TO A MAHINDA-RANIL ALLIANCE
Posted on November 28th, 2014
By Gomin Dayasri
My buddy Joe J is a born UNPUer but knows no politics and cares less for it. Honest Joe stands for the country and for his party but is no card-carrying party member. His deceased parents voted UNP and Joe J carries the family tradition of belonging to the ancestral UNP. He stayed at home when Fonseka contested. UNP has not benefited from him or he from the party. Peoples’ affiliation to politics is often personal and for reasons inane.
Joe J cannot comprehend UNP successively forfeiting the candidature for Presidency and still wanting to be considered the credible alternate to the government in power. Joe J wants his party to hold the reins tightly at the prime election; though he does sweet nothing towards it. Giving way to General Fonseka was incomprehensible but admits there was a method in the madness. Fonseka was a war hero and the election was held shortly after the war that made him look a winnable candidate, at least, on paper. Five years have passed and much water has flowed. Alas, still UNP has no candidate to offer? Not good enough, Sir.
Does it mean UNP has no trust in its leader’s capability to offer a challenge? If so, why keep him as the head for mere ornamental purpose? Or is the Head so selfless as to become a modern day Sirisangabo after being yorked by Chandrika’s no ball to yield his place to another? Is the party cupboard so bare to find another in the UNP for grooming for candidature? Does the UNP appoint a leader to anoint another to substitute for him as the candidate and watch the run of play from the sidelines? The supporters club is called to follow suit. No discretion is offered- party hierarchy knows what is the best for its supporters! Take it from me – I am no supporter of the UNP but let my friends in the UNP be notified – UNP does not know its true potential and sadly carries the mind- set of an eternal loser.
Poor Sirisena who or what is he? Has to carry a Formidable Mom on his back: no easy weight to bear for long. Indeed a dead weight for some. Her record as President does little to enhance her pretender’s right to the crown. Is the UNP caught in an intricate web netted by Chandrika? Read the constitution – exalted position of an Executive Presidency cannot be dismantled without a 2/3 majority. For sure none can reach the magic figure of a 2/3 majority. Learn to live with it and expunge the harmful effects. Can weave fairy tales around the dismantling process till constitutional law takes over of not having a 2/3 majority. Place a Full Stop at that point.
Holder of the office of President is the keeper of the title till his term runs its full distance. If the people elect Sirisena to Presidency, to expect him to defang himself of the powers of an executive president, when the constitution does not permit him without a 2/3 majority, with a protective mom in the background waiting to regain her lost glory, is to read another script with another plot. Don’t trust politicians of any kind, having suffered long in believing in their promises. Only a gullible politician will believe another of his tribe as they outsmart each other to gain extra ground. If you are a true green supporter ask yourself a simple question. Whom do you tend to trust more -Ranil by himself or Sirisena with or without Chandrika?
Question in the minds of many in the UNP, like my chum Joe J, is whether it is worth getting back to the Chandrika era just because the UNP chickened out of the contest? If Sirisena becomes President, Chandrika is not going back to her rocking chair to knit a shawl. Another six full years of an era that had once placed the growth rate in the negative and pleaded innocence with the judicial pronouncements show scams in plenty? Scams and scandals are no less now yet we won the war and peace prevails and the country is on the growth avenue but at high costs. Still Chandrika deserves one last hurrah – she shook the Rajapakse administration to a pitch that it need do much serious rethinking on things they do and the people with whom they do such things. This is possibly their last chance to reform themselves.
People vote to safeguard their interest rather than for the most promising candidate. They vote for what is best for them. Voters are not a bunch of idiots having exercised the franchise for over 50 years in an electorate that is truly literate. People are being afforded a limited choice with UNP deciding to sit out; exclusivity is granted to the RAS and RBS teams of the Darley Road Daredevils. In this confused state people may be prefer to opt for the known devil with the UNP languishing in the rest room. UNP has blasted out the enthusiasm that is normally generated at a Presidential election – making it an anti climax with a listed home and home fixture. We are in for a dark Christmas.
