Saturday, July 4, 2015

2015-07-04

Retired Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Jagath Jayasuriya, has reportedly not been granted a visa to visit the United States although his wife had been granted one in May this year.

The visa applications had been sent to the US Embassy in May and the duo was scheduled to leave the country on a private visit on June 30, the Daily Mirror learns. However, the passport of the former CDS was still at the embassy and had not been returned as yet.

Lt. Gen Jagath Jayasuriya took over as Commander of the Army after the end of the civil conflict and was thereafter appointed Chief of Defense Staff. He retired from the position a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, when contacted by Daily Mirror on the matter, a spokesman for the US Embassy in Colombo said that as a matter of policy, they cannot comment on individual cases. “That’s all we have to say at this moment,” he said.

Are foreigners backing anti-Muslim racism in

Sri Lanka?

By Izeth Hussain-July 3, 2015

I must state at the very outset that in my title Are foreigners backing anti-Muslim racism in Sri Lanka? I am posing a question, not stating a conclusion. I believe that in political analysis it is important to pose questions even when no definitive answer is available. The reason is that some questions could amount to fertile hypotheses that lead to answers later. In some situations it could be crucially important to pose questions even when no more than conjecture of a rather wild order is possible. This applies to foreign involvement in our internal affairs as it can sometimes have very horrible consequences. That was shown in the case of the Tamil ethnic problem. We must try to ensure that there is no repeat performance in the case of the Muslim ethnic problem. We must therefore pose the question whether foreigners are backing anti-Muslim racism in Sri Lanka even though no more than conjectural answers may be possible at the moment.

I will now indicate very briefly how foreign involvement in our Tamil ethnic problem has had very horrible consequences. India insisted that our troops refrain from going into Jaffna after the successful Vadamarachchi operation, and President Jayewardene caved in to that demand when he could have resisted it without much difficulty – as I have shown in recent articles. The result was the extension of the war by twenty two years at the cost of a hundred thousand deaths. Norway and other countries initiated a peace process with the best of intentions. But they did not understand that the LTTE would be content with nothing less than Eelam or a confederal arrangement close to it. They did not understand that the LTTE was never serious about a negotiated political solution. And they believed that the war was unwinnable. Consequently they contributed mightily to our ethnic disaster.

The evolution of our Muslim ethnic problem provides a very vivid illustration of the destructive potential that there is in foreign involvement. There were anti-Muslim ructions from 1975 to around 2002; then there was the Grease Yakas episode in which Muslim women were targeted for harassment; and also there was the problem of Muslim businessmen being kidnapped for ransom. But all that did not amount to a major Muslim ethnic problem causing international concern. That transformation occurred after the BBS started its anti-Muslim hate campaign. It clearly had the backing of Norwegian Islamophobes, but who else was involved? According to the former President MR it was all part of an international conspiracy to topple him. After the next Government is installed there should be a thorough enquiry into the question of foreign backing for the BBS.

A Muslim friend of mine tells me that he followed closely the BBS’s anti-Muslim campaign and found that their speeches to the masses were heavily influenced by Western Islamophobia. He is convinced that the heaviest input into those speeches was made by Israel. This brings me to the question whether the Israelis have participated in promoting anti-Muslim racism in Sri Lanka, and more specifically whether I have been targeted by the Israelis. I wield the pen and such persons can be troublesome, even dangerous, which is why practically all governments try to control the press or influence it. And of course as a Muslim I can be expected to be unsympathetic to Israel. In addition there is a particular reason why I could have drawn the unwelcome attentions of the Israelis. It is believed that President Premadasa decided to close down the Israelis Interests Section in consequence of a speech made by me.

Among the Tamil lunatic fringe racists who have been attacking me there is one who seems to be the agent of a foreign power. I must provide the context in which my suspicion makes sense. The concerted attacks against me – concerted almost certainly by the LTTE – died out altogether after having flourished vigorously for several months, as I pointed out in my last article. As far as I can remember there is only one participant in those concerted attacks who still continues to attack me. Each week he is joined by a couple of newcomers. A noteworthy fact is that the hysterical hatred and the mad dog rage – which in the early days of the concerted attacks led me to write of "a total annihilating hatred" – has largely diminished. The hatred and rage are still there, but they are given vent to in sneering and jeering. I believe that the reason for this welcome transformation is that my counter-attacks have made the Tamil racists look ridiculous. The lesson to be drawn is that the antidote to racism is to counter attack it, not to ignore it, in which case it flourishes. Anyway the important point is this: the attempt to stop me being published by the Island and the CT, which was the motivation behind the attacks, has failed completely.

