Buyer’s Remorse – Is The ‘Rajapaksa Brand’ Suffering?
“The keys to brand success are self-definition, transparency, authenticity and accountability.” ~Simon Mainwaring
As was shown in the Uva Provincial Council election results, there is no denying that the ‘Rajapaksa brand’ did suffer quite badly. To lose in a multi-ethnic district like Badulla and dropping 25% from the earlier poll in an almost 100% Sinhalese Buddhist district such as Moneragala, despite the fact that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) which was expected to score heavily managed to secure only less than 7%, in the context of current measurements, is close to dismal for the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA). This poor performance at an election held on the brink of the Presidential Elections may have been due to multiple reasons. But the very fact that the voters of these two districts, Badulla and Moneragala, showed some semblance of ‘guts’ to teach the governing circles a lesson or two may have gone too far for the liking of the so-called strategists of the Government. The next follow-up question is: “Has the Rajapaksa brand suffered?”
In the writer’s considered view it is yes, it has. Whether that setback is a temporary one or a one that would have long-term implications is another matter altogether. Before venturing out to say how and why the Rajapaksa brand has suffered, I must define what the Rajapaksa brand is from two points of view. How does the Government project the Rajapaksa brand and how is it perceived by the Opposition and the people at large?
Defined in terms of the Rajapaksas themselves, the Rajapaksa brand in a nutshell is as follows:
1. Defeating the LTTE and making way for peace in the land on the long haul
2. Development of the economy by way of increasing the growth rate up to 7+% and maintaining that rate of growth
3. Massive infrastructure development through building of roads, bridges and introducing new ventures such as Mattala Airport, Hambantota Harbor and Colombo Port City et
