By Sena Thoradeniya
[The writer began compiling this essay immediately after the Presidential election, but could not complete it as he was indisposed. Although its title may sound rather outdated its contents are still valid and new developments what were not originally thought of makes it more current.]
With apologies to Marx and Engels we begin: A spectre is haunting Sri Lanka – the spectre of NPP. All political parties in the now dissolved Parliament and others who strive to enter the new Parliament have accepted its dominance and its probable victory at the next Parliamentary election scheduled for November 14, 2024. All opposition parties fight to be a strong”, formidable” opposition, already conceding defeat before the Parliamentary election and urge the electorate not to give the NPP a two-third majority. By saying so they all boost the chances of a runawayNPP victory. This is a poor response showing the helplessness to come to terms with what is happening and the inability to assess what has happened and how it happened which influence political behavior andfuture orientation of Sri Lankan politics. All are disoriented and flabbergasted as headless chicken and none of these parties except SJB who changed its original lackluster stance, asking for a mandate for their parties, which is a strange phenomenon in Parliamentary politics. Voters would not vote for a party which says that it cannot win a mandate to be the ruling party in the Parliament.
It should be remembered that under Yahapalana regime there was a strong opposition in numbers (Joint Opposition), but the TNA and JVP worked with the government; TNA leader was made the Leader of the Opposition and Anura Kumara Chief Opposition Whip!
Aim of this article is not to analyse this phenomenon and intra-party and inter-party rivalries or assess the performance of the new government and the dilemmas it must encounter as there are many commentators to do so and our role is not to be unofficial advisors or provide unsolicited advice. Our aim is to comment on Sri Lanka’s English press, how it hails the ascendency of Anura Kumara as the President of Sri Lanka and its thoughtlessness and lack of foresight in assessing current events unfolding; above all else to pinpoint what they have ignored deliberately. We leave out Sinhala press because this is the way they react normally, something different in pre-nationalisation days of the Lake House Group of Newspapers.
All newspaper columnists, feature writers, editorialists, opinion makers, pseudo-theoreticians, USAID -aided NGO cabal, old Trotskyites living here and abroad, remnants of Tiger propagandists, upper middle class anglophiles famed for their anglomania and US poodles who have become propagandists of Kamala Harris in this wretched country, US -funded stonewashed thinktanks, business leaders, chambers, retired diplomats, retired police officers, ex-planters, Buddhist priests and Catholic Church have entered an unholy alliance, not to exorcise this spectre, all are enthralled by it. In 1971 and 1988/89 they all entered a holy alliance with the government forces and paramilitary groups to crush the JVP/DJV, NPP’s old womb. What has happened to the old JVPers decried by the Colombo elites and branded as a set of killers, arsonists, destructors and saboteurs?
Why this sudden jubilation? Oldtimers are aware of how the English press pilloried SWRD and Sirimavo governments. Observer cartoonist Aubrey Collette buried SWRD alive and vilified T.B. Illangaratne with allusions of having hotels in Switzerland, always depicted carrying a money bag (what he got as compensation for loss of employment as a public servant for participating in 1947 General Strike). When Sirimavo became the Prime Minister, Premadasa said that the chair had to be cleaned monthly and the press reported the gutter talk gleefully.
What the English press think is that all other politicians were tried, tested and failed, living luxurious lives, resorting to corruption, nepotism and parking money abroad. They hail Anura Kumara as a non-elite leader as all of them were converted into Communists, Socialists or common man’s friends, forgetting that the Sri Lankan voters had given a chance to Premadasa and Sirisena respectively, two non-elite politicians, one belonging to lower rungs among the depressed castes. Some even hail Anura Kumara as Ran Banda’s Kolla”,little brat (son) of the humble survey laborerRan Banda.
Some have begun to write Addresses”(Isthuthi Pathra) (like the ones colonial native officers presented to visiting Royalty, Governors and Government Agents on tour) that present JVP is wiser, much more democratic”, different from what it was in 1971 and 1989”, new leaders are sensible”, as the scribes have become political historians overnight. This is the crap they pickup from English newspaper editorials, EconomyNext reportages and MTV English talk shows. If they are exposed to Sinhala news telecasts, Sinhala breakfast shows and Sinhala social media posts they would retreat, tails tucking between their legs!