Ranil is not everybody ‘s sweet heart, does not molly coddle babies on the streets or is the public relations dream man that thrust his body to waiting crowds or sweet talk his way out of a muddle but he is clean and clever. Place Ranil or Premadasa or Karu alongside a Sirisena with Chandrika looming large in the background with her motely crowd of walkaways from the UPFA. Whom do you prefer if you vote UNP? If you wish to rid of an undesirable, do you invite another to your home to chase him out?
A Presidential Candidate has to be groomed long for battle. A candidate cannot be picked overnight and thrust upon the people and expect to be elected by the people to lead the nation when his prime qualification is that he walked out of a party in its final hour from which he has benefitted immensely over the years. Its grossly unfair by the man selected because he is enjoying a moment of glory without comprehending the consequences that is lying before him, which is probably beyond his mindset to figure it out, in the best of times.
It’s a life and death matter for a nation and requires serious reflection by political parties that makes the decision – not a decision to be made in a moment of madness; too costly a mistake for a country to bear. Country needs a candidate from a prime political party that penetrates the length and breath of the country to provide the muscle to run a presidential campaign with enthusiasm flowing from party rankers in carrying the candidate to the winner’s podium gleefully. It requires a war chest –not money offered on a platter by angry countries. Candidate cannot be a no man’s child. Many came to see and hear the General who led the country to a war victory but did not care to walk to the booth to vote for him. Electing a President is not like picking a kussiamma or a kokiya to manage the affairs of the kitchen.
A wake up call is insufficient for the UNP. The clock has stopped ticking and alarm bells are not sufficiently alarming for a party that is in need of shock treatment. UNP needs buckets of icy cold water doused to rouse it from deep slumber. In its outer periphery lies plenty of untapped talent not found in the inner chamber. Said it before but need to say it again –the grand old party – firstly must be UNITED: secondly is not genuinely NATIONAL: and thirdly carries on merely as another name board political PARTY.
UNP has a second shy –the general election that will follow the presidential election. No party may get a sufficient majority to elect a government. That is the chasm through which the TNA will try to tunnel its way through the monolithic force they possess in the North as against a divided multiple structured southern political framework to destabilise country through its brand of divisive ethnicity. It is from the TNA that Tamils must be saved for a nation building operation. Their intention and purpose is to create a rift between Sinhala-Tamil people and gain a political vantage. Minorities will gain more confidence if there is an UPFA-UNP combine with Mahinda as the President and UNP nominating the Prime Minister.
The most effective counter would be a Mahinda-Ranil combine governing the country making the necessary constitutional amendments with a 2/3 majority and handing the UNP the disturbed portfolios of Foreign Affairs and Finance and retaining Defense and Urban & Rural Development with the UPFA that did the country proud. It needs to await the end of the presidential election. It could be done in the life – time of the present parliament or the next emerging after the elections.
There is a catch-22 situation that needs the helping hand of Chandrika to assist in flushing out the overweight UPFA of its ungainly girth. She is in the process of making the SLFP leaner and should be encouraged to continue with the operation taking away especially those who are likely to be ousted by the people at the forthcoming election. She has carried too few so far.
Blame the judiciary for making it possible for Members of Parliament to cross over and enjoy benefits that is prohibited by the Constitution. Who presided over the judiciary during that period when most of these crossovers took place and exhausted the UNP of its elected representatives? Justice has often created a miscarriage of justice when judges try to tinker with the constitution by placing interpretations where the bottom line is playing politics with wig and a gown and gives dead ropes and then run away.
Await for but don’t get caught out on the next dead rope offered.
November 27th, 2014 at 6:06 am
It’s shame for a party like UNP not to have a person to challenge the current President. Great leaders in the past will rise up from their graves and cry when they see or heard that no one is available in the party to contest an election. UNPer’s should be ashamed to keep a person like Ranil as their head. If he cannot except a fight he should go home and retire. He don’t do that because he will lose all the benefits he gets now. He is only worried of himself not about anybody or anything. Most shameless leader I have ever see in politics.
As long as he gets his share of green bucks from his foreign Masters he will enjoy. If he dies he will get the same treatment like Premadasa.People will not cry but celebrate. Die hard UNPer’s must get rid of this guy without a delay and find a true leader to lead this respected political party who had great leaders like DS,DUDLEY,SIR JOHN.etc.