The motivations for the continuing attacks have to be sought elsewhere. It is partly that impotent rage is finding expression through sneering and jeering. But in the case of the sole survivor from the days of the concerted attacks I think the motivation is to promote hatred of Muslims, the expression of an Islamophobic drive. K’s performance – let’s call him K – is in a class apart from the others in important respects. Though his hatred and rage are obvious, as in the case of the others, he surprisingly concedes that I am well read and readable. My guess is that his foreign mentor has told him that if he is merely abusive he will lack credibility, and that he should concede some merit to me so that his attacks will then seem unprejudiced. My guess is also that his foreign mentor has instructed him to adopt Goebbels’s strategy of the big lie: if a lie, any lie, is repeated often it will come to be believed by the public. I have seen more than one reference to Goebbels’s idiotic notion in Tamil contributions to the CT.

K’s responses are in a class apart for being chockfull of blatant lies, distortions, quotations out of context etc, showing that his Goebellsian strategy is forging ahead full blast. I provided details to the reader on how to access the text in which I wrote against the use of starvation against the LTTE, but he prefers to believe that I advocated the opposite. I quoted Maugham as saying that under the Nazi occupation the French would have to "eat shit". K has insisted, despite my making the necessary clarification, that I thereby referred to the Tamils as "shit". In my last article I referred to the stereotype according to which the Muslims are, among other things, excellent "drug traffickers". He attributes that view to me, not to the stereotype, and proceeds to berate me over that in a lengthy paragraph. Is K clinically mad? I believe that the explanation for what looks like lunacy is that he is following the Goebellsian strategy of the big lie. Anyway what interests me is whether he is acting as the agent of a foreign power.

I can think of only one country in the world that could have a very special interest in the promotion of Islamophobic hatred: Israel. It has to be expected that many Israelis will have a visceral hatred of Muslims, warmly reciprocated by Muslims since human beings are human beings are human beings. We must bear in mind that Israel is presently going through a phase in which it is widely regarded as an apartheid state – Archbishop Desmond Tutu believes that its apartheid is even worse than that of the former South Africa. We must also bear in mind that Israel’s present leader seems to be clinically mad at least to some extent, as indicated by his former psychiatrist who committed suicide in 2010, and he seems to be in a state of genocidal rage against Iran. Netanyahu is indeed the very epitome of the kind of leader that Theodor Herzl would have wanted for Israel, since Herzl saw Israel as the last bastion of European civilisation against the advancing Asiatic hordes. Finally we must bear in mind that many of our Tamils have had a deep admiration for Israel, and that the LTTE which wants to be taken as a liberation movement has never spoken up for Palestinian liberation even once. It seems to be a very reasonable surmise that the Israelis could use the lunatic fringe Tamil racists to foment hatred against the Muslims. The Government must look into that possibility, bearing in mind the terrible harm that has been caused to Sri Lanka by interfering foreign busybodies.

izethhussain@gmail.com

Why MR, Is He The Only Person Among The 15 Million Voters?

By Thangamuthu Jayasingam –July 4, 2015

Dr. Thangamuthu Jayasingam

There has been so much in press about Mahinda Rajapaksa contesting the election or not? Little is being discussed on its implication to the political governance of the country. History has many lessons to all even to those who wish to re write history, rules apply.

Simple rule of life suggest ‘never contest for a lower position’ if you lose you lose the recognition for the former position.

Another simple rule suggests ‘one on the hand is worth two in the bush’, you may lose it all

Another rule says ‘do not put all eggs in one basket’. You may lose it all.

MR has to know all these before he really decides to make his bid for the election, and I am not sure that he does.

The moment he submits his nomination he is no more the ‘Past President’ in terms of recognition for benefits and he would tend to lose all the benefits given to the past president, very similar to pensions benefits, when reemployed lose it all. It would be very unethical to be holding the benefits of the former President of Sri Lanka and contest for the parliament election. Once these benefits are removed they could not be granted even if he wins or lose the election.

