ranil, The process of crossover Reconstruction under President President Kumaratunga and that Wickramasinghe was shrewd enough to abort this while conceding to Srima, sought began with Bandula from was when they were R was sworn in as the second motion and get Lalith out of the a pledge from President Gunawardena first joining the November 11, 1994 until his appointed Ministers of Special Executive President of Sri Cabinet. Since Gamini and Lalith Wijetunga that should Srima suf- UNP. With the crossing over of demise on September 16, 2000) Functions from November 10, JLanka and first Executive were out of the Cabinet, they fer defeat, to some of his close ministers such as S. B. and becoming an MP on the 1999. Thereafter, Nanda Mathew President elected by the people. formed a new political party associates, it was imminent – Dissanayake, G. L. Peiris, SLMC ticket in 1994. He was was appointed as Minister of Another unique and unconven- called Democratic United otherwise, an elected president Lakhsman Kiriella, Mahinda appointed Deputy Chairman of Shipping and Housing and Dr. tional but legal through the par- National Front (DUNF), the party would automatically become Wijesekera and Nandimithra Committees in Parliament. On Amunugama as Minister of liamentary process, was the deci- almost wholly patronized by polit- Leader of the UNP as per its Ekanayake to the UNP, the October 13, 2000, he joined the Northern Rehabilitation and sion by President Jayewardene to ical crossovers from the UNP. party constitution – Ranil should People’s Alliance government col- Kumaratunga Cabinet as Reconstruction from July 13, call for a Referendum instead of a be the next Leader of the UNP. lapsed, leaving Ranil Minister of Commerce & Trade 2000. Thereafter, general election, the reason cited First Woman President Wickremesinghe to win the gen- and Muslim Religious Affairs and followed as Minister of for it by the President was that Thereafter, chief ministerial Ranil as New Leader of the UNP eral elections of December 2001, Shipping Development. By the Economic Development and the SLFP at that time was con- candidate Lalith and President All this high drama happened all the dissidents except time President Kumaratunga Industrial Development from trolled by Naxalites who were Premadasa were assassinated on while the Working Committee of Nandimitra, who lost the election, formed an interim government in July 13, 2000. Wijepala Mendis bent on violence, having a plan to April 23 and May 1, 1993 respec- the UNP under President becoming cabinet ministers. The alliance with the JVP, Rauf (Puttalam District) also joined take over the Army and carry out tively, leaving Prime Minister D. Wijetunga was in session at Siri total number of Ministers stood Hakeem had resigned from the the government of President a campaign of terror. For the B. Wijetunga to become President Kotha at that time. The defeat of at 25, increasing the number to 32 government. Nevertheless, when Kumaratunga as Minister with- Referendum to be held, the gov- out Portfolio as from October 13, ernment passed an amendment to 2000. Thereafter, Keheliya the Constitution (the Fourth Rambukwella ( District) Amendment) which was approved joined the government as Non- by a majority of the seven-Judge Cabinet Minister and is now bench of the Supreme Court. The Non-Cabinet Minister of Foreign amendment read as follows: Employment Promotion and “Unless sooner dissolved, the first Welfare. Rohitha Bogollagama Parliament shall continue until (Kurunegala District) who was August 4, 1989, and no longer, and earlier Non-Cabinet Minister of shall thereupon stand dis- Industries under the government solved...” (extension of the term of Prime Minister Ranil of Parliament by another six Wickremesinghe as from years). This decision was unani- December 5, 2001 also joined the mously taken by the government Kumaratunga government as a parliamentary group and the Minister and now functions as UNP Working Committee. At the Minister of Foreign Affairs same time, MPs of the UNP under President Mahinda signed undated letters of resigna- Rajapaksa. Mahinda tion and handed over to President Samarasinghe (UNP MP from the Jayewardene, some of which Kalutara District) too joined the government and now functions came into effect