The Nomination Imbroglio & A Question Mark 

By Shyamon Jayasinghe –July 8, 2015

Shyamon Jayasinghe

“Shilling Demons in the Shadows.”

There is hardly a dull moment in dear Mother Lanka. The country has a plethora of unsolved problems; yet. it has time and opportunity to witness the comedy drama that politics is, over there.This time, it is the furore over the President’s apparent decision to give nomination from the UPFA to his arch rival, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Mahinda fans and parasites went jubilant. As when a wicket falls on the opposite side how the fielding side flock around together in the mesmeric moment Mahinda’s men went overboard and even made announcements that President Maitripala Sirisena would be on the stage with Mahinda at the planned Anuradhapura bring-back rally. Veteran Mahinda-supporting journalists like H. L. D. Mahindapala jumped the gun,like a novice in the game, to declare that Ranil and the hundred Days program is finished. Mahindapala’s emotional amygdala hijacked his reason.

The euphoria soon fizzled out when it appeared the story had been too good to be true. On the other hand, the more articulate of the sixty-two lakhs that voted under severe pressure for Maitri on January 8th couldn’t believe their ears. Trade Unions and civil society organisations took to the streets. Despondency crept their ranks and the desperateness they had got reflected in the abuse of Maitri on social media. One Facebook joke was that Maitri had had surgery removal of his spine! The man who originated that canard was probably ignorant that if the spine of a person is removed that individual is as good as dead.

Maitri was not quite dead. On the evening following the night of this “decision” he addressed a crowd at Matara and vociferously announced that he would never let the soft revolution of 8th January get diluted and that he will never permit family rule again. Maitri has since sharpened his controversial position. He now states he is giving only “conditional nomination,” to Rajapaksa and also that he would not give nomination to many of the latter’s former Parliamentary cronies. This meant the isolation of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Maitri is also of the view that Rajapaksa will not get SLFP nomination; which means the High King will have to get on stage as a nominee of one of the one-man parties like the MEP or Vasu or Gammanpilla. The JHU has already left the UPFA and renamed itself sans racial connotations.The rumour machine says CBK will lead the SLFP campaign. If this does occur Mahinda Rajapaksa will be totally isolated and compelled to wear the shell of the UPFA. The rumour mill also states that Mahinda will contest on the symbol of a budding flower.Read More