Xinhua,  Sat Jan 28 19:33:30 EST 2006

    The Sri Lankan main opposition United National Party (UNP) while welcoming government moves to hold talks with Tamil Tiger rebels in Geneva said they would however link three demands, Daily News reported Saturday.
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The demand includes the release of one time Minister and UNP heavyweight S.B. Dissanayake as pre-conditions to support any peace efforts.
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"We will do everything possible to help the government to usher in peace. We would by no means sabotage any effort of the government to bring peace," Party Deputy General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said.
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- The Academic

In Mahinda's engagement with the LTTE, the potential spoilers from the South are 1) JVP & JHU and 2) UNP.  I would say that one positive outcome of Mahinda's victory has been the subsequent silence of the JVP & JHU (which probably would not have resulted if Ranil had won) in the face of Mahinda's policy backtreading.  That leaves us with the UNP.

The Hon. Tissa Attanayake is now basically telling us that the UNP will support Mahinda's peace moves provided that he serves the UNP's narrow partisan interests.  Nowhere in the "conditions" did Mr. Attanayake state anything about "national interest" or "Srilankan sovereignty" which is what you'd expect a responsible Opposition to demand in this sort of situation.  He is giving the impression that Ranil won't bat an eyelid if Mahinda hands the entire N & E to the LTTE as long as SB Dissanayake is released.

What I'd like to know is what will the UNP do if Mahinda tells them to go screw themselves.  Will Ranil sabotage a settlement with the LTTE because Mahinda chose to use the 2005 voters' list for the Local Government Elections instead of the 2004 list?????  Wouldn't that mean that Ranil would have to depart from his established policy of appeasing and sucking up to the LTTE????  Is Ranil prepared to damage his relationship with the LTTE for the interests of his party (this is the same guy who was unable to condemn the LTTE's "boycott" which led to his defeat in the presidential election)????

I had earlier predicted that the UNP would remain strong regardless of Ranil's unelectability due to its unchallenged position as THE feudalistic, clientelistic political party in Srilanka.  Now we have Attanayake warning Mahinda not to bribe away the dissident Greeners with portfolios and other goodies, as if patronage politics is a big no-no in Srilanka (according to the UNP!!)?!?!?  Now I've seen everything!!  


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If the only tool you have is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail.- Abraham Maslow