A retired Christian high-ranking police officer, father-in-law of a former Viyathamaga grandee who gave dead ropes to GR, later decamped, saw Anura Kumara’s victory as a revolution without violence”. He does not call it a bloodless revolution”. 1956 election victory of SWRD was hailed as a silent revolution” by the progressives. Very same anglicized writers hailed Sirisena’s victory as a Revolution” and those who oppose him were labeled as Counter-revolutionaries”, giving distorted meanings to Revolution” and Counter-Revolution”.
Why there was no violence after the Presidential election? Reason was that the NPP was able to win. Things would have been different if the result was not in favour of the NPP and the counting of the second preference took a long-time leaving room for speculations and unfoldingconspiracy theories. The other reason was NPP’s renewed expectation on an imminent parliamentary election. NPP did not want to ruin its chances of a victory at the parliamentary election.
What would have happened if the NPP refused to concede defeat and claim the election had been rigged in a situation where SP or RW won? Remember Somavansa Amerasinghe and Tilvin Silva crying computer jilmaat” after the defeat of SF in 2009. Who can deny that in such a scenario JVP/NPP would not unleash its stormy petrels as they did on 9 May 2022?
NPP’s main expectation is eradication of corruption, not short-term, mid-term, or long-term solutions to burning problems or any other populist measures. Now populist measures also have gone haywire.
These writers forget that the NPP is a cronyof India and the US, not equipped to manage India and the US, think that changing heads is equivalent to all-encompassing system change. In our book, Galle Face Protest: Systems Change or Anarchy?” (2023) we have explained in greater detail what is meant by system change, Marxist point of view of system change, systems theory as a management tool, types of change, management of change and process of change, a guideline for all doing pep talk tosystem change.
What JVP/NPP displayed was hostility and hatred to mainstream political parties, and their leaders and the so-called political dynasties. These new found friends of the NPP think that 47 years of corrupt free market economy is the only feasible way for Sri Lanka.
We don’t want to quote from all those essays as it can be construed as giving credence to such absurdities. Those writers who had expressed some balanced views about the political situation a few months ago are also bogged down in this quagmire. Upper middle-class anglophiles caution the new President and Prime Minister to escape from assassination attempts as there are contract killers who can be hired for even 2000 rupees, a poor calculation of underworld deals! They should understand that if there are assassination attempts as such, they will originate from foreign powers to replace the incumbent President with a more suitable lackey as Harini Amarasuriya.
Even the so-called Kuppi Talks men and women of our universities cannot escape from this spectre. They unashamedly quote from Anura Kumara’s media shows made at progress review meetings which cannot be considered pedagogical or theoretical.
Why all these people have turned into praise singers of this man whoaccording to some who rose from wattle daub cottage to President’s House” (reminding the log cabin saga), a subaltern, outsider of dynastic-walauwa clan – politics as they say? As stated above Sri Lanka have produced two such persons by electing Premadasa and Sirisena respectively as Presidents. Have they become enthusiasts of subaltern politics? No. This same person has disgraced Edgar Snow’s classic and factual reporting, the first full account of Mao Zedong and the Red Armies who resisted both the Japanese invaders and Kuomintang hirelings and the successfulcompletion of the Long March, Red Star Over China” (first published in 1937) by borrowing its title and corrupting it to Leftist Star Rises Over Sri Lanka”. These journalists do not have anything to portray as achievements, accomplishments, talents and personal traits of Anura Kumara – they just portray him as an avid reader who read aloud climbing an araliya tree, Rajarata lad who could swim the entire distance of Nuwara Wewa”, so on and so forth. Anyway, we thank him for dubbing the NPPers crimson comrades” rather than calling them Reds.
Some of these jurnos showing their optimism praise the so-called miniscule cabinet” as a world’s first, completely forgetting how the cabinet became miniscule”, as the NPP had only three MPs. All of them predict an NPP victory at the parliamentary election. These anglophiles are happy to state that Anura Kumara has shaken off the Marxist label when the world press announced that Sri Lanka has elected a Marxist President. We have stated in our article titled Why Foreign Media Dub Sri Lanka’s New President as a Marxist?”, posted on 3, October,that the JVP en masse has shed its Marxist” skin a long time ago. Their expectations of wiping out cronyism and family favoritism were shredded into pieces when one investigates the key appointments Anura Kumara has made so far.
