MAHINDA RAJAPAKSE THE GREAT!
Posted on October 11th, 2009
By Dr M D P DISSANAYAKE
His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapakse has made history in Sri Lanka by over-powering the political base throughout the island in an manner unmatched ever before. Province after province has overwhelmingly endorsed his vision by handing an absolute majority to ensure that terrorism will never ever be allowed to grow in our historic land. The President has now set out a medium and long term program for large scale industrial and agricultural development.
The victories achieved by this government has thus far surprised even the most loyalists locally and internationally. Many enemies of Sri Lanka always expected and prayed for the President to make some ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-big mistakeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ so that they can capitalize on it. On the contrary, cool, calm and collected Leader of Sri Lanka has stamped his authority in a manner that has elevated his ranking amongst the world leaders. International leaders are now bend to listen to Sri Lankan President because he has ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-delivered the goodsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
Having followed the Rajapakse family from the days of Lakshman, George Rapakse eras with Mr Bandaranaike and Mr Phillip Gunawardene, the writer always thought that there will be some day for the legend Rajapakse to take over the running of the country. Mr Mahinda Rajapakse waiting on the wings for a long time, had to put up with so many agonizing political pains when he was sidelined by Chandrika. But MR always stood shoulder to shoulder with the public. Even when he was in government, MR was always welcomed by Trade Unions. If some one stage a hunger strike in Pettah under Bo-Tree, MR paid a courtesy call to satisfy the fasting person to end his agony.
He has the support of the entire family. There is nothing wrong in having Basil and Gotabhaya as his trusted lieutenants. In Singapore, Lee Kwang Yew controlled and managed the country within a close brand of family attachments. Today, it is Mr LeeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s son who is running the country as its Prime Minister.
There is no substitute for intelligence and commitment. The President should now hold Presidential Election early next year, but must refrain from taking oath as the President for the Second Term, until a date closer to the expiry of the current tenure. After the Presidential election, parliamentary elections could be held.
If parliamentary elections are held first( before the Presidential Election) and then UPFA winning an absolute majority in parliament, the President will be compelled to curtail the Jumbo Cabinet. That will generate many unhappy faces and those who loses portfolios may go against MR at the Presidential Election. There will be so many happy faces in the UNP if parliamentary elections are first, so that when several current Ministers lose their portfolios, they will be up against the MR.
So it is common sense, knowing our politicians, to have the Presidential Election first. Constitutional amendments must be made for a President to serve for move than two consecutive terms, with a simple majority in the parliament.
Sri Lanka needs Mr Mahinda Rajapakse as its President for at least another 15 years.
October 11th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Dear Editor, I wish to tell that this article does not represent everybody in the south. I am making this comment to honour someone who spent his whole life for the SLFP and specifically, inadvertently supporting to create the local power base for the current rulers from the south. I am also closely connected with people who risked their lives to keep this party alive when it reached its lowest point in 1980s under JR & RP rule. There was a time that it was hard for this party to find a place to hold a meeting even for their national leaders in our part of the world, where, they were accommodated by people close to me in our own private lands. I have seen many articles glorifying current leaders and hardly any adverse comments at least until now. Unfortunately, we are born in the south and are bound by certain values that go with our local culture and have strong reservations about this elite political group having seen their conduct in power at its zenith. We no longer support any political entity contributing to the continuity of this illegal English built regime that follows the same path as their colonial masters though we hear beautiful nationalistic, patriotic and other pleasantries saturating out minds. Sadly, we have the capacity to see their actions that hardly match their words to make any sense.
There is much credit owned and shared following the recent victory over terrorism, more preciously defeating barbaric Tamil invasion by migration, that was left to grow with direct appeasement for a long time until it became a threat to the very existence of this colonial outfit. The fact remains that it could have been nipped in the bud if we had a government that cared about the lives of our people. The recent armed conflict was essentially an internal threat to our existence propagated by our historic external enemies. Those young Sinhala children who faced these barbarians in the battlefield filed paid a heavy price to defeat these murderers who have committed so many heinous crimes to our people over several millennia. Though I hold back my words on the way they were made to achieve their victory just like many other recent historical achievements made by many other forces in other parts of the world, I must tell that many youngsters paid a extremely heavy price reaching almost one to one ratio that looks similar to the ratio during the war with Elara using swords.
Though I am not interested in profiling politicians, I should say that southerners do not appreciate use of national priorities to benefit families under any guises. Only other political group that had this distinctive conduct were Bandaranayakas. I wonder whether current leadership is doing what the previous group did over 50 years in a very short time. Everyone can understand the necessity of their presence as a necessary evil to counter Ranil & Co and the culturally rootless JVP that uses every despicable means to gain power for their own good at our expense. But I believe time has come to reject all these substitutes of colonialism to help our people gain their true independence.
We are not a small migrant colony like Singapore and comparison is a disgrace to our long history as the first civilisation of modern humanity. Neither we should allow any individual charting our common future, as there are many perils in such a process. The biggest mistake anyone could do is the becoming of the leader of our country, as failure will guarantee them eternal doom. Unfortunate it is the case because our ancient leaders were such powerful people, and I wonder why those who knowingly accept such positions while being fully aware that they cannot match them. A case in point is SWRD, English educated power hungry man, who misled Sinhala people and paid the ultimate price for that sin. I make this comment following my own observations on the achievements (in whatever sense) made by the current regime and am also fully aware of the final out come though not interested to mention here. Obviously, any leader in power has time to do what is right and hope that they would learn to do what is right or let who does it right to show the way instead of trying to dupe our people. My advice for them is not to try to deceive Sinhala people under any guises, unless they seek doom. Neither, we like sharing life with our worst enemies for that matter.
October 11th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
The author of this article is absolutely right in everything he says here. If this victory does not represent the view in the South, what does. This country finally has been blessed with a proper leader, who is a god sent. Just imagine if Ranil became the president in our beautiful country. I am a Tamil by birth and like most other tamils wish HE Mr Rajapakse and his party rules our beautiful country and also lead the rest of South Asia in dealing with our former white masters. What amazes me is how UNP got even these few seats. Some people are not grateful. Are they.