Anyone who has read Ms. Gamage’s recent speeches will recall that her main target is the SJB, with vitriol directed specifically at its leader, Sajith Premadasa. Her aim is to diminish the SJB and its leadership in the eyes of the voter, which is also Ranil Wickremesinghe’s agenda.
The saga about Diana Gamage reflects what is wrong with Sri Lanka’s political culture and, more importantly, why that is unlikely to change under the current dispensation of Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The initial speculation surrounding Ms. Gamage, the National List MP appointed to Parliament by the Samagi Jana Balavegaya(SJB) after the August 2020 general election, was that she was a dual citizen of both Britain and Sri Lanka.
At the time Ms. Gamage was nominated, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which bars dual citizens from entering Parliament, was in force. Therefore, if it was proved that Gamagewas a dual citizen, she would lose her seat in Parliament.
Several changes have occurred since then. The 19th Amendment was replaced by the 20th Amendment which allowed dual citizens to return to Parliament but the 20th Amendment has now been replaced with the 21st Amendment which again bans dual citizens, in what is a political merry-go-round!
More importantly, Diana Gamage herself has changed loyalties. She claims she officially remains with the SJB but had pledged allegiance to former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Proceedings to expel Ms. Gamage from the SJB were initiated when she violated party discipline and voted in favour of the 20th Amendment in October 2020. When Rajapaksa resigned and Ranil Wickremesinghe took over as President, Ms. Gamage was appointed State Minister of Tourism.
Diana Gamage’s parliamentary seat had been under scrutiny in court proceedings. Documents which have recently been released in the public domain have revealed startling new details. These documents, based on a letter purportedly written by the then Controller of Immigration and Emigration, allege that not only is Diana Gamage not a dual citizen, she does not appear to be a Sri Lankan citizen at all.
These claims are still before courts and will be tested next week. If proven to be true, Ms. Gamage would have committed many serious offences such as concealing information, remaining in the country without valid visas and engaging in politics while still being a British, and not Sri Lankan, citizen. The enormity of the offences, if proven, are mind-boggling and would make the Parliament of Sri Lanka the laughing stock for appointing and accommodating a non-Sri Lankan British citizen for more than two years!
At the time of writing, Ms. Gamage, usually very verbose in her utterances, has chosen the option of deafening silence in response to the allegations being levelled against her. There has been no denial or disputing of the documents that have been made available to the public.
With the courts set to determine the outcome of this dispute next week, we will refrain from commenting on related issues. However, we must comment on the response of the government in general and President Ranil Wickremesinghe in particular on this matter.
This matter was raised in Parliament this week by SJB parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman who provided specific dates and details, claiming Ms. Gamage had violated the Constitution in this instance. President Wickremesinghe, who has made a habit out of attending Parliament during the budget debate, was to intervene in a comical manner.
“Why are you complaining about passports issued to Ms. Gamage? Surely you shouldn’t do so to the person who offered you a party, so you could enter Parliament?” he asked the SJB, making light of the entire issue and then walked away from the chamber.
Wickremesinghe was referring to the origins of the SJB. During its formation as a breakaway faction of the United National Party (UNP), the SJB ‘borrowed’ the symbol of a party known as the ‘Apey Jathika Peramuna’ or AJP. The President of the AJP was Ms. Gamage’shusband, Senaka de Silva and its General Secretary was Ms. Gamage herself. Subsequently, the AJP was renamed the ‘Samagi Jana Balavegaya’.
After forty-five years in politics, Wickremesinghe must know that the allegations against Ms. Gamage are of an extremely serious nature. The least he could do is to ask her to step down from her state ministerial position. However, the man who roars and thunders against the likes of Wasantha Mudalige and signs indefinite detention orders against them for participating in a protest is strangely silent on Ms. Gamage’s issue, when what is being alleged against her is far, far more serious.
There is a reason for that. Anyone who peruses Ms. Gamage’s recent speeches will recall that her main target is the SJB, spewing out vitriol particularly against its leader Sajith Premadasa. Her aim is to diminish the SJB and its leadership in the eyes of the voter which is Ranil Wickremesinghe’s agenda as well. Hence his nonchalant response to the allegations against Ms. Gamage and a casual acceptance of her alleged actions.
What Wickremesinghe is doing is, condoning the alleged deliberate violation of the Constitution by Ms. Gamage and laughing it off as a minor misdemeanour– because it suits his political agenda. He is turning a blind eye to the grave implications of what Ms. Gamage is alleged to have done, allegedly hoodwinking the SJB and the Sri Lankan electorate and enjoying the perks, privileges and remuneration as a Member of Parliament while still allegedly being a British citizen and not a Sri Lankan.
If any other ‘average’ citizen committed any of the offences Ms. Gamage is alleged to have committed- for example, entering the country without a valid visa- they would be charged, convicted, fined or imprisoned and deported to their country of origin. While proceedings against Ms. Gamage are yet to be concluded, Wickremesinghe wants the SJB to simply ‘forgive and forget’ because she loaned her party symbol to them!
What Wickremesinghe- who was recently felicitated for completing fifty years as a lawyer- appears to advocate is one rule for average citizens and a casual dismissal of serious offences for his cronies. Is he any different from Mahinda Rajapaksa, then?
Thankfully, the final determination regarding Diana Gamage is not in Wickremesinghe’s hands but with the courts. Nevertheless, this drama should serve as a wake-up call for Sri Lankans who are still dreaming that Ranil Wickremesinghe will usher in the ‘system change’ that Gotabaya Rajapaksa failed to do.