Give a fight and lose like a Gentleman without putting forward amateurs from outside world.Shame for UNP.
November 27th, 2014 at 6:18 am
“The most effective counter would be a Mahinda-Ranil combine governing the country making the necessary constitutional amendments with a 2/3 majority and handing the UNP the disturbed portfolios of Foreign Affairs and Finance and retaining Defense and Urban & Rural Development with the UPFA that did the country proud. It needs to await the end of the presidential election. It could be done in the life – time of the present parliament or the next emerging after the elections.”
IF MR can tie up with RW, why not MS?
NO ONE can challenge the PATRIOTIC credentials of Gomin who saved SL many times. Well said Gomin.
Constitutional changes are ESSENTIAL NOW. Come on MR. Just do it and win the votes. Lets NOT drag this any longer. It is bad for us all. JUST SCRAP 13 amendment and/or SCRAP EP so parliament can handle 13 amendment.
November 27th, 2014 at 6:20 am
Actually MR does NOT need even RW.
IF MR scraps 13 amendment, he can win the election WITHOUT ANY election campaign.
November 27th, 2014 at 6:27 am
Rajapaksa vs. Raja Passa. Hope Sirisena did not have to handle that part. Gomin I agree with you that we need to unite the Sinhalese. Indians managed to divide the Sinhala unity in 1951 by using SWRD. Chandrika is his daughter until Sirisena loose.
November 27th, 2014 at 7:16 am
ISNT THIS WHOLE THING ILLEGAL, WHAT MY 3 IS TRYING TO DO ? HOW CAN HE LEAVE THE SLFP AS GENERAL SECRTARY, CROSS OVER, AND IF HE WINS, (SO HE THINKS) HE WILL APPOINT THE OPPOSITION LEADER WHO HAS ELECTIONS FOR 29 TIMES, AS EXECUTIVE PRIME MINISTER. FROM WHERE DOES HE GET ALL THESE POWERS ? ISNT THER ANYTHING IN THE CONSTITUTION THAT PREVENTS SUCH A DEBACLE ? NONE OF THE PEOPLE IN SRI LANKA HAS GIVEN THEIR VOTE SO FAR FOR RUNIL TO SIT ON THAT SEAT> SO MY 3 APPOINTING A PAMBAYA< IS IT ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE. THE SUPREM COURT SHOULD STUDY THIS SCENARIO AND AND ISSUE A RESTRAINING ORDER TO STOP THIS ILLEGAL TRANSFER OF POWER
ELSE A CITIZEN SHOULD IMMEDIATELY GO TO COURT AND GET THE COURT TO ISSUE AN ORDER THAT SUCH TRANSFERREING OF POWRES ARBTRALILY THIS IS A POSSIBILTY.
LEGAL LUMINARIES PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS THIS ILLEGAL HORSE TRADING AND STOP LEGALLY
THIS IS NOT LIKE BUYING AN ICE CREAM AND GIVING IT TO A THUG WHO INSISTS ON HAVING IT. PLEASE HELP.
November 27th, 2014 at 7:18 am
Correction:- WHO HAS LOST ELECTIONS FOR 29 TIMES.
November 27th, 2014 at 8:40 am
The entire mechanics of My 3 handing power to that born loser imbecile Runil, is tantamount to MY3 giving the powers to Somawansa, Sarath Kumar, Fonseka, Sambanthan, Vigneswaran etc. Is this LEGAL and can it be done ? Is there anything in the Constitution to stop this kind of Horse Trading ? There should be. This problem should be immediately taken to Court, and an OPINION sought. RUNIL has Absolutely no mandate from the people to govern the Country right now. So how can he piggy back on a scoundrel from the SLFP ? to fraudulently take the reigns of government of Sri Lanka. To me, this whole thing is a circus of a set of imbecile clowns. RANIL has no right to get power transferred from a winning candidate, whether Presidential, Or Prime Ministers Office. It will be trickery, mockery of the Peoples Rights, and is totally fraudulent.LANKA WEB COMMENTORS PLEASE EXPRESS YOUR OPINION. Am I right or wrong ?
Iam appealing again to the Legal luminaries to seriously look into this. Thanks.
