<b>A Ladies Handbag and the Fight in Parliament</b>

T.Sabaratnam

Law makers in many parts of the democratic world have fought within their sovereign legislature. They have fought over bigger issues - corruption, rule of law, misuse of power, national policies. But unfortunately, here in Sri Lanka, about thirty of them punched and pulled each other last Wednesday, over wnat seemes to be a trivial matter - ladies handbag: not over its ownership, but over of its contents.

It was alleged that Ravi Karunanayake, Minister Commerce, had accused President Chandrika Kumaratunga of carrying a bomba in her black handbag when she attended the last week’s cabinet meeting.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other ministers disputed the allegation.

They say Karunanayake had only accused the President of carrying filming and tape recording devise.

Karunanayake himself had denied the President’s version. He said that he only spoke about the custom-made one million rupee hand bag, imported from London in November last year.

Karunanayake who got the documents concerning the import of the high- tech handbag a few hours before July 17 cabinet meeting, sprang a surprise on the President, by tabling them. The documents contained a copy of the purchase order sent to the supplier on 9 October 2001 and the illustration of the VH09 Covert Video- Audio Handbag.

The order was placed by former Additional Director General, Directorate of Internal Intelligence, T.V.Sumanasekera, now a security consultant with the presidential Secretariat.

On Wednesday after the heated discussion on the import of the luxury vehicles by the Presidential Secretariat was concluded, Karunanayake sprung a surprise on the President and his colleagues, by tabling the documents for the purchase of the handbag and accused the President of recording cabinet proceedings in complete violation of democratic practices.

“This is alarming,” Karunanayake said. “It is a matter of national security.”

He then showed the photocopy of the illustration of the imported black handbag and turning to President Kumaratunga he said: “You are carrying an identical handbag.”

Raising his voice he charged, “You are trying to film cabinet proceedings. It is totally illegal.”

The President sat in silence. She later admitted she was shocked. Recovering from the shock a little later, she directed the Cabinet Secretary to record the allegation.

Karunanayake retorted: I challenge you to prove me wrong.”

The Prime Minister got the dicuments from the Ministerr, scrutinised it, and subsequently, handed them to Defence Minister Tilak Marapone directing him to find out the truth about the purchase of the handbag.

President’s Counter Attack

The President did not allow the matter to rest. Presidential Secretariat issued a statement on Friday morning, accusing Karunanayake of spreading false accusation, that she carried bombs in her handbag, to kill the Prime Minister. Then on Friday evening she sent a letter to the Prime Minister saying that, she could no longer keep Karunanayake in her cabinet.

The text of the letter that reached the prime minister a few hours before he left for the United States reads:

Dear Prime Minister,

Allegations made against the President by Mr. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Consumer Affairs at the end of the cabinet meeting held on 17th July 2002.

You will recall that, Mr. Ravi Karunanayake hurled the allegation that, the President had brought bombs’ to kill the Prime Minister, in her hand bag. He added that the Prime Minister should take care because the President can use the bomb against him. He repeated more than once in his loud and crude manner. At this point, you intervened and said that it was a very unfair statement and he should not continue to talk in this manner.

I remained silent and did not utter a word, as I was completely shocked and startled by the Minister’s most unwarranted allegations and by his low1y behaviour.

You agreed with me when we met the following morning, Thursday the 18th July, that Mr.Karunanayake’s behaviour is totally unacceptable.
I need hardly stress that the said minister’s statement is an extremely serious allegation against the Head of State and Head of Cabinet, that she intended to bomb her Prime Minister and her cabinet at a cabinet meeting, thereby also killing herself.

T
he nature of this accusation is so serious and his behaviour so completely unacceptable, that I cannot have him as a member of my cabinet any more.

I would like to have your views early, as I am aware that yon leave the country early tomorrow morning.

Yours sincerely,

Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga

President.

The Prime minister was upset about the President’s letter.

He summoned the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Political Affairs. Ministers Karu Jayasuriya, K.N. Choksy, Tilak Marapone. G.L. Peiris and UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema attended the meeting. The committee decided to send the president a harsh reply which was drafted by the three lawyers Choksy, Marapone and Peiris.

It was sent to the president by a special messenger.

