Mahinda Rajapaksa’s politics of killing two birds with one stone
- Sunday, 19 January 2014
The first discussion on ‘Pada Yatra’ in 1992 took place in a hotel-room of a country in the Middle East. In politics, Mahinda Rajapaksa is a cunning manipulator. Intentionally, he had used the hotel-room of the late Ossie Abeygunasekara for that particular discussion. At his request, Alavi Moulana and several others had gathered in that hotelroom.
Ossie did not take part, but appeared to be having a nap on a bed nearby. Mahinda Rajapaksa well knew that he was faking sleep and listening to their conversation in order to tell everything to president R. Premadasa upon his return to Sri Lanka.
At the discussion, Mahinda Rajapaksa had stressed that holding the ‘Pada Yatra’ was impractical, and therefore, they should get it banned by the president somehow in order to save face for the opposition and to place the blame and the discredit on the government. Ossie Abeygunasekara became a victim of Mahinda’s well-laid trap. As soon as he returned home, Ossie told president Premadasa not to prohibit ‘Pada Yatra’ for any reason, as it would be a failure.
In the end, both president Premadasa and Ossie were shocked to see ‘Pada Yatra’ reaching Kataragama as a tremendous success.
Twenty two years later, Mahinda Rajapaksa remains the same. That was proven when he appointed Hirunika Premachandra as co-organizer for Colombo Central. Now, Hirunika ‘the daughter’ does not give voicecuts against Mahinda ‘the uncle’ any more. Neither does she implement her ‘plan B’. If by any chance had she contested on the UNP ticket, it would have been very easy for her to poll 100,000 preferential votes. Mahinda ‘the uncle’ stopped Hirunika ‘the daughter’ in that manner.
For the first time in history, a co-organizer was sworn in, and Hirunika cannot act against the oath she took. In the end, Hirunika became just one of the thousands who had come to strengthen the hands of the president.
Through that, the president also ‘hunted down’ Duminda Silva, whose adversary Hirunika is now with him. Duminda did everything he could through Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to prevent Hirunika’s joining the government ranks. In the future, the president will control Duminda and his brother Raynor through Hirunika. It will be an indirect slap in the face for the almighty Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. President Mahinda Rajapaksa still has the ‘remote control’ in his hand. He uses that ‘remote control’ to change political channels and to politically ‘blast’ those whom he cannot tolerate.
At the discussion, Mahinda Rajapaksa had stressed that holding the ‘Pada Yatra’ was impractical, and therefore, they should get it banned by the president somehow in order to save face for the opposition and to place the blame and the discredit on the government. Ossie Abeygunasekara became a victim of Mahinda’s well-laid trap. As soon as he returned home, Ossie told president Premadasa not to prohibit ‘Pada Yatra’ for any reason, as it would be a failure.
In the end, both president Premadasa and Ossie were shocked to see ‘Pada Yatra’ reaching Kataragama as a tremendous success.
Twenty two years later, Mahinda Rajapaksa remains the same. That was proven when he appointed Hirunika Premachandra as co-organizer for Colombo Central. Now, Hirunika ‘the daughter’ does not give voicecuts against Mahinda ‘the uncle’ any more. Neither does she implement her ‘plan B’. If by any chance had she contested on the UNP ticket, it would have been very easy for her to poll 100,000 preferential votes. Mahinda ‘the uncle’ stopped Hirunika ‘the daughter’ in that manner.
For the first time in history, a co-organizer was sworn in, and Hirunika cannot act against the oath she took. In the end, Hirunika became just one of the thousands who had come to strengthen the hands of the president.
Through that, the president also ‘hunted down’ Duminda Silva, whose adversary Hirunika is now with him. Duminda did everything he could through Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to prevent Hirunika’s joining the government ranks. In the future, the president will control Duminda and his brother Raynor through Hirunika. It will be an indirect slap in the face for the almighty Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. President Mahinda Rajapaksa still has the ‘remote control’ in his hand. He uses that ‘remote control’ to change political channels and to politically ‘blast’ those whom he cannot tolerate.