If MR is going to be at any electorate under any tag he will have to win the majority of votes in the district and also with a large majority and if doe not then he would lose all the ‘claims’ he and his clans are making at present. If he lose or wins marginally then he buries himself and all those with him for a long time. It is always easier to say many things from the opposition or gallery but being in the ring is entirely another game.Read More

Exclusive! 'Sri Lanka will never pose a threat to India'

'We have nothing to gain by helping any other country to become a threat to India,' former Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is on the comeback trail, tells Rediff.com senior contributor Nitin A Gokhale in an exclusive interview.

Former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa

July 04, 2015 rediff on the net

Mahinda Rajapaksa, who lost the Sri Lankan presidency earlier this year, plans to contest the parliamentary election

and likely become prime minister. He spoke exclusively to Rediff.com contributor Nitin A Gokhale.

Will you be a prime ministerial candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections? If yes, will you be the SLFP candidate?

Exclusive! 'Sri Lanka Will Never Pose a Threat to India' by Thavam Ratna

Maithri makes way for Mahinda

FT Main Image

All quiet on Sirisena front as MR camp comes out all guns blazing
UPFA General Secretary issues press release announcing nomination minutes before press briefing at Abhayaramaya
Radio silence from President’s Office regarding U-turn on nomination
Wimal says MR and MS reached ‘historic agreement’ to save the party
President has discarded his 8 Jan mandate, joined us: Vasu
Sudden shift caused by potential defection of SLFP stalwarts to Mahinda camp?
Susil denies Basil’s presence at Thursday night meeting

By Dharisha Bastians-Saturday, 4 July 2015

The pro-Rajapaksa faction of the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance claimed a major victory with the announcement yesterday that Mahinda Rajapaksa would receive a nomination on the coalition ticket, but there was radio silence from the President’s Office about the decision.

At about 3.30 p.m. yesterday, UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha issued a press statement announcing the decision to grant the former President a nomination on the party ticket.

“Based on the UPFA party leaders’ meeting chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena on 2 July, as discussed it has been decided to grant former President Mahinda Rajapaksa a nomination for the forthcoming parliamentary elections,” the release which was signed by Premajayantha said.

There is still no official reaction to the announcement by the UPFA General Secretary from President Sirisena’s office or his aides at the time of going to press. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party Central Committee is yet to make a final decision on the nomination for the ex-President, Daily FT learns. President Sirisena also holds the title of UPFA Chairman and could still exercise his powers to withhold the nomination, highly placed sources told Daily FT.

But pro-Rajapaksa UPFA leaders, holding a press briefing at the Abhayaramaya Temple in Narahenpita shortly after Premajayantha released the statement, hailed President Sirisena for his decision. In an interesting twist, the Abhayarama press briefing was originally scheduled for 11.00 a.m. but was postponed at the last minute till 4.00 p.m..

UPFA leaders addressing the briefing told reporters that the postponement had taken place at the behest of the SLFP, which wanted time to issue the statement announcing its decision about Rajapaksa’s nomination.

“Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena have reached a historic agreement today,” National Freedom Front Leader Wimal Weerawansa told journalists at the temple premises, which has now become headquarters for the pro-Rajapaksa cabal of the UPFA.

Weerawansa noted that the disagreements between the two rivals in the January presidential race had been "personal ones".

"Today for the sake of the party and the country, they have put aside their differences," Weerawansa said.

"President Sirisena has realised that Mahinda Rajapaksa is a key factor in Sri Lankan politics," said Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Leader Dinesh Gunawardena,

Former Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris said the decision to grant Rajapaksa nominations on the UPFA ticket marked an important milestone in the campaign that began with the Nugegoda rally in February.

"This decision virtually guarantees the victory of the UPFA led by the SLFP at the forthcoming elections," Peiris told reporters at the news conference.

"We would like to thank the SLFP Leader Maithripala Sirisena for authorising the General Secretary to issue this statement," Peiris said.

The UPFA party leaders claimed that Sirisena had decided to extract himself from the Maithri-Ranil Government and go forward to create a Maithri-Mahinda Government in the future.

"Yes, President Sirisena has discarded the mandate he was given in January," UPFA MP and New Left Front Leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara told BBC Sinhala after the press briefing yesterday.

"We consider it a great victory now that he has got on board with our mandate," Nanayakkara chuckled.