later. J.R.Jayewardene R.Premadasa D B Wijetunga Chandrika Kumaratunga This Amendment in as Minister of Disaster Parliament was carried by 142 Management and Human Rights. votes to 4 against (M/s Ananda Saga of crossovers, expulsions, resignations, These crossovers from the Dassanayake, Anura UNP never ended there. The fol- Bandaranaike, Lakshman lowing seventeen dissident MPs Jayakoddy of the SLFP and terminations, death and by-elections in from the UNP, while remaining Sarath Muttetuwegama of the as members of the UNP, joined CP). While M/s Maithripala the government of President Senanayake and Halim Ishak (2 , some as SLFP (M) members) voted with Cabinet Ministers and others as the government, the TULF was Non-Cabinet or Deputy not present at the time of voting. Referendum for Ministers. They are M. H. Thereafter, the Referendum was Mohamed (Minister of held on December 22, 1982. It was Parliamentary Affairs), Gamini an election between the Lamp and Lokuge (Minister of Sports and the Pot, the Lamp in favour of the Public Recreation), Asoka Proposal getting 3.14 million as (Minister of against the Pot against the Tourism), Bandula Gunawardena Extension of Parliament (Minister of Commerce, Proposal getting 2.60 million. Consumer Affairs and Co-opera- Premadasa Regime on May 1, 1993, and towards the the UNP presidential candidate on March 4, 2002. the new Cabinet that was formed tives) [all from the under Prime Minister Ranil District), Edward Gunasekera R. Premadasa who became end of the Wijetunga regime, resulted in making Ranil Leader Wickramasinghe on December 5, ( District who later Prime Minister on February 6, crossed of the House on November 10, Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM first and 2001, Rauf Hakeem was Minister went back to the UNP), Dr 1978 won the presidential elec- over from the SLFP to the UNP 1994. There was of course the President thereafter of Ports Development, Shipping, Rajitha Senaratna (Minister of tions in December 1988 with a and became a Minister, signalling accusation that Ranil did not The next general elections was Eastern Development and Construction and Engineering 50.43 per cent of the total votes the process of political openly support Gamini’s candida- held in 2004 with the People’s Muslim Religious Affairs. Services) (Kalutara District), cast and was sworn in as crossovers. At the general elec- ture, even leaving the platform at Alliance winning it and Mahinda Thereafter, he joined President President in in January 1989. He tions of August 1994, the UNP lost Thotalanga early where Gamini Rajapaksa becoming Prime Rajapaksa’s Cabinet in 2006 as (Non-Cabinet Minister of made D. B. Wijetunga the Prime power and Chandrika and a few other UNP leaders Minister on April 6, 2004 (and Minister of Posts and Agricultural Development and Minister in preference to Gamini Kumaratunga, who was Chief faced the fateful event. until November 17, 2005). By this Telecommunication but resigned Agrarian Services) (Galle Dissanayake or Lalith Minister of the Western As expected, President time, Anura Bandaranaike had from it in December 2007 before District), Mahinda Wikesekera Athulathmudali, creating politi- Provincial Council and Head of Kumaratunga made her mother, left the UNP and crossed over to the Third Reading on the Budget. (Minister of Special Projects) cal turmoil thereafter. the People’s (mainly Sirmavo Prime Minister, forming the PA, thus becoming first as and Lakshman Yapa Nevertheless, in March 1990 he consisting of the SLFP, LSSP, CP, a Cabinet of 23 members. Among Minister of Industrial and Abeywardena (Minister of Mass got Prime Minister D. B. Sri Lanka People’s Party (YP sec- the UNP MPs who joined her Investment Development and Factor Media) (), P. Wijetunga to resign from the post tion), and Democratic United Cabinet thereafter on June 9, 1997 thereafter as Minister of Foreign So was the change of party Dayaratna (Minister of Plan in the midst of a cabinet meeting. National Front (Lalith Section), were Nanda Mathew, Dr Sarath Affairs and Tourism. The JVP too politics with Arumugam Implementation) (Digamadulla DB hurriedly left the cabinet was elected Prime Minister. Amunugama, Ronnie de Mel. joined the government in 2004 Thondaman who, while being District), meeting for the office of the