DEW alleges US must have approved removal of Galle Face protesters

warns electorate not to expect early general election

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Veteran politician DEW Gunasekera (22) said that there must have been a tacit understanding between the new Sri Lankan administration and the Western camp, regarding the deployment of the military and the police to remove Galle Face protesters in the early hours of yesterday.

The former General Secretary of the Communist Party said so when The Island sought reconfirmation as regards his sensational declaration made in an interview with Asoka Dias on Sirasa ‘Pathikada’ earlier in the day that US Ambassador in Colombo ( Julie Chung) must have given the go ahead for ‘military’ action.Asoka Dias emphasised that the television channel wouldn’t accept responsibility for the unsubstantiated declaration made by the former minister.

Ex-lawmaker Gunasekera alleged that the US Ambassador had opposed a move by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to have protesters removed. The President called off the planned operation after the US Ambassador warned of serious consequences of such a course of action, Gunasekera said.The alleged US interference was first raised in Parliament by National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa, MP, in Parliament on June 22.

Responding to interviewer Asoka Dias, the ex-minister said that the swift action taken by law enforcement authorities and the military immediately after Wickremesinghe assumed duties as the President should be examined taking into consideration post-Mirihana developments.

The former Minister was referring to violent protests at the then President’s private residence at Pangiriwatta, Mirihana on March 31 night.Video footage on social media depicted masked military personnel grabbing Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) member Lahiru Weerasekera, former Convenor of the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF).

Both Asoka Dias and Gunasekera acknowledged that troops moved in the wake of the issuance of a special gazette notification authorizing the deployment of the armed forces. They said the operation took place after protesters’ declaration that they would vacate the area soon.The US embassy didn’t respond to The Island query regarding the accusation, at the time this edition went to press.

Gunasekera said that their camp had fielded MP Dallas Alahapperuma as they firmly believed that his election as the executive President would give some legitimacy to the Pohottuwa administration. Pointing out that that rebel group in the SLPP proposed an interim all-party government on April 11 to the then President, the former Minister alleged that the leader failed to address the challenging issue properly. The CP veteran questioned the rationale in the then President offering the premiership to UNP leader Wickremesinghe after Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and Sajith Premadasa declined the offer, respectively.

The former President could have managed the crisis, the ex-minister said. The failure finally paved the way for Wickremesinghe to receive the presidency, he said, adding that the process was constitutional. “Therefore there couldn’t be any issue with the UNP leader taking the presidency. However, a country cannot be ruled solely on the basis of constitutional provisions. Legitimacy is required. Public faith is nothing but a must,” the ex-MP said.

Responding to Asoka Dias, the lawmaker who oversaw the rehabilitation of LTTE cadres after the successful conclusion of the war said that at the time protests erupted in Colombo demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (this was weeks before the embattled leader invited Ranil Wickremesinghe to be his Prime Minister) the embattled administration’s popularity was down to 3 percent by then, according to various surveys.Gunasekera said that the new government and the public protest movement would now try to assess each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

The CP man warned the electorate that President Wickremesinghe wouldn’t go for early general election under any circumstances. Referring to statements made by the new President, Gunasekera said that the new President very clearly indicated that the issues at hand couldn’t be addressed within months. Therefore, there was no likelihood of an early general election though in terms of the Constitution the President exercised the power to dissolve Parliament two and half years after the last election.

Gunasekera asserted that the majority of lawmakers voted for Wickremesinghe as they realized the UNPer wouldn’t dissolve parliament. Responding to the interviewer, Dew Gunasekera declared the vast majority of lawmakers didn’t want to face early elections.

Gunasekera told The Island that Wickremesinghe would strive to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term whatever the public opinion. The UNP leader is entitled to do so in line with the parliamentary vote, the ex-MP said.