Why all these people have turned into praise singers of a man carrying the legacy of arson, economic destruction, killing and who gave untoward suffering to masses of people? Reasons are many. Some of them want to curry favour thinking that the JVP/NPP stalwarts like Lal Kantha and Samarasinghe read English dailies. Former colonial plantation managers also had joined this ecstasy as old Merry Men of Uva”, forgetting the tea factories torched by the JVP/DJVP and the plantation managers gunned down by their unidentified gunmen”. They openly say that they voted for the NPP; nobody is interested to know to whom they have voted.
The newest person to join this chorus is a former top bureaucrat under several dispensations, a Defence Secretary, a Governor, a Presidential Secretary and a High Commissioner. This person addresses Anura Kumara as Comrade Anura” as he was already being given the membership by the JVP/NPP. We do not like to discuss the disastrous decisions these people have taken and implemented while in office as it is a different story. Belly of a serpent may be white; but not its venom. These creatures can expand their jaws so wide that they can consume large prey including politicians!
An arch Indian lackey this man provides Comrade” Anura with unsolicited advice regarding the implementation of the 13th Amendment, to prioritize devolution, to learn from Jaishankar, to follow India’s experiences with devolution as in Jammu and Kashmir. It should be stated that recentlyIndian-controlled Kashmir’s regional legislature passed a resolution demanding the Indian government to restore the region’s disputed semi-autonomy which was scrapped by Modi in 2019. Modi government not only scrapped its semi-autonomy, it downgraded it and divided the former state into two centrally governed union territories Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir can legislate on local issues except matters regarding public order and policing.
Soon after the passing of the resolution demanding the Indian government to restore the region’s disputed semi-autonomy, Modi rejected the call saying Only the constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar will operate in Kashmir. No power in the world can restore Article 370 (partial autonomy) in Kashmir”.
With this type of advice Anura Kumara does not need any more comrades”!
A staunch supporter of Galle Face ghetto this person coined a word to sanctify the Galle Face ghetto men and women as Aragalists”.Publication of his article was timely as it was the day the new government recalled some top diplomats.
During the Presidential election this person wrote an article about Thambuttegama Herath Banda. This writer suspected for what he was up to and what would be his next move. In the 50’s a boy fromThambuttegama village, Herath Banda was dubbed by the press as Thambuttegama Lama Yodhaya (child- giant”), an overweight child partaking an unusual volume of food which his parents could not afford. Later this giant” was shown at the Kandy Esala Perahera Carnival charging 50 cents by some village gangsters.
One writer was stupid enough to say that BRICS application demonstrates Anura Kumara’s vision”, thoughtless about who initiated it. We would now add that not attending BRICS summit has shielded Anura Kumara from Julie Chung’s wrath!
A retired diplomat saw a new dawn for Sri Lanka”, that Anura Kumara’s rise to the Presidency marks a new chapter in Sri Lankan history! How many dawns Sri Lanka had from 1947? But the day did not break! How many chapters we have turned? But could not read what was written!These columnists do not want to see a hung parliament leading to political instability.
Wehave listed down some reasons for the epiphany of these writers. They will realise shortly that this festival would be ephemeral, in other words short-lived. Many of these reasons do not warrant any elucidation as they are self-explanatory.
1. Animosity to Rajapaksas
The main reason is the hatred toward Rajapaksas.
2. Galle Face Protest
As all these writers were supporters of the so-called aragalaya”, protest”, porattam” , they are of the opinion that the Galle Face Carnival paved the way for this victory.