Wijayapala Mendis and Rohitha with Members of Parliament in General Secretary of the Ceylon (Deputy Minister of Fisheries Secretary to the President, pre- Assassination of Gamini Bogollagama. At the fourth presi- the second hierarchy such as Labour Congress after the and Aquatic Resources) pared the letter of resignation Dissanayake dential election held on December Anura Kumara Dissanayake demise of S. Thondaman on (Puttalam District), R. M. from the premier’s post and hand- It prompted Gamini 21, 1999, Chandrika was re-elected (Minister of Agriculture, March 11, 1997, was appointed (Minister of ed it over to President Premadasa Dissanayake to cross over to the President for the second time Livestock Development, Lands Minister of Livestock Supplementary Plantation Crops who was conducting the cabinet UNP and become both Deputy with a percentage of 51.12 in her and Irrigation), Development and Estate Development) (Moneragala meeting at that time and thereby Leader of the UNP defeating for- favour. (Minister of Cultural Affairs and Infrastructure Facilities from District), Mano Wijeratna (Non- the whole Cabinet was automati- mer Prime Minister Ranil Again the Peoples’ Alliance National Heritage), K. D. November 10, 1997 up to the Cabinet Minister of Enterprise cally dissolved. This ruse was Wickremesinghe on a vote in won the elections in October 2000 Lalkantha (Minister of Small and General Elections of December Development) (Kegalla District), adopted by President Premadasa Parliament and presidential can- with both Ronnie de Mel and Dr Rural Industries) and 2001. Thereafter, he joined the Naveen Dissanayake (Non- to oust from didate for the UNP. But during the Sarath Amunugama continuing Chandrasena Wijesinghe UNP government of Ranil Cabinet Minister of Investment the Cabinet as he was not invited presidential election campaign, as Minister of Ports and (Minister of Fisheries and Wickramasinghe and became Promotion) (National List MP), to swear in. Gamini was assassinated in Southern Development and Aquatic Resources) until June 16, Minister of Housing and Estate Chandrasiri Ariyawansa September 1994, Chandrika easily Minister of Irrigation and Water 2005. The total number of Infrastructure Development in Sooriyarachchi (Deputy Impeachment Motion Aborted becoming the first lady President Resource Management (now, Ministers stood at 41 but it got December 2001. He contested the Minister of Enterprise District on the Minister of Land and Land Although Lalith of the country in November 1994 reduced to 37 with the resignation Development and Investment UNP ticket at the General Development) (Polonnnaruwa Athulathmudali was included in with a 62.28 per cent of the total of the JVP members. Promotion) respectively.The UNP Election of 2004 and crossed over District) and Professor G. L. the Cabinet, changing his portfo- votes cast, beating Gamini’s die-hard, Wijepala Mendis, too to the government of President Pieris (Minister of Export lio from Agriculture, Food and widow, Srima Dissanayake. Hakeem Factor crossed over to the government in Mahinda Rajapakse, functioning Development and International Co-operative to Education and Ranil was keen on fighting the A Rauf Hakeem is another October 2000 and became as Minister up to now. Trade)(National List MP), led by Higher Education, an impeach- presidential election after Gamini member who changed sides in Minister without Portfolio. (Minister of ment motion against President but some of his close associates, politics. He joined the Sri Lanka Another UNP MP who crossed Public Administration and Premadasa was alleged to have including the present writer, per- Muslim Congress in 1988, getting Crossovers from the UNP over and became Minister of Home Affairs) (Gampaha been submitted to the Speaker, suaded him not to do so as there the mantle of its leadership after Nanda Mathew (Ratnapura Advanced Technology and District). orchestrated by Gamini and was no chance of winning the the death of Minister A. H. M. District) and Dr Sarath National Enterprise Development Lalith and presumably supported presidential election, though on a Ashroff (who was Cabinet Amunugama () sympathy vote, as Chandrika, as a as from November 18, 2004 was Minister of Shipping, Ports, were the first UNP MPs to cross Continued tomorrow