Saturday, 21 December 2013 00:00
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THE past few weeks have seen interesting events unfold on the provincial council stage of local politics, with 17 Government-led bodies having their Budgets defeated. Disgruntled United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) bigwigs retaliated by threatening to dismiss any party member voting against the Budgets and replacing the defeated Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen with those who unquestioningly toe the party line.
The Budget defeats in 17 provincial councils was an unexpected twist and garnered more attention than the National Budget debates unfolding in Parliament. It also provided confidence to Opposition parties, who, however fleeting, managed to taste a brief zing of victory.
Following high-level UPFA meetings this week, it appears that the errant factions have been pushed back into line by a combination of sticks and carrots. In fact some local language newspapers reported that the wayward members were even promised trips aboard and other perks to get them to cast their precious vote for the provincial council Budget and maintain a united front.
Speculation is also rife that the crony system in existence within the UPFA is creating rifts among party members, causing some to become dissatisfied. Others criticised the President Mahinda Rajapaksa-led UPFA as crushing any conscionable action by party members. The new rules effectively mean that UPFA councillors have to unquestioningly obey the Budget mandate regardless of its negative aspects or face being unceremoniously drummed out of the party.
In Sri Lanka’s notoriously corrupt election system, this would mean the end of any possible advancement financial or otherwise and politicians, ever aware of which side their bread is buttered on, will be even less inclined to support good governance. It is indeed ironic that provincial councillors accused of bribery, corruption and mismanagement are routinely ignored by the UPFA top rungs but when party powers are even slightly threatened are promptly bashed into subservience.
The latest UPFA decision is also, in a sense, rolling back democracy within the party. Members who do not toe the official party line will face consequences regardless of what prompted their dissent. All in all it appears to be a strengthening of the vanguard ahead of promised provincial council elections next year as well as a possible presidential poll.
Five of the rogue provincial councils are in the Western Province, while three others are in the Southern counterpart. Since polls are expected to be unfurled first in these two regions it is obvious why the Government is uneasy over the recent Budget defeats.
Ten of the Budgets were defeated in the first round while seven were defeated in both rounds. An exasperated Peliyagoda Council even went to the extent of locking its gates and pushing up the time of its debates to finally get its Budget passed in a highly-controversial third reading. Party supporters, the public and Police participated in the chaos with gusto and a much-relieved Chairman declared a “conspiracy” had been defeated. The spate of events closely mimicked previous episodes enacted on the national political stage.
Regardless of this entertaining chain of political misfortune, its impact cannot be overstated. There are 335 local government bodies and the speedy intervention of UPFA has ensured that the 17 provincial council episode is a mere storm in a teacup.
