Is Sirisena Making Srilankan Democracy Laughing Stock ?Sri Lankans must be wondering as to what is the choice before them. Certainly, Sri Lankans deserve better.

by N.S.Venkataraman

( July 5, 2015, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Everyone was caught by surprise when President Sirisena ordered parliamentary elections much before schedule. It will be an election that Sirisena would be imposing on people of Sri Lanka who do not want it. Even the pledged admirers of Sirisena are wondering whether he has any hidden agenda in preponing the parliamentary election , which would inevitably result in diverting the national attention from the much needed economic and industrial development programme.

Now, the worst suspicions have come true, when Sirisena has come to an understanding with Rajapaksa with regard to the forthcoming parliamentary election.

While it is a fact that Sirisena was part of the earlier Rajapaksa government and Rajapaksa was his boss, during the last Presidential election ,Sirisena and Rajapaksa fought against each other which Sirisena won convincingly. During the election campaign, Sirisena levelled grave charges of corruption and nepotism against Rajapaksa and his family members, which many people believed it to be true. As a matter of fact, Sirisena won the election and was voted to power on anti Rajapaksa wave.

After taking over as President of Sri Lanka, Sirisena and his government talked loud about enquiring into the corrupt acts of Rajapaksa and his family members and punishing them as per the law. Now, Rajapaksa and his family members have the last laugh ,as Sirisena and Rajapaksa would be fighting the parliamentary polls together. While it is known that public memory is short, it cannot be so short to make the people forget Sirisena’s tirade against Rajapaksa and his family members a few months back. It is known that politicians all over the world have thick skin but even thick skinned politicians normally hesitate to make such somersault within a few months.

One cannot but think that Sirisena has taken the public opinion for granted or does not care about the public opinion at all. In the process, he has reduced the image of Sri Lankan democracy to laughing stock. The last presidential election in Sri Lanka and the verdict was hailed as indication of the vibrant democratic movement. Now, President Sirisena has wiped out all the good image that democracy in Sri Lanka gained , with his one stroke by aligning himself with his political opponent. Process of democracy cannot be left to the convenience and whims and fancies of politicians, with people remaining as helpless spectators.

This is what President Sirisena has sought to do now. It is surprising that he has not realised that his move to align with Rajapaksa to contest parliamentary election will do great harm to his image and make his government weak and ineffective due to loss of credibility.

Sri Lankans must be wondering as to what is the choice before them. Certainly, Sri Lankans deserve better.