3. Harini Amarasuriya Factor
The nominee of Julie Chung as the PM, representative of NGO cabal, comprador-bourgeoisie consisting of colonial plantation interests, bankers, multi-national business conglomerates, LGBTQA community, constitution maker under yahapalana regime, pro-US, pro-Western liberal trained in India, Europe and the US, darling of Julie Chung, dubbed as a toxic male champion” (whatever itsmeaning) recently by a female writer, looking more masculine than feminine, promoted over old JVP lot and other old Trotskyites in the national list in 2020, has become the darling of Colombo elites. (Please see our articles, Janus-faced JVP: False Conceptions and Harini Amarasuriya Factor”, posted on December 14, 2023 and Why Foreign Media Dub Sri Lanka’s New President as a Marxist?”, posted on October 3, 2024 respectively). A complete outsider to JVP politics she in August 2022 criticized the JVP that the JVP did not know what to do next after attacking police stations in 1971, or after the ouster of Gotabaya and at this moment JVP does not have any practical vision for future. It is clear that she leads a certain non-antagonistic faction of the NPP. In future this may develop into an antagonistic contradiction.
It is a rare feat in leadership that in certain cases leadership is thrust upon someone who happen to have been in the right place at the right time (In this case with only 3 MPs), without any physical (including physical attractiveness), social (including empathy, emotional maturity), personality and personal traits (including verbal skills and experience). We do not deny that successful leaders begin to display some of these traits after they have achieved leadership positions.
She goes into the annals of history as the first unmarried woman Prime Minister. Jacinda Arden of New Zealand who became the first youngest leader, pregnant and went on maternal leave while in office had a partner. In Asian context people expect that their women leaders married, having children and experience in home management and home economics. Amarasuriya is the first denim wearing Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. An American trained Sinhala lecturer at Peradeniya, who is also an Executive Member of the NPP, sometime back was notorious to express that the first Sri Lankan radical woman was the one who wore a denim!
4. Maintaining the status quo instead of change”, system continues
Continuity and change are two opposite ends of a continuum. Change weakens continuity and vice versa. Instead of much publicised change we witness continuity.
The new government began with retaining Secretary Finance and Governor of the Central Bank who declared Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy, both agents/former employees of the IMF. Incidentally the uncle of present Governor of the Central Bank, the then UNP MP for Tangalle was gunned down by the JVP/DJV assassins. Readers are reminded that the NPP did not participate in the Parliamentary Debate debating against the unprecedented pay hike proposed by the Central Bank to its employees.
World Bank signed an additional US $ 200 million to support Sri Lanka’s economic reforms in October under Second Resilience, Stability and Economic Turnaround (RESET) Development Policy Operation (DPO). This is the second operation in a 2-part series that began in 2022. The first operation totaling $500 was disbursed in June and December 2023 during RW’s tenure.
5. Continuation of IMF programme and RW’s economic reforms
Contrary to platform rhetoric Anura Kumara has chosen to abide by the IMF conditions and endorse the Debt Sustainability Programme of the IMF to the merriment of the NPP’s new found friends in the English press, what was wanted by them. Now they know that Anura Kumara does not want to derail the IMF programme, biting the bullet.At the negotiation table it was a meek submission to IMF dictates and the government delegation including the so-called Senior Economic Advisors (Duminda Hulangamuwa and the academic) and Anura Kumara himself were passive listeners of IMF sermons. Meeting with the IMF delegation and the NPP team on October 2 was staging a comic drama as many of the NPP delegates who has no negotiation skills and experience were seen getting selfies, to the amusement of Krishna Srinivasan, Director of the Asia Pacific Department, Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief, Sarwat Jahan, Resident Representative and its Economist. To face the IMF delegation consisting of four members the NPP fielded a team consisting of eight novices. But these English praise singers are cautious not to call this a Ranil-Dissanayake government.
IMF Team will be in Sri Lanka for the third review under the country’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme according to Krishna Srinivasan. He said in Japan that the new government is fully committed to the IMF-supported programme, especially concerning fiscal and debt targets.
7. Continuation of the controversial passport order
Anura Kumara’s government is carrying out last government’s controversial decision to procure N-series Machine Readable Passports (MRP) from the Consortium of Thales DIS Finland Oly and its Sri Lanka agent Just In Time (JIT) Technologies. The government decided to buy the full stock of 750,000 passports from Thales as sanctioned by RW government. The quoted price of Thales for each passport is Euro 4.52 or 4.96 US dollars.
8. NPP’s happy marriage with big businessmen, business conglomerates and Chambers which represent comprador-bourgeois interests
All chambers sent congratulatory messages to Anura Kumara; members of business cartels occupied front seats at Anura Kumara’s swearing-in-ceremony and when Chairman of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce receiving the letter of appointment as the Special Economic Advisor. Same people attended when he received an appointment letter from RW. This time minus their coats and ties!
