The force is still with Mahinda Rajapakse
Posted on January 12th, 2015

H. L. D. Mahindapala

When J. R. Jayewardene went back to Braemar” at Ward Place, his private residence, after leaving the Presidency, he noted ruefully in his memoirs that there was hardly anybody to meet him the next day. Chandrika Kumaratunga too complained that there was no one to put even a spoonful of sugar in her cup of  tea once she fell from grace and returned to Horogolla, her ancestral home. Of course, this ”King Lear” syndrome has been enacted in every corner of the earth and it  is not peculiar to Sri Lankan leaders.  Power attracts mostly the undesirables whose sole objective is to exploit the system for their narrow gains. They swiftly change loyalties and move over to the next power-holder abandoning their former patron.

 But there is a remarkable exception seen in the case of Mahinda Rajapakse. The stretch of Galle Road running from Matara to Kataragama is chock-a-block in Tangalle, holding  up traffic all the way to his Carlton” residence. Buses from all corners of the Sinhala-dominated electorates are parked around the area, with thousands pouring out to mob the place demanding the return of Mahinda Rajapakse.  Police and Mahinda Rajapakse are both having trouble controlling the crowds. It has become a kind of a political pilgrimage to pay respects to a leader who had served them in their worst hour of need. Visitors from Colombo are taken aback when they encounter the crowds mobbing  the place.

 Once Mahinda Rajapakse was heard telling the crowds to clear the road to ease the passage for those going to Kataragama. But the people milling round him hardly took any notice. When he urges people not to cry saying that this is not the time to cry they cry some  more. The adulation for the defeated President is unprecedented. Ministers of his Cabinet and other well-known  faces manage to squeeze their way into Carlton”. But the lesser known faces find it difficult to go  in as the  Police check them and  refuse to let them in unless the word comes from  inside.

 This mass reaction has never been sighted in any post-election scenario ever before. At least not to my knowledge. This signifies some notable political features in the  post-election phase. First, it reveals the extent to which Mahinda Rajapakse has won the hearts and minds of the grateful Sinhala electorate. Second, it means that he is living formidable force in politics unlike Chandrika Bandaranaike, or Ranil Wickremesinghe who were written off as has-beens with no dynamic charisma to come back on their own steam. Third, he is still in command of a sizeable political bloc within the Parliament  with around 130 MPs on his side as of now. His weight still has some clout. If the promised glory of 100 days” is to reach fruition the votes at his command will be  critical.

 Furthermore, even his worst detractors concede that his image is now embedded deeply in the psyche of the Sinhala electorate. The buses that are parked near Carlton” have come from remote villages. The peasantry, whose standards of living have risen – just not by the construction of roads etc – feel that they are instinctively indebted to him for restoring their lost heritage. They can identify with his Mahinda Chintanaya” more than any other ideology imported from the West. They have bonded with their leaders as no other leader had done  before.

 He has transformed the village on a scale larger than the Gam Peraliya” of Martin Wickremesinghe. He pulled Sri Lanka  out of the past into the modernity of the 21st century. His successors, whatever route they take, can succeed only if they pursue the path of developing from where he has left off, whether  in politics, economics, inter-ethnic relations. and, of course, foreign relations. He  has laid down a solid base for the future and any attempt  to reverse the  history he leaves behind will have to pay a heavy price.

 Even his opponent, Maithripala Sirsena, in the last stages of the campaign, came more closer to him than he intended initially when he broke away from the Rajapakse-wing of the SLFP. Under pressure from attacks of the government Sirisena was reaffirming Mahinda Rajapakse political culture than the hyped up issues of constitutional changes. Despite the reduction in numbers at the election the fact Mahinda Rajapakse retained  his grip on the Sinhala electorates guarantees that he is still a dynamic force which can rise and gather momentum against the forces that defeated him.

 His peaceful and graceful going away was clearly a reaffirmation of the democratic culture which is now ingrained in the Sri Lankan political culture. His reign, as a whole, can be considered as a monumental example of the commitment of the nation to democratic principles. Though fears were raised about the drift towards authoritarianism – it has been there ever since Mrs. Bandaranaike took office, particularly with the Marxists in her bandwagon – it is inconceivable that Sri Lanka will ever tolerate a dictatorship. Sri Lanka took to democracy like the way duck takes to water since 1931 with the introduction of universal franchise. Neither right-wing  military coups nor left-wing uprisings has  been successful in derailing democracy. Jayadeva Uyangoda, a political pundit of the Colombo University, aired the opinion that Mahinda Rajapakse’s graceful exit is a triumphant affirmation of democracy. That is true though it has  become a routine practice now. The  greatest signifier of deep-rooted democracy, however, is in the historic fact that Sri Lanka fought a 33-year-old war against the deadliest terrorists of the world” within a democratic  framework. 