November 27th, 2014 at 9:06 am
Totally CRAZY article! No way MR hooks up with Ranil, and it is unthinkable of giving Foreign Affairs and Finance to the UNP as this would essentially hand over Sri Lanka to the West.
The more likely scenario is MS loses big time – doing even worse than Fonseka – and the voters reward the SLFP in the general election with an even larger majority, making the UNP irrelevant.
This idea that Ranil has more power than his voter base because of his alliance with the West needs to be totally debunked, as the vast majority of Sri Lanka voters will not respect or vote for anyone who is a servant of the West as the leader of Sri Lanka.
In fact, I see the MS gambit as Ranil’s LAST GASP, in that another loss will push him completely off the political stage like his pal Chandrika.
November 27th, 2014 at 1:05 pm
“We Offered So Many Chances To Rajapaksa, Our Doors Are Now Closed: JHU”
True.
I don’t think ANY patriot would DISAGREE. This is what MOST people say too.
November 27th, 2014 at 3:41 pm
Palwatte Gamaralage Maithripala Yapa Sirisena is rather UNIQUE in that no other politician has hitherto been as VALUABLE as he is to BOTH SIDES of an upcoming Election!
Consider:
1. He is valuable to the Opposition because this stupid but brave man single-handedly rescued the Opposition from the SHEER EMBARASSMENT of not being able to locate a “Common Candidate” on their own.
2. He is valuable to the Government because his ABSURD POLICY of abolishing the EP in 100 days is the best ADVERTISEMENT for RE-ELECTING for President Mahinda Rajapaksa by a LANDSLIDE! It will SINK the Opposition.
His policy statement is CLEARLY ABSURD because,
1. It cannot be done without 2/3 majority in Parliament,
2. It would hand over power through the backdoor to Ranil, the UNP and the TNA who would promptly begin dismantling the nation, and
3. It would end in delivering our War-Winning Leaders and War-Heroes, securely bound hand and foot, to the Western Powers for prosecution on War Crimes. This, the People of Sri Lanka would NEVER allow.
Therefore, NEITHER the Opposition, NOR the GOVERNMENT would discourage this very valuable, but uncommonly stupid “Common Candidate”. He is their GREATEST POLITICAL ASSET at this time!
Why would ANYONE want to discourage such a COMIC, but USEFUL BUNGLER! People are having fits laughing their sides out at this buffoonery! This guy has a BRILLIANT FUTURE as a STANDUP COMIC on stage!
November 27th, 2014 at 5:13 pm
What did SWRD do to the wellbeing of the Sinhalese, Muslims, Burghers and Malays? Indians prospered. Rajaratnams, Maharajas, Vaithiyalingams, Gnanams, Heptullas, Jafferjees, Lalaboys, Hidramanis, Captains, Shewakrams, Pages, ……list goes on. Look at who controls the economy of the nation and who runs it to see who control us.
November 28th, 2014 at 5:55 pm
Ananda-USA,
“Palwatta Gamaralage ……….”
What is in a name?. I understand even the writer of this article was Gomin Dias. So, what is your problem of a long name. We carry our legacy. One batch mate of mine in Peradeniya Uni had a very long name and he had almost half the english alphabet for his initials and we called him alphabet Silva. To this day he is known and called as Alfie.
You may also be trying to ridicule the common candidate as being a gamarala. I think that is a qualification for himself. I hope you have read the book written by Robert Knox. He wrote about the good qualities of Sinhala rural people and I think one of those is that when the gamarala’s mud is washed off he is fit to be a king. Where in the world this sort of thing is possible. What is important is the culture imbibed in you and your intelligence. I have seen MS speak lately and I am convinced that he can grasp any situation and do it quite convincingly.
I recently had to fill the immigration form of a Bangladeshi in Kuala Lumpur airport as he could not read or write English. Believe me he had only four letters for his whole name and he entered the country where he was traveling to behind me without any problem. I know almost all Sinhalese have very long names, but they manage without much problem out there in the world protcting their legacy.
November 28th, 2014 at 6:14 pm
I HAVE PREDICTED THAT MS IS TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ILLEGAL. HE CANNOT DO WHAT HE INVISAGES. GL AND LAWYERS CONCUR.