Moment of Truth for the JVP (The Island Editorial)
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is in the same predicament as a person engaged in the Sisyphean task of collecting frogs and toads in a lidless pan. He is in an unenviable position doing as he does his damnedest to prevent his government going down the pan.
The SLMC, which backed President Rajapaksa?s budget at the second reading vote, has suddenly decided to vote against it tomorrow on the grounds that the government has let down the Muslim community. True, the Muslims are facing numerous problems, but they didn?t crop up overnight and the question is why the SLMC voted for the budget last month.
The SLMC?s right to either oppose or support the budget cannot be questioned. But, it isn?t being sincere when it makes a U-turn and vows to vote against the very budget it backed only a month ago. Its move smacks of brinkmanship, opportunism and most of all Punic faith, which, in fairness to the SLMC, is the name of the game in politics. We are yet to find a political party that has not reneged on its promises and contradicted its policies.
The CWC is said to be straddling the fence, having voted for the budget last month. It is also quite adept at brinkmanship. After all, every political party?synonymous with Tammany in this country?is given to opportunism and swayed by dosh. The government is said to be sanguine about retaining the CWC?s support for the budget. But, as for T-man, there?s many a slip twixt cup and lip.
The realignment of political forces has been to the advantage of the JVP with 36 MPs. Although the government is not yet in danger of losing the budget vote, it must be depending on its erstwhile ally to act as an inertia reel in an emergency. The JVP has, as we report today, indicated its willingness to change its stand on the budget, depending on the developments within the next twenty four hours.
The moment of truth has finally come for the JVP. It says it wants the LTTE militarily crushed and foreign powers interfering with the internal affairs of the country kept at bay. This budget is the be-all and end-all of the government?s war effort. Its passage will see the beginning of a military onslaught in the Wanni. Hence, the government argues, the LTTE with the help of some local politicians and certain foreign powers is trying to scuttle the budget by allegedly funding a campaign to bribe MPs to shift allegiance.
The JVP has been trying to influence the government?s military policy and have a say in the war effort, as was evident in its active participation in a campaign to wrest control of the Mavil Aru reservoir last year and its involvement in the Nil Manel movement etc. Circumstances have enabled it to achieve its objective and take the credit for the continuation of the military campaign against the LTTE by helping ratify the President?s war budget.
Will the JVP care to repair its seriously dented anti-terror credentials or will it combine forces with the Opposition to shoot down the budget thus putting the kibosh on the war effort and vindicating its critics who argue it always throws a lifeline to the LTTE in trouble?
Meanwhile, it behoves the government to look into the problems, especially those of the Eastern Province Muslims, which the SLMC has cited as reasons for its exit, and take steps to solve them. Justice demands that!
Edited By - Sinthaka - 13 Dec 2007 07:34:10 GMT |
Search All News and Discussions
13 Dec 2007 06:53:03 GMT 
13 Dec 2007 06:56:05 GMT 
13 Dec 2007 07:00:39 GMT 
13 Dec 2007 07:13:20 GMT 
13 Dec 2007 07:31:18 GMT 
13 Dec 2007 07:32:55 GMT 
13 Dec 2007 07:39:52 GMT 