 If Sri Lanka could come through such destabilizing upheavals with democracy intact then it is nothing but fear-mongering to raise cries of dictatorships at the  first sign of strengthening legislation to meet exigencies of  the time. Dr. N. M. Perera, a leading constitutional authority, was the first to raise the fears of a dictatorship rising through the De Gaullian constitution introduced by J. R. Jayewardene. But it has retained its essential democratic  character despite various attempts to consolidate the powers of the Executive President. This can be attributed to the vigilance of the people who jealously guard their rights and privileges. In  fact, in an early assessment of the Sri Lankan political culture,  Prof. A. J. Wilson argued that the success of democracy in Sri Lanka is due to the spirit of tolerance in Buddhism. The emphasis on the factors that protect, preserve and promote democracy may differ. What is undeniable is that there is an in-built institutional and people-based mechanism embedded in the political culture to preserve and protect democracy. That is one of the remarkable and commendable characteristic of the Sri Lankan political history.

 Our restless experiments with a variety of constitutions alone indicate our commitment to preserve democracy through the best tried and  tested institutional/constitutional structures. Besides, the critically defining factor of any democracy is in handing over power non-violently. If democracy is the triumph of the popular will of the people then it can  be  assessed, established and enshrined only through the non-violent process of electing the alternative  government with the consent of the people. A violent imposition of  state power runs against the popular will of the people. It is also possible for a fascist  dictatorship to emerge from the popular vote as in the case of Hitler’s Germany. But it ceases to be a democracy the  moment it take away the right of  the  people to seek an alternative through the non-violent process expressed in the secret ballot. Democratic institutions, conventions and practices are in place to protect  the critical fundamental of transferring power non-violently. Politics is all about power and if the mechanism to hand over power to the  electoral victors is denied then that marks the beginning of the end of democracy. 

 The accusations made against Mahinda Rajapakse of being authoritarian loses its credibility once he held one of the most peaceful elections for the people to express their will. It was further confirmed when he accepted the will of the people and handed  over power non-violently. Bowing to the will of the people is not the conduct of dictator. Besides, there isn’t a single democratic state that has not resorted to authoritarian rule at one or the time in their history. But the ultimate test of a democracy finds its intrinsic value only if  the state retains its norms to test the  will of the people through a legitimate election. Mahinda Rajapakse passed the test with flying colours. Those who do not accept this can visit Carlton” and witness how  democracy works the Sri Lankan way.

13 Responses to “The force is still with Mahinda Rajapakse”

  1. asoka2468 Says:

    Talk is cheap. Sirisena promised now has to deliver. All I hope and pray is that he would not be a weak leader without a back bone who will let the country go back to the dark ages again. All this talk about the country does not need a king is crazy. YES WE NEED A STRONG LEADER. I am sorry to say this but if you don’t have the guts to tell your boss that you are leaving the party to contest against him in the election you are not a leader. I have never seen Mahinda do such a behind a back thing to anyone. Sirisena has no personality nor guts. My prediction is that he will be worse than that fool Ranil.

  2. Nanda Says:

    Before jumping to conclusion we should await the investigations into aftermath of the elections , how power transfer actually happened.
    Any intelligent person will questions why Ranil went to see him and why he could not call My3 and simply congratulate him like it happens in a very humble way in other countries. Why this big drama for a simple election among human beings , one may question silently.

  3. NeelaMahaYoda Says:

    For information of all who talk about investigation into aftermath of the election here is what Ranil’s paper says;

    It was only Mangala Samaraweera’s imagination running riots with strange and sensational thoughts. It is obvious that nobody in this world who can plot a coup to takeover power in 5 hours. Perhaps this guy must have been watching so many Hollywood thrillers last few years when he was not in power and hasn’t got anything to do.
    Here is the true story

    Ranil works out power transition

    Brave officials in Elections Department and security forces ensure a free and fair poll.

    Millions of Sri Lankans learnt only by late Friday morning that the major thrust by Opposition political parties brought an end to the near ten year rule of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

    As the counting began in centres countrywide after polls ended on Thursday, families and friends sat around their television sets for the results. There was fear in the minds of most. Only a day earlier, in the main cities, shops and supermarkets were crowded by people panic buying stocks of food to cope with a possible post-poll curfew on Friday, marred by violent incidents. There was no cause for such a move. The reason – there were brave men in the security forces, the judiciary, the Department of Elections and other establishments — who literally placed their lives on the line of fire to make a free poll possible.

