Ajit Randeniya

As almost every political commentator that matters has noted, the final result of the 2010 general election did not contain many surprises. An observer without much familiarity with the majority of the personalities who contested, this writer was awaiting the results to witness further proof of the totally unshakable faith the Sri Lankan people have placed on President Mahinda Rajapakse as their leader, and their faith on his economic and foreign policies.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ President RajapaksaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s pledge to use the historically important ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”judgementƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of the people to usher in economic prosperity showed his own deep, reciprocal commitment to their cause. More importantly, he demonstrated great humility in the face of such flattering endorsement by the people. All Sri Lankans wish President Rajapakse luck, and extend their support in this all important mission.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What is remarkable about the UPFAƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s resounding election victory is that it was achieved in the face of never-ending accusations of nepotism, corruption, culture of impunity and other bogus charges trumped-up by the enemy: now the electorate has showed conclusively through the presidential and general election results that they do not consider the involvement of other members of the Rajapakse family in capacities they are suitably qualified to serve as ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”nepotismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. This point is further reinforced by their election of the presidentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s son Namal to parliament.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The post-election response of the opposition and their supporters such as the politically and socially irrelevant The Sunday Leader kele pattare shows that the corrosive jealousies of a politically bankrupt collective financed by foreign money, unified only by their hatred against the Rajapakse name, are unable to acknowledge this mature view of the electorate; they are happy to kneel down and worship, for example, the Bush family presiding over their sacred model of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”democracyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in the USA, while accusing President Rajapakse of nepotism.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Let them stew in their own broth while Sri Lanka marches towards economic development!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The election results bore out a few other revealing truths: one of the starkest is the divergent results between Colombo and the provinces, affirming President RajapakseƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s often-stated view of a dichotomy that exists between the wider Sri Lankan population that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”mattersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, and a section of the Colombo community made up of the petty, politically ignorant, colonial lackey-windbags.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In their blissful ignorance of the machinations of the world they live in, the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”cultural slavesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of Colombo try to ape their colonial masters to a tee, attempting to distinguish themselves with the use of a particular brand of English ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”CreoleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, and through other ridiculous rituals such as wearing a neck tie in the 35oC Colombo heat and infesting ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”recognisedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ drinking holes in the evenings for the mandatory ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”gin and tonicƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. They hero-worship the neocolonialists who parasitise their country like leeches; they are still slaves, without chains!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”otherƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ group constitutes the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”salt of the earthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ that is endowed with the instinct to discriminate between the core values of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”good and the badƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and to recognise a fraud when they see one! As the presidential and general election results have demonstrated, crucially, their political consciousness is not matched by the cultural slaves.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The views, interests and political judgement of these two groups are reflected in the results; a uniformly high UPFA vote of around 60 per cent of the total votes polled in 19 of the 22 electoral districts (announced) is contrasted by a relatively low 51 per cent in Colombo where even a fraud like Sarath Fonseka who is awaiting prosecution for stashing away ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”bags of US dollar notes from unknown sourcesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, could get elected due to the influence of this corrupt element.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ However, the election victory marks the beginning of the end of their ways! With the realistic possibility that the UPFA will secure a clear two-third majority by accommodating the disillusioned members of the UNP, the government is likely to be in a position to revamp the constitution as necessary to sever the yoke of colonial control, pulling the rug underneath these sad local victims of mental-colonisation.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The demise of the JVP and the so-called Democratic National Alliance (DNA) they led is welcome news indeed. Somawansa Amarasinghe can now start, together with Ranil Wickremesinghe, a new Perennial LoosersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Club (PLC) and ponder their respective futures, over a gin and tonic!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A careful look at individual victories and losses of some of the more prominent individuals confirms as to how judicious the peopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s verdict has been in each case: they have discriminated amongst the many sporting and entertainment industry personalities who vied for posts, allowing Arjuna Ranatunga by voters in an area where he had no base to spring from, while not offering the same level of generosity to some others. Arjuna can count himself lucky in that only the peopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sense of sympathy and gratitude that saved him from his foolery of falling prey to the Sarath Fonseka caravan.