9. Appointments made so far
The way the appointments were made so far to top positions does not contrast what was done by JRJ, Premadasa, CBK, MR, Sirisena, GR or Ranil Wickremesinghe. Most of these appointments consummate NPP’s happy marriage with big businessmen, business conglomerates and Chambers. Many of these appointments raise eyebrows showing conflicts of interests. It is apparent that Anura Kumara has become a prisoner of neoliberal majority of the NPP.
Anura Kumara has not appointed country bumpkins, rustic yokelsof Lal Kantha, Wasantha Samarasinghe (although now he is seen in business suits), Samantha Vidyaratna, Namal Karunaratna, Mahinda Jayasinghe, Nalin Hewage and Ranjan Jayalal type (all these people are contesting General Elections; next Parliament would be filled by these country bumpkins symbolizing clean Sri Lanka”) and NPP Youtubers which neither have a political education nor cultural sophistication to the satisfaction of Colombians to top positions. This is what was wanted by the elites who supported the NPP, giving top jobs to upper class business magnates. They are happy for ending nepotism and favouritism, but blind to cronyism and political clientelism.
Do the JVP diehards have no suitable persons among their kith and kin for top jobs? Things will be different if the JVP/NPP receives a parliamentary mandate and more Ministers and Deputy Ministers appointed to the tune of 50. But in the appointments made so far political and party affiliations, clientelism or client politics, cronyism are discernible which the NPP vouched to eradicate.
9.1. Secretary to the President: Anura Kumara began playing Santa with appointing his university buddy, Nandika Senerath Kumarasinghe, a junior officer in the Customs as Secretary to the President. It is said that there are several senior officers in the SLAS working at the Presidential Secretariat than him.
9.2. Appointing Air Vice Marshall Sampath Thuyakonthe (rtd) as Secretary of Defence: an active member of the NPP ex Tri-forces Collective who actively campaigned for Anura Kumara. A columnist using the pseudonym One Who Knows” published an article titled, JVP mobilizing support from among retired servicemen” in the Sunday Island of December 24, 2023 revealed among other things that a top-level ex-serviceman created mayhem forcibly trying to enter a facility meant for servicemen without prior permission.
9.3. Appointing Ravi Seneviratna as the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security and Shani Abeysekera as the Director of the Central Criminal Intelligence Analysis Bureau respectively,sacking country’s spy chief Suresh Sally as urged by the Catholic Church, NPP’s newest Sheppard guiding its members to New Jerusalem. Both officers are frontliners of the Collective of Retired Police Officers of the NPP who actively campaigned for Anura Kumara.OnceRavi Seneviratna was charged and remanded for drunk driving causing a traffic accident. Former MP Gammanpila’s exposure at recent press conferences about these two officers regarding Easter Sunday carnage is still fresh in the minds of Sri Lankans.
9.4. Governor of Western Province: Hanif Yusuf, a top businessman, co-founder of multinational logistics giant Expolanka Holdings, one of Sri Lanka’s premier logistics companies, expanded into leisure, IT and fresh and processed produce with businesses in over 59 countries.
Some businesses in Sri Lanka are linked with the only bank in Sri Lanka which conducts operations under the principles of Islamic Banking”.It is not only politicians and bureaucrats who are involved in corruption and other unlawful economic activities. Many powerful businessmen and corporate leaders are deeply engaged in unlawful economic activities parking money outside Sri Lanka. Anura Kumara should use his steel rake to bring backstolen assets of big businessmen too.
9.5. Chairman of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Tilak Siyambalapitiya, managing Director of RMA Energy; his wife Nimali Siyambalapitiya has been a Director to Development Finance Institutions ( ADB, WB, IFC etc.) on the power sector which are having dealings with the CEB. A sizeable revenue of the RMA Energy is accrued by providing services to power sector of Sri Lanka. People like Ranjan Jayalal and Ranwala, rabble-rousers of NPP power sector are conspicuously silent.