    Yet, the week was fraught with fear among those who wanted a change for Sri Lanka — the leaders who formed the National Democratic Front (NDF). Barely a day passed without reports, some credible, that smaller but powerful sections in the military were plotting to resort to unlawful methods with their likeminded political bosses for whom force superseded any respect for the rule of law. In one instance, legal advice was sought on whether the announcement of results could be suspended to pave the way for Rajapaksa to continue to remain in office. At least two ministers were strongly opposed to the move. “We were on the fringe of a pre-poll coup of sorts,” said a leading attorney who was concerned over what was going on.

    If most Sri Lankans were unaware of all this, they were still conscious that Thursday’s presidential poll came amid one of the most acrimonious and vicious campaigns by state-run media. For them, all the Opposition leaders were “traitors.” “rapists” or simply “crooks.”

    That included Maithripala Sirisena, now the sixth Executive President of the Republic of Sri Lanka. If Rajapaksa, who assumed the presidency in 2005, promised the nation a new media culture, nearly ten years later, this is what it had spawned. That is amid a frightening fear psychosis where media practitioners also became censors of what they wrote. Those considered sacrosanct because of the unbridled power they wielded could not be subjected to any criticism for fear of reprisals. The issue was serious enough for President Sirisena to tell the nation, in his very first address from Independence Square after taking his oaths on Friday, that he faced the worst form of character assassination from the state media.

    That the lapdogs and their laptops (or i-Pads) were used to paint anyone with a dissenting view black became a culture. Even daily special radio programmes indulged in this despicable propaganda. Worse enough, on polls day the national broadcaster Rupavahini gave so-called breaking news that UNP deputy leader Sajith Premadasa had joined the UPFA Government. A courageous Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, who withstood many a pressure and earned the ire of some UPFA top leaders, drove up to Rupavahini offices to warn that he would order the shut down of the transmissions. Within two hours, a correction issued by Mr. Premadasa was read out and an apology made by Rupavahini. After noon on Friday the same SLRC was singing all the virtues of President Sirisena.

    It is against this backdrop that a string of events which many Sri Lankans are unaware played out. The most stirring chapter was when the official results were being announced. The UPFA leaders had their own ‘Operations Room’ at Temple Trees to monitor results. Similarly, there was one at Siri Kotha, the headquarters of the United National Party (UNP), the main partner in the National Democratic Front (NDF) coalition. Their respective agents were among those at the Counting Centres. They gave regular calls on their mobile telephones to their respective ops rooms about the voting trends. Hours ahead of dawn on Friday, it became clear that President Rajapaksa was going to lose. The agents reported that the vote counts of Rajapaksa could not match that of Sirisena.

    It was around 4.30 a.m. Friday when President Rajapaksa, who until hours earlier was the most powerful man in Sri Lanka, telephoned UNP National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. When he began to speak, Wickremesinghe said it would be better if he drove to Temple Trees and met Rajapaksa personally. The UNP leader informed Sirisena and other NDF leaders and drove there. Security men opened the gates and he had reached the inner sanctorum after driving past three different barriers. A sight that surprised Wickremesinghe was the presence in Temple Trees of Chief Justice 44 Mohan Peiris, that too before the crack of dawn when polls results were still coming.

    There, a discussion ensued. Talking to Wickremesinghe was Rajapaksa, Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The former President, according to a UPFA source, alleged that his predecessor, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, now a key player in the NDF had made some reportedly serious remarks at a cocktail party hosted by a Colombo based diplomatic mission. She had, he claimed, said that Rajapaksa and his brothers would soon be placed under arrest because they had allegedly detailed troops from a ‘favourite regiment’ of a defence official to carry out “illegal tasks.” Kumaratunga was to later deny the purported accusations when she discussed the issue with NDF leaders.

    This is where Wickremesinghe, who has long maintained a working dialogue with Rajapaksa and more so in the past weeks over election related matters, turned a Henry Kissinger of sorts. He said he could on behalf of the NDF assure “full protection to Rajapaksa and members of his family” if they would help in a smooth transition of power where Sirisena could take over. Talks led to the evolving of a formula. Security measures, including President Rajapaksa’s present personal protection details which he had sought would be allowed to remain. In addition, a protection unit will also be assigned to Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. President Rajapaksa asked for the use of ‘Acland House’, the stage guest house located opposite JAIC Hilton at Kompannavidiya, as his official residence, in accordance with the Constitution. He said that ‘Acland House’ had an outer perimeter that would ensure his security. He told Wickremesinghe he gave political leadership for the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and had therefore remained an important target since then.