It reads:

Your Excellency,

Allegations made against the President by Mr. Ravi Karunanayake, Minister of Consumer Affairs

I have this evening received your letter bearing today’s date, regarding an allegation you say Hon. Ravi Kanauanayake made against you at the cabinet meeting held on 17th July.

To start with Mr. Ravi Karunanayake did not make any allegation, that you brought bombs in your handbag , or that the bombs were intended to be used to kill me.

Mr. Karunanayake’s reference was only to ahandbag containing sophisticated video and recording devices, and he handed me a photocopy of a printed document showing such a handbag.

During the course of our discussion last morning, I stated that, Mr. Karunanayake had referred to a handbag containing sensitive recording equipment and that, I had asked the defence Minister to inquire whether such a handbag had been imported and if so, whether it was still in use.

You made no reference to Mr. Karunanayake accusing you of carrying bombs in your handbag.

We agreed at our meeting that, several outstanding issues should be taken up after my return form the United States. Any other issue you may have, can also be taken up then.

I would also take this opportunity to recall that, when I formed the Government in December last year, consequent on the decisive result of the general election, we agreed that, appointments to the cabinet of ministers would be done only on my recommendations, as in the circumstances, this would be in conformity with the underlying intention of Article 44 (1) (b) of the constitution. I appreciate that this agreement has been observed by Your Excellency.

Yours sincerely,

Ranil Wickremesinghe,

Prime Minister.

The Public Attack

The President was not silenced. She bided time till Sunday, July 21. On that day, she addressed a closed-door meeting of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party organizers of the Polonnaruwa district. There she let off her anger. She said:" My parents taught me to be humane. My father, in his death bed, forgave the man who shot him. Now the time has come to forget about forgiveness and compassion. Let us be prepared to forget even the preaching of Buddhism."

She continued: "We are no longer prepared to permit an assassin to assassinate us. We will get hold of his neck and we will defend ourselves. But if someone stealthily throws a bomb, we may be defenceless.

She went on to say : "There is an old lawyer in the Finance Ministry. His name is Choksy. He does not know anything. He goes into the Finance Ministers room and locks himself up for two hours. He does not meet anyone."

She said: "The other day he tried to talk about the vehicles, I gave him tight. He fell silent. I felt sorry for him."

She kept on talking: "There is a person called Peiris. I don’t know whether he is Gal Peiris of G. L. Peiris. He keeps on murmuring something or other to other. I told him the other day to speak loudly, so that I can hear him. Then I gave him tight. I stopped because that scared him and he would get a heart attack."

"Ravi Karunanayake’s grandfather is known as 'Jungle' Dissanayake. That forest Dissanayake is always drunk. He is the one who hatched a coup against my mother. Ravi Karunanayake is Jungle’s daughter’s son. Karunanayake thinks that we would also kill others like his ancestors. I never took into my cabinet people like him.'

"The government has brought all TV stations under its control. One TV station is owned by Ranil’s brother. They got Rs. 150 million loan. After Ranil became Prime Minister, they have stopped repayment. Another is Maharajah’s MTV. They brought the UNP into power. They bought ministers with money to defeat my government."

After her speech, the President, opened and showed her handbag to prove that she does not carry bombs.

The big question is: "Why didn’t she open and show the handbag when Karunanayake challenged her to prove his allegation false?

Scuffle in Parliament

Chandrika’s men took the fight into Parliament, the august assembly, on Tuesday.

Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapakse, after making a statement, demanded an apology from Karunanayake. The government members vehemently opposed his demand.

They said Karunanayake did not say that she carried bombs. Opposition members then held up placards inside the Parliament which read. "Ravi the rice thief."

The reference was reagarding the decision to import of rice by a state organization.

A government MP snatched a hand bag of a lady member and held it aloft. Subsequently, as the provocation heated up, the government and opposition law makers entered the well of the house and exchanged blows.

Some opposition parliamentarians went to remove the mace but the sergeant-at-arms and his assistant guarded it.

When the sergeant-at-arms noticed the presence of school students in the gallery. He waved his officers to send them away. They were marched out.

It is expected that, President Kumaratunga will not give-up, and she will continue with the encounteragain and again untill cohabitation is brought to an end.