9.6. Chairman of SLPA: Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe (Rtd.) former Commander of Sri Lanka Navy; also served as the Secretary to Ministry of Ports and Shipping & Southern Development in 2019. It was Anura Kumara and his NPP who vehemently attacked GR for appointing ex-service personnel for top positions. Sirimevan Ranasinghe hails from Anuradhapura. SLPA Managing Director who has nearly 10 years of service remaining was asked to leave immediately.
9.7. Duminda Hulangamuwa, Country Manager and Partner Ernst & Young Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Chairman of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce appointed as President’s Special Economic Advisor; he was an Advisor to GR and RW as well and a Member of Udaya R Seneviratna Committee on Public Service Salary Disparities appointed by RW. This Committee proposed that the basic salary of public servants would be increased by a minimum of 24% for primary level service categories and salaries will increase gradually from an 24% to 50% for all government officials. It is apparent that as President’s Special Economic Advisor he has not advised Anura Kumara to implement the said committee recommendations. Although the government advertises that he would work on an honorary capacity we all know who pays them. People are eager to know whether he utilized his private funds on his visit to Washington.
9.8. Channa Gunawardena as the Chairman of Litro Gas Lanka and Litro Gas Terminal Lanka Pvt. Ltd.: a former CEO/Director of another multinational Aitken Spence Group Garments Ltd., CEO of Royal Fernwood Porcelain PLC, served as Country Manager for global accounting giant of Ernst & Young in the Maldives and Hirdaramani Group.
9.9. Ramal Siriwardena, a close confidante of Rajapaksas and an electoral organizer of the NPP was appointed as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB).
9.10. Harendra Disabandara as the new Chairman of the Securities andExchange Commission (SEC), who previously worked as the SEC’s Director General from 2012-2013 and a Director from 2008-2012, replacing Faizal Salieh appointed by RW.
9.11. Buddhika Hewawasam as Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB). Before the Presidential Elections he made a presentation on NPP’s Tourism Policy in English in August 2024. It was like a performance of an entertainer rather than a professional presentation. Anura Kumara and his JVP top brasswere in attendance.Hewawasam was appointed as a member of the new Board of Management of Sri Lankan Airlines too.
9.12. Dheera Hettiarachchi as Chairman of Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism andHotel Management (SLITHM)and Sri Lanka Convention Bureau.
9.13. Sarath Ganegoda as Chairman of Sri Lankan Airlines; Group Executive Director of Sri Lankan multinational Hayleys PLC.
9.14. Mangala Wijesinghe as Chairman of Export Development Board (EDB); former Cluster Chief Operating Officer, Pharmaceuticals, Consumer and Integrated Engineering Solutions of Browns & Co PLC.
9.15. D.J. Rajakaruna as Chairman of Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC). This person cut a sorry figure at a recently held press conference, saying that the CPC is no longer free to determine petroleum prices due to the presence of foreign companies. If so, why did the NPP promise to reduce fuel prices? Without knowing the agreements? This is the type of pundits NPP boasted of having in their resource pool! All carnival barkers!
9.16. Prins Senadheera as Chairman of National Film Corporation (NFC).
9.18. S.M. Saman Samarakone as Chairman of Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI)
9.19. Kapila Seneviratne as Chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC), Kelaniya University alumnus kicking out the former Chairman Sampath Amaratunga.
9.20. Asanka Abeywardena as Chairman of Urban Development Authority (UDA),a former District secretary .
9.21. Arjuna Herath as Chairman of Board of Investment (BOI): previously served as the Senior Partner and Head of Consultancy at Ernst and Young for Sri Lanka and the Maldives. He has worked also as the Marketing Development Manager at British American Tobacco (BAT) multinational Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) and Director of Corporate Finance at the Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka.
9.22. Nusith Kumaratunga as Chairman of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC): he began his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers International Ltd. (PWC), a British multinational, one of the Big Four accounting firms along with Duminda Hulangamuwa’s Ernst & Young.Later he founded his own audit firm providing services in tax planning, business advisory and supporting SMEs. How this clash with his new position remains to be seen.