    The other topic of discussion was about former General Sarath Fonseka, the man who led troops to victory. President Rajapaksa wanted to ensure that Fonseka was not allowed in any way to harass him, his family, particularly brother Gotabaya. This was amidst Fonseka’s own agreement with NDF leader Sirisena that he would be restored all his ranks and other perks, withdrawn by Rajapaksa (as Minister of Defence), promoted as Field Marshal and his request that he be made at least the Deputy Minister of Defence. Constitutionally, the President must be the defence Minister according to an earlier interpretation of the Constitution by the Sarath Silva Supreme Court.

    This indeed is a tragic irony. The pre-dawn discussion at Temple Trees centred on the one time Commander of the Army, who Rajapaksa described as the “best in the world” after the Tiger guerrillas were militarily defeated. Until then, the Rajapaksa administration including Defence Secretary Gotabaya stoutly defended accusations against Fonseka over alleged ‘illegal’ actions outside his official responsibilities. Now, the Rajapaksas were seeking protection from their own one time Army Commander, the man whom they promoted and encouraged -and then stripped of his rank, medals and honour. Wickremesinghe was to defend Fonseka and assure President Rajapaksa that there need be no fear since that would not happen. Wickremesinghe also said that it was President Rajapaksa who had invited Pope Francis to visit Sri Lanka. Moreover, the first lady Shiranthi was a Catholic. Therefore, he said, he should receive the Holy Father when he arrives on Tuesday.

    The meeting took place in the conference area that adjoins the main ‘Temple Trees’ building. As he was leaving following the discussions on the transition of power, and Wickremesinghe had got into his car, he received a telephone call on his mobile phone. President Rajapaksa was walking across the pathway to the main building after seeing Wickremesinghe off. Wickremesinghe then alighted from his parked car and beckoned to Rajapaksa. It was Sirisena on the line.
    Wickremesinghe gave his mobile phone to Rajapaksa. He had told Sirisena about Rajapaksa’s request for the use of ‘Acland House’. Sirisena explained to Rajapaksa that his request for the use of ‘Acland House’ for his residence in Colombo could not be granted. He said that building was required for other purposes. Hence, a suitable bungalow would be found for his use.

    President Rajapaksa decided to put down his requests in writing. One was to continue to retain 11 Sri Lanka Navy drivers for use by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was catching up on his sleep on Friday afternoon at his official residence at Bauddhaloka Mawatha when websites claimed he had fled the country. This letter was addressed to the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development and dated January 9 though a person had not been named to that office.

    It was announced yesterday that B.M.U.D.Basnayake, will be the new Defence Secretary. He was earlier Secretary to the Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energy.

    It has been signed by a Colonel R.M. Ranasinghe. In addition the personnel of the President’s Guard have been retained by President Rajapaksa while his brother Gotabaya continues to have a detail from the Commando Regiment of the Army.

    President Rajapaksa also sent in a letter requesting that two helicopters be made available for him on Friday (January 9) at 1.30 p.m. to fly to his private residence at Tangalle. Wickremesinghe contacted the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) which placed two Russian built Mi17 helicopters for the flight which took off from the Defence Ministry grounds separated from the Presidential Secretariat by the Beira Lake.

    At 6.30 a.m. on Friday, Rajapaksa said his farewells at ‘Temple Trees’ to weeping personal staff and drove out in one of his bullet proof BMWs to the Janadipathi Mandiraya (President’s House) in Fort. There, staff were helping his son Yoshitha, a naval officer, pack a collection of souvenirs. Earlier, President Rajapaksa had issued orders decommissioning his son from being a Lieutenant in the Sri Lanka Navy. Other staffers were also packing household items. Rajapaksa sat there receiving a small coterie of visitors. They included Western Provincial Council (WPC) Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, Lakshman Hulugalle, now Deputy High Commissioner in Australia, Kshenuka Seneviratne, External Affairs Ministry Secretary, Majintha Jayasinghe, Additional Secretary in the EAM, Gamini Senarath, President’s Chief of Staff, Bandula Padma Kumara, Chairman of Lake House and Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera. Padma Kumara told Rajapaksa that Karunaratne Paranavithana who was in Sirisena’s media team (having crossed over from UPFA) had wanted him and the board of directors to continue in office. However he resigned on Friday. Paranavithana had also reportedly told him that he would become the Secretary of the Media Ministry. Rajapaksa told a visitor that he lost the polls because Muslims and Tamils had voted against him. He said among them, the Muslims had voted most against him.

