<b>Fowzie lambast Anura </b>

T.Sabaratnm

Colombo July 16: A senior member of the main opposition Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), blasted President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s younger brother, Anura Bandaranaike whom she appointed as her special advisor on national integration accusing him of trying to destroy the party.

“Who is this Anura? What right he has to accuse me of breaching party discipline? Who is he to say that, I am breaking the party?” asked Fowzie, in a statement that breathed fire.

Anura Bandaranaike deserted the SLFP twice; the second time was in 1993, to join the UNP cabinet. He was elected on the UNP ticket to parliament in 1994 and 2000. He was elected Speaker, as a nominee of the UNP opposition.

He rejoined the SLFP founded by his father S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, after the defeat of her sister’s government in August 2000. His mother Sirimavo headed the SLFP, after her husband’s killing. His sister Kumaratunga is the SLFP’s current leader.

Anura Bandaranaike, told a joint opposition public meeting last week held to protest against the ceasefire agreement at Colombo suburb Nugegoda, that Fowzie would be sacked, “within two or three days.”
He backed that up with an interview to "Sunday Times," charging Fowzie with breaching party discipline, by speaking for the formation of a national government and of being responsible for the defeat of the SLFP at the recent Colombo Municipal Council elections.

Fowzie had been noticed by SLFP general secretary Mahipala Sirisena, to explain these charges.

Fowzie had been campaigning for the formation of a national government, since the December 5 election, that brought UNP to power, as a means of achieving the national consensus required for the resolution of the ethnic problem. So was another senior Member, Richard Pathirana. He too was asked to explain.

Pathirana has sent in his reply. He has said the original idea of the formation of a national government with a mandate to work out a solution to the ethnic problem was mooted by President Kumaratunga in August 2000, when she tried desperately to enact a new constitution. He said he had continued to espouse that cause.

Fowzie was not that tame. He is charging President Kumaratunga of intimidation to foil any opposition to her plan to foist Anura Bandaranaike as her successor at the next presidential polls. Under the current constitution, President Kumaratunga is debarred from contesting the next presidential poll. A person can hold the office of the president only for two terms.

Fowzie and Pathirana are not alone in this feud. Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse, the aspirant for the SLFP leadership and presidential nomination and his supporters are with them. Rajapakse has told the media SLFP members were angry about at the show cause notice served to Fowzie and Pathirana.

He said: “Fowzie and Pathirana had brought victory to the SLFP in eleven elections in a row.”

Analysts said the SLFP is split right in the middle.

“Anura has done it,” quipped an SLFP old timer who had witnessed Anura Bandaranaike’s two desertions and the returns. “He carries the curse of defeat with him wherever he goes. He joined the UNP and it got drubbing at eleven elections. With his heavy weight the SLFP had sunk twice. He must be thrown overboard for the SLFP to float again.”

Anura Bandaranaike’s alignment with the JVP is also violently rocking the boat. Rajapakse faction views it as foreboding disaster.