The announcement follows a secret meeting held at Premajayantha's residence on Thursday night, attended by several Rajapaksa loyalists, including Basil Rajapaksa. Premajayantha claimed yesterday that the meeting had been a private one, and denied Basil Rajapaksa's presence, even though private television cameras stationed outside the UPFA General Secretary's home captured the former Minister being driven away.

Also at Thursday night's private meeting were MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena and former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamaege. Aluthgamage was ducking the cameras as he left the UPFA General Secretary's residence. Premajayantha reacted angrily to repeated questions about Basil Rajapaksa's presence at the meeting and threatened the journalist saying he would refuse to give the media organisation any further statements and restrict them to press briefings and press releases only.

Daily FT learns that the decision to grant the former President a nomination from the UPFA was precipitated by the fact that a majority of the constituent parties represented in the alliance's executive committee had endorsed the move.

The SLFP, led by President Sirisena and the JHU, which joined his campaign for the presidency in January, alone stood against granting the nomination at Thursday night's meeting of UPFA leaders at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting ended inconclusively on Thursday night, Nanayakkara said, after President Sirisena ruled out the possibility of giving Mahinda Rajapaksa a nomination. However, the President's change of heart yesterday, came amid speculation that at least two SLFP stawarts were tipped to join the Rajapaksa faction that day.

Government Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters last night that it had only been agreed to grant the former President a nomination, but he would not be declared the UPFA's prime ministerial candidate, or the leader of the electoral campaign.

Senaratne, Arjuna Ranatunga and other SLFP members who crossed over to support Sirisena's bid for the presidency in January have been pluntged into the centre of the crisis. As SLFP members who opposed the Rajapaksa re-election, the MPs will find it difficult to go back and face their electorates if the ex-President is also on the ticket. This group is in discussions to break from the UPFA and contest independently, Daily FT learns.

Maithri announces in Matara ‘I WILL NOT BETRAY 8 JANUARY SILENT REVOLUTION’

By Udeni Saman Kumara in Matara- 2015-07-05

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday pledged at Matara that he would uphold the people's victory, transformation and change achieved by him as the common candidate of the people on 8 January.

The President also declared that as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) the decisions and judgments he makes are being executed in a manner that protect the transformation which took place within the country on 8 January. He pledged not to betray the trust reposed on him by the people on that day.

The President made these observations at an event to launch the construction of the section of the Matara-Hambantota Expressway from Godagama, held at Godagama in Matara yesterday. Minister of Highways and Investment Promotion Kabir Hasheem, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera and Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake also participated on this occasion.

President Maithripala Sirisena also said that, "When talking about Expressways, there is a very lengthy history. Once, the commemorative plaque that was put up when this launch was carried out, was removed by another group and another plaque was fixed. As much as these expressways, I recall the construction of the Nelum Pokuna Theatre in Colombo when we placed a commemorative plaque under former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and launched construction. Later, it was removed and thrown out, and a new one was put up.

"How much should we, as politicians, act in agreement with our hearts when fulfilling people's requirements? Building a personality does not mean building an opinion that everything was done by yourself. What should happen within good governance with freedom and democracy is basically collectiveness and common things. I ensured the change and the transformation that the country needs which was obtained through the victory of the people when I contested as the common candidate on 8 January. The people of this country engaged in a revolution on 8 January. It was a silent revolution. I state very clearly that I will not allow anyone to turn back in anyway the purposes and objectives the people hoped for during that revolution.

"I am a person who has 49 years of experience in politics. I am not someone who entered politics all of a sudden. There is a Prime Minister and a Cabinet who work together with me and my experience today. As the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, certain decisions I make are mostly based on protecting the transformation that took place in the country on the 8th, and I say very clearly that it is the same when implementing those decisions.
"Therefore, I say clearly that, our priorities in development are being prepared according to the fundamental requirements of the people.
There are schools that do not have toilets and sanitary facilities yet. They do not have water. They do not have drinking water either.

"Today, the entire international community is providing us with assistance. We are a country which has had friendly relations with China for thousands of years. China is providing us with great support for this project of Expressways. When I work as the President I do not have any politics. I fulfil certain social requirements based on good governance."