    During another brief conversation, he asked one of them “Mokkada Hitthaney? Mang parliamenthuwata avanang? (What do you think if I come to Parliament). He then added “Ey Gaaney nathnam pakshey allaa ganee neda? (Otherwise that women will capture the party, won’t she?) he asked. He was alluding to the prospects of his predecessor, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga taking control of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). That again seemed ironic. Rajapaksa has been engaged in a power struggles with Kumaratunga even before he became President in 2005. It was a long verbal war of attrition between the two. Once he assumed office, in what was seen as a move to oust Kumaratunga, his supporters moved a resolution at the party – that the President, if he is from the SLFP, should also be President of the party. That effectively saw the exit of Kumaratunga as

  4. Dilrook Says:

    The gathering of people at his residence does not mean much because he won Hambantota district. By the way, were there Tamils and Muslims in the crowd? No. If he is to remain a force, he must shift back his perception to Sinhala interests. A look at his conduct 2010-2015 clearly shows neglect of Sinhalas.

    At the very least had he agreed to the 12 NFF proposals and JHU proposals, he would still be the president.

    A large modern cancer hospital was built for the north since cancer is the biggest killer of northern Tamils post war (it is heart disease for others). However, CKD that kills more people, mainly Sinhalas, was totally disregarded despite repeated appeals from the JHU and many commentators over the years.

    Water supply schemes were built in the north but denied to people in Weliweriya, etc. The situation worsened by rash action. Surprisingly such rash action was reserved only for Sinhala protestors. Many rowdy and unruly Tamil protests were unharmed.

    The Vavuniya-Jaffna section of the northern railway was built but the Matara-Kataragama section of the southern railway was not built.

    90% of borrowed funds were wasted in the north-east which has only 3% of the nation’s Sinhalese. But 75% of repayment (and interest) is collected from Sinhalese.

    For the first time in Sri Lankan history, he established two functioning provincial councils for Tamils and Muslims fanning separatism fears in the majority.

    (Surprisingly Mahinda’s least reduction of votes percentage compared to 2010 came from Jaffna (2.9%) whereas the largest reduction in Polonnaruwa 23% followed by Anuradhapura, etc. In fact 30,000 more people from Jaffna voted for Mahinda compared to 2010 which is the highest increase of all districts. But did it matter?)

    Rajapaksa must repent these insensitive and grave mistakes and make a u-turn if he has any further political ambitions. Otherwise I’m afraid this is the end of the road for him and his clan which I predicted 2 years ago.

  5. cwije Says:

    Dear HLM,

    Mahinda started his path of decline from the day thta hee issued a money bill with his picture. He should have used the Hasalaka Hero’s picture on it. This was how Cabraal guy ruined him

    I think what MR is doing now, instead of staying at home would boomerang on him one day, like so many other things he did in the past.

    Why don’t you see anything good in Maithreepala?

  6. aloy Says:

    Now is the time. Let us see if the Goviya (gamarala) is fit to be the king. Investigate, prosecute and leave the rest to an impartial justice system.

  7. ranjit Says:

    Nothing good we can see in MY3 from the day one he was in power. First he started with giving preference to Tamil language when the ceremony was started in Tamil. Then he appointed the Prime Minister without majority in the Parliament in a hurry. Then his henchmen started slinging mud and take revenge from the opposite side. Now they are canvassing to take Mahinda and his party members to courts for corruption as if they were saints who hasn’t done anything wrong to this country.

    Stop the blood bath only is enough to take the side of Mahinda for any decent person. Within 4 years what he did to this country is enough to vote for this man. Building roads,schools,Hospitals in 4 years after the war is enough to keep him in power. Corruption is a different story. Corruption was there from the beginning of our Independence. Almost all politicians were guilty of corruption in my country not only Mahinda clan. This is really dirty politics which I hate.