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Then we have the interesting cases of the (former) foreign minister Rohitha Boggollegama and Milinda Moragoda; the eviction of these two people show that the Sri Lankan voter, by and large, follow the political scene closely and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”readƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ the character of individual politicians like their bana potha before dishing out reward or penalty as they see fit.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While this writer is not in a position to comment about media references to Rohitha BogollagamsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s spending habits of public money, it must be noted that he was a personable and straight-talking foreign minister who stood toe-to-toe against pansies like David Miliband and Bernard Kouchner. However, the media attacks on his spending and events such as his letter to Vijay Nambiar requesting a personal favour would have obviously influenced peopleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s judgement which he heeds to respect. Aletter was poor judgement; a phone call would have been more effective as well as less incriminating!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The country is saved by the defeat of Milinda Moragoda: there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Moragoda has inherited his grand fatherƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cunning, and the penchant for unethical money making. He seems to be making a desperate effort to build the image of a progressive politician made in a different mould than the rest. However, he has too many financial skeletons in the cupboard, and his connections with Robert Blake needed expert handling by the president; Kumar Rupesinghe would have been one of the people who celebrated MilindaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s loss!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Speaking of loosers, reading Ranil WickremesingheƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”justificationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of the defeat this time around was painful. He attributes the defeat to the low turn out (at 55 per cent), even worse, he interprets it as a sign that the people have lost faith in the governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ability to hold a free and fair election: asked if he would step down, he said ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I will step down when I have to. This defeat is because of the very low turn out. It is because people did not have faith in the government. They believed that the election will not be freeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚; his father must be turning in the grave!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ People in Sri Lanka, including the traditional UNP voters seem to make it a point to go against Ranil Wickremesinghe at every possible instance; that is the only way to explain, in addition to the abysmal overall performance of the UNP, the defeat of his lieutenants in the south, Vajira Abeywardena in Galle and SagalaRatnayake in Matara, and the victory of some one ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”disfavouredƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ by him in Moneragala.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ RanilƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s justification, including its emptiness, provides the perfect sedgeway into the lamentations at the Sunday Leader; obviously, the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”kele pattareƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is finding the resounding Rajapakse victory hard to swallow, and the fine, um, journalists of Katukurunduwatta(?) appear to have gone in to a tailspin!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Starting with the editor Frederica Jansz who can compress the most words into the smallest idea better than any one I know, spends thousands of words to say that democracy in Sri Lanka is dead; democracy in Sri Lanka is beyond revival; and again, democracy is dead. All this the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”morning afterƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ an election!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ She says that the turn out for the 2010 general election is not enough to sustain democracyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”ebbing life forceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. The ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”truthƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ according to Jansz is that, regardless of the final results of this election, thugs, cronies and criminals will continue to rule the country. She sees just one choice for Sri Lankans, either demonstrate their loyalty, obedience and gratitude to the ruling family or risk detention, death or worse the utter irrelevance of powerlessness.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It will be too much to expect Frederica Jansz to know this: but in her dear, divine, model democracy, the US, the voter turnout rarely exceeds 60 per cent. Also, if she turns her ignorant mind to learning facts, she might find out that the key factor that is most likely to increase turnout is a close race; when the opinion polls showed a close finish between George W. Bush and John F. Kerry in the 2004 election, the turnout was close to 60 per cent. Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election on the other hand, featured the lowest voter turnout in the US since 1924 due to the voter belief that the result was predictable and one vote will not make a difference.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ So the Sri Lankan democracy is very much alive and her prognosis of the reasons for low voter turnout was also wrong. It was the predictability of the result together with the non-existence of a pressing reason for change of government that kept more voters away than usual by Sri Lankan standards.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Then the hate-filled resident mongoose (who, this writer is informed, used to be editor of a more respectable newspaper in a previous life) writes about a nightmare he has had, involving a New York restaurant (in his wet dreams of course!) and an army man. This nasty piece of work is probably dreading the possible consequences of the government finding out about his being on Robert BlakeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s pay roll, together with the dead journalist Taraki Sivaram.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When is this lot at the Sunday Leader going to give up? Are they so stupid as not to realise that attempts to project the hallucinations caused by their collective, deeply internalised mental disorder (of gangs running the country, persecution, lawlessness etc) have failed repeatedly to make a wave in Sri Lankan politics, and will never succeed in swaying public opinion in Sri Lanka?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Jansz ends her editorial announcing that she will be in mourning for a week; hope some one will tell her that thereƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s nothing that reincarnation wonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t cure!