President Maithripala Sirisena and some election issues

Dr A.C.Visvalingam, President of the Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance

July 4, 2015, 5:54 pm
Wide presidential powers, with immunity provisions, were built into the 1978 Constitution, which introduced the concept of an Executive Presidency. The misuse of these powers and provisions by incumbents has been strongly and unceasingly deplored by the Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance (CIMOGG) as well as many others. However, almost all protests, even those of the most bona fide provenance, were ignored by those who came to occupy the presidential office from time to time. Most unfortunately for Sri Lanka, President Mahinda Rajapaksa took several longer steps into the darkness than any of the others, culminating in his forcing the disastrous 18th Amendment (18A) through Parliament in September 2010 as an urgent bill whereas there was no pressing problem whatever that required an Amendment of this nature. The undesirable features of the 1978 Constitution were thus made much worse, making virtual slaves of all Sri Lankans solely for the benefit of the President, his relatives, friends, supporters and collaborators.

President Maithripala Sirisena and Some Election Issues by Thavam Ratna

Maithri has still not betrayed the voters ! has not signed the letter of consent for Mahinda’s nomination !

(Lanka-e-News- 03.July.2015, 11.55PM) President Maithripala as the leader of the UPFA and as leader of the SLFP which is the largest constituent party of the SLFP has not signed the letter that was supposedly sent to Mahinda Rajapakse that the UPFA has consented to Mahinda contesting as a candidate of the UPFA.

When it is announced , Mahinda has secured nomination under the UPFA , the aimless ‘slaves’ of his would have been jubilant , but such ecstatic delight was not visible because such a thing has not happened because of the signature issue. ‘Maithri will never give nominations to us .He is only sending us on a wild goose chase ’ , said Gotabaya who saw the letter.

Although such a letter was prepared this noon , and a group including UPFA General secretary Premajayantha met the president , the latter has not signed that letter.Only Premajayantha as the gen. secretary has signed it. The desperate Rajapakse group was handed over only such a letter .

Thereafter , Premajayanth’s efforts to issue a communique through the president’s media division that the president has nothing to do with the notifications in the name of the UPFA and in the name of Premajayantha was opposed by the president, according to reports.

May we recall that Lanka e news had in its earlier reports revealed that Susil Preamajayantha is now a menial ‘slave’ of Mahinda Rajapakse , since the latter has in his possession evidence with video tapes about the huge illicit earnings of Premajayantha via imports of inferior fuel adulterated with water when he was the Minister of petroleum .Following Mahinda’s threats to him that he would expose this racket , Premajayantha having no choice has become a permanent menial slave of Rajapakse. Consequently the UPFA secretarial position is under the thumb of the Rajapakses.

On the other hand , if the UPFA is to grant nomination to Mahinda ,the SLFP that is led by president Maithripala has decided to leave the UPFA, it is learnt .

The president Maithripala is holding discussions with the SLFP clean politicos who are with him with a view to discard the UPFA garbage bin of crooks , criminals and cronies like Wimal Weerawansa and Dinesh Gunawardena of the desperate drowning Rajapakses , with a view to allow the latter to take over the stinking bin of racists and criminals permanently , so that the SLFP can be clean after the purge .

No matter what , president Maithripala has decided not to betray the 62,00,000 voters who cast their votes on 8 th January to elect him as the president. Under no circumstances is he therefore going to let them down , and he has so far haven’t thought of such a betrayal ,a famous local politico well known for his integrity and purity who attended Maithripala ‘s first media briefing after meeting with the SLFP , revealed to Lanka e news.

---------------------------
by (2015-07-04 07:54:45)

Betrayed!

By S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole –July 4, 2015

Prof S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

I just read The Indian Express report by P.K. Balakrishnan dated 03rd July 2015, that President Maithri Sirisena has agreed to give SLFP/UPFA nomination to former President Mahintha Rajapaksa. I sensed things would turn out this way from Sirisena’s repeatedly telling us that he would not give Rajapaksa his party’s nomination, while keeping the subject open all the time until now. Uva Chief Minister Harin Fernando confirmed secret meetings between the President and Rajapaksa. Suspicions deepened when there were reports that Rajapaksa had been offered freedom from prosecution by the President if he agreed not to contest at the upcoming elections. Is that offer not the biggest betrayal of all those who voted for President Sirisena? Is this nomination by Sirisena not his asking us to vote for Rajapaksa? Is such asking not an endorsement of the murder and corruption under Rajapaksa? I am devastated.

Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne (who recently said this nomination would never happen) is reported by The Indian Express as giving the weak excuse that “The President has now agreed to allow Rajapaksa to contest the election as an ordinary candidate of the UPFA and not as its group leader or its Prime Ministerial candidate.” Enough of this nonsense. We have been lied to and continue to be lied to. At least grant us the intelligence to see through this, instead of adding insult to injury by taking us to be fools. If Rajapaksa wins from a safe seat with an SLFP majority in parliament, and his MPs elect him their leader, what will happen? Can Rajapaksa’s becoming Prime Minister be prevented in that confluence of horrible happenings? God forbid! We must guard against that in every way we can.Read More

Sri Lanka: On Rajapaksa’s Return

The chances of Sirisena and Wickremesinghe creating the anti-Mahtinda wave among the voters that helped them defeat Rajapaksa once again for the parliamentary election appear bleak. It seems to have lost vigour on two counts: so far investigations into allegations of corruption against the Rajapaksas have failed to unearth actionable evidence and the National Alliance government has accumulated its own baggage of corruption allegations.

by Col R Hariharan

( July 4, 2015, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) Former Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa announced that he would accept his loyal supporters demand to contest the forthcoming parliamentary election to be held on August 17.

Sri Lanka on Rajapaksa’s Return by Thavam Ratna

Don’t attack Maithri” – Mahinda orders

Saturday, 04 July 2015

“Please stop attacking Maithri. I will handle him. The honor should be given Susil Prem Jayanth. The latter without coming to Medamulana the other day went with Maithri to the temple and able to post pictures in the media. I will look after the rest” said the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa who visited the western chief minister Prasanna Ranathunga’s house yesterday 3rd addressing his mates.

Mahinda Rajapaksa has stressed “Maithri is not our main enemy. Our main enemy is the UNP. Now attack the UNP to its maximum. Put the COPE report, Treasury bond and the Diaspora discussion in front and ruin the UNP. As I appalled Maithri and got the nomination I will get the nominations to everybody. Now the UNP websites has already started to attack Maithri. At this time we should protect Maithri. I leant this hypothesis theory from R. Premadasa. Now I have able to put my head. I will do the rest. You all do how I say” cheerfully said the former president.

MR’s brinksmanship, MS’s compromise, RW’s consternation

UPFA nominations for MR turns the political scene upside down

UPFA becomes rallying point for anti-government vote

Sirisena loyalists feeling let down and mulling next move

Swan symbol may be the only hope to rally yahapalana vote

July 4, 2015, 6:55 pm

The announcement on Friday evening by UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayanth to the effect that President Maithripala Sirisena has agreed to grant nominations to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was greeted with anguish and fury by the yahapalana types. Much of the anger may stem from the suspicion that had been rankling in the minds of some following the secret meeting held between Sirisena and Rajapaksa just before Parliament was dissolved. In any event, after Rajapaksa announced from Medamulana on July 1 that he would be contesting the forthcoming election, President Sirisena was faced with two choices. He could either field Mahinda and ensure that the UPFA puts up a good showing or he could force MR to contest separately and risk falling to a poor third.

MR’s Brinksmanship, MS’s Compromise, RW’s Consternation by Thavam Ratna

The Bluff Is Called!

By R.A. Ratwatte –July 4, 2015

R.A.Ratwatte

All the drama about “will he won’t he” is now over. He will and he has, President Sirisena has been compelled to give nomination to Ex President Mahinda Rajapaksa from the UPFA (the coalition that has a majority in parliament) for the forthcoming general election.

Whilst a loud cry of AIYO SIRISENA ! Will be emanating from certain quarters, there could also be another “take” on this. Rajapaksa and his cohorts have been making loud noises about how they can win if given nomination. Now the bluff is called. Nomination is given and the voter of this Country will decide. That after all is what democracy is about isn’t it? It also reverts to an underlying principle or judgement on democracy that says “a Country will get the government or governance that it deserves”.

What seat will he contest? Will this lead to further dissatisfaction among the UPFA or SLFP ranks? It is presumed that Hambantota the major Bastian (in the eyes of the family) of Rajapaksa power will be contested by the Son. If not it could lead to a split in the family! Presumably a “safe” seat either Ratnapura or if Ego dictates Anuradhapura (neighbouring seat of the incumbent president) may be chosen. If so what about those who have worked those seats all their lives and in most cases murdered to retain them? These murderers and unprincipled rogues will have to be placated and more compromise and money will have to be exchanged. Meanwhile the populace will watch on!