    Some people truly like the war because they can earn some money.They don’t care about human lives.They don’t care about people dying on daily basis because of war. Some don’t care if LTTE raised a flag here and there.They will ask what’s the big issue when the terrorist raised a flag? Some people say “Mr.” to terrorists and ask what’s wrong with it? I haven’t seen ungrateful people like in Sri Lanka in anywhere in the world. People should not give power to greedy politicians thinking only of their stomach. They must think of their future, their children’s future. Can these old corrupt clique can give a better life to us? Never because we still remember the 30 years of war and who Governed during those bloody 30 years. They told our Forces to stay indoors while the LTTE blood suckers massacre them in cold blood in their own territory. LTTE terrorists killed thousands of our innocent people and destroyed very important infrastructure in the island. Within 4 years most of destroyed property,roads and railways,Temples etc were repaired or newly built and handed over to the people. What else our ungrateful people needs? 4 years is a very short period and I don’t think any party or politician can do such an enormous work so quickly. At the moment this new Govt is doing taking revenge from their Opposite side not Yahapalanaya. I do not trust the clique behind MY3 to do Yahapalanaya because they were all corrupt in the past. So I hope p[eople will open their eyes and watch what’s going on and stay alert to stop any break up of our Mother Lanka again.

  8. Nanda Says:

    “Some people truly like the war because they can earn some money.” – Very true when “like” is replace by “liked”.
    This is called “beggar’s wound part 1”.(BW1).
    BW1 policy was used and carried on until most people (including Mahinda Rajapakse) were convinced by 2004 that “LTTE cannot be defeated”. This is why people voted for Ruinill.
    Under the vision of some great people, however, MR suddenly realised that war can be won and with sacrfices made by 26000 soldiers war was finally ended with initially reluctant leadership of MR.
    Then he took the full credit after kissing the ground and started a new culture with the theme song “Maharajaanani”. This lead to his creation of BW2 = I can earn more money by selling the concept that it is I who won this war.
    Unprecedented stealing ( we cannot use the word corruption) of the nation followed.
    People quickly realised this cannot go on forever. They are not getting any benefit , but endless elections, one or two per year. They voted for My3, and did not care whether it was Ruinill behind all these.
    This is the truth. This is what happened and this will be the same in the future.

    Unless the new team does something completely different for the country rather than starting another rubbish Chintanya called BW3, country will be ruined.

    There should not be any emotional “gratefulness” attached to ANY politician. They key is “transparency” as modern day man is well informed. Politicians should realise that

  9. Nanda Says:

    The president should stop using the cult called “Maithree Palanaya”. It is wrong in meaning and it leads to BW3.(/b>

    One cannot rule a country with Maithree ( Loving kindness) alone, unless he is a” wheel turning monarch” ( Sakviti Raja). Mr. Sirisena is no Sakviti Raja.

    Mahinda Rajapakse was spreading loving kindness to all the criminals including murderers. Did he succeed by doing this ?No.

    Mr. Sirisena or Mr. Wickremasinghe should not try to become Dharmista No 2. <He should adopt the policy of " catch and punish all law breakers. Otherwise they will be gone very very fast..

  10. Sirih Says:

    We need to move forward and see, if new govt. is truly a national based and hope they do not get into revenge politics.

    They have already started to dismantle our Intelligence groups and this surprised me since these are true patriots that work hard.
    Next 90 days are quite crucial, how this govt. is going to get things done. Anti national forces are rising and MR did not do a good job with his corrupt kids and billion dollar mafia that was around him.
    If people know what MR has done, no one will ever vote for him.

  11. Christie Says:

    Hi loved ones, Midi the great Emperor of Indian Empire congratulated his puppet even before the counting was over. Jai Hind.

  12. Mr. Bernard Wijeyasingha Says:

    What an inspiring and revealing article. It is true that the war against the Tamil tigers was fought in the framework of Democratically elected governments but then it is also true that the rise for secession and the desire to form a separate homeland called Elam also happened under Democratically elected governments.

    Since then one of the aspects that the Rajapakse government enjoyed was the support of the Buddhist Sanga especially the BBS and the Sinhalese nationalist movement.

    What stands in stark contrast in the last election is that he was mainly defeated by the Tamils and Muslims who showed up in massive numbers. Comments in the Times of India to the Hindustan Times reflect more comments now of partitioning Sri Lanka for the creation of Elam. The Sinhalese vote by and large supported Rajapakse.

    Then in order for the Sirisena government to get hold of power he would have to win the hearts of the Sinhalese, the Military and the Buddhist Sanga while keeping any secessionist forces from rising. If Sirisena fails to win these hearts then in order to function he has to remove them out of power. Then the elections is just the beginning of a new chapter where the blank pages can be written in ink or in blood.

  13. Cerberus Says:

    If anyone took a video of the people weeping for their lost leader and blocking the roads near MR’s’ southern home to express their grief, please put it on Lanka Web and Youtube.

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