9.23. Hans Wijesuriya, Head of Dialog Axiata as the Chief Advisor to thePresident on Digital Economy. Dialog Axiata is a predator in the telecommunication industry posing a threat to SLT and Mobitel. In 2015 there were reports that the CID during the investigations of the murder of the ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen was trying to take legal action against the CEO of Dialog Axiata alleged for hiding evidence regarding mobile caller data. It was also reported thatHans Wijesuriya’s father-in-law was a consultant to MR on a Thrai Bhasha” – tri-lingual project. Anura Kumara pledged to investigate the murders of Wasim Thajudeen and Lasantha Wickrematunga.
9.24. Sunil Jayaratna, a former Customs Additional Director General as Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority. May be a pick of President’s Secretary. When an SLAF person was appointed as the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority earlier by the same dispensation experts said that the SLAF personnel have no exposure to administration of civil aviation and their expertise is limited to the area within the perimeters of the island and certainly not to international standards and procedures that need to be observed and practised . Now we can see how a Customs man oversees Civil Aviation!
9.25. Mothilal de Silva as the Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT). He held a leadership role at Dialog Axiata and MTV Networks, competitors in telecommunications.
9.26. Kavinda de Zoysa as Chairman of premier government -owned bank, Bank of Ceylon. For two decades he has served as Director and Country Business Head of Citibank N.A.
9.27. Wije Bandara as Director General of Legal Affairs.
In March 2022, GR appointed an Advisory Committee consisting of 16 members to assist the National Economic Council. Among those members were Hans Wijesuriya, Duminda Hulangamuwa, Krishan Balendra and Dushni Weerakone. But alltookto their life boats and abandoned the Captain and the ship when the ship hit an iceberg. So Anura Kumara should be aware of having so many cooks to make his soup! It is evident that all these rulers use the same witch doctors or medicine men to exorcise the evil spirits!
10. Julie Chung continues as the Viceroy of Sri Lanka: Increased presence of US military personnel
This is another reason for this euphoria, dispelling the fear that the Colombiens had about NPP’s foreign policy and foreign relations. Julie Chung continues as the Viceroy of Sri Lanka undisturbed. She was the first envoy to visit Anura Kumara to congratulate him.
She began her unobstructed crusade, true to her form issuing a Level 2 Travel Advisory on the eve of the Presidential Election on 12, September 2024, Exercise increased caution in Sri Lanka due to civil unrest and terrorism”. Americans travelling in Sri Lanka were told to expect civil unrest and terrorism in Sri Lanka. Travel Advisory said: Demonstrations could occur before, during or after the election. In some cases police have used water cannons and tear gas to disrupt protesters….even peaceful ones (gatherings) can turn violent with little or no warning.” Terrorist attacks have occurred in Sri Lanka with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, government facilities, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, hospitals and other public places.” Chung and her Americans have not spared any place free from terrorist attacks”.
Now let us examine Julie Chung’s diary after Anura Kumara was elected as the President.
On October 1Chung met with Anura Kumara to discuss the enduring SL-US partnership, shared goals, transparency, accountability, civic partnership and good governance. As Sri Lanka embarks on a new chapter the United States remains your stronger partner in supporting unity, good governance, prosperity and human rights”, she posted in her X message. Chung has begun thenew chapter – the web she began to weavearound Anura Kumara.
Anura Kumara had a virtual discussion with Samantha Power, the Head of USAID.According to the President’s Media Division Power has stated that USAID is willing to support the government aligning with the manifesto presented to the people. This is hilarious USAID supporting implementation of NPP manifesto, if not USAID local agents having a hand in drafting it.
On October 2Chung met with Vijitha Herath, the Foreign Minister. Chung was looking forward to strengthening the US- SL partnership and working together on shared priorities like security, trade and upholding human rights”.
On the same day Chung had a meeting with Harini Amarasuriya to discuss strong US-SL partnership and how to work together on key priorities, from advancing justice and reconciliation”.
On October 2, Sri Lanka Navy disclosed that a US military delegation including Commodore Haytham Elsayed Khalil, Commander of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 154, Deputy Commander CTF 154 Commodore William Franklin Campbell visited SLN Headquarters. It was disclosed that the SL Navy is about to assume command of CTF 154, a unit under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) based in Bahrain. Sri Lanka under RW joined the CMF in 2023. CMF is composed of 5 CTFs. CTF 154 is dedicated to Maritime Security Training.
On October 3 Chung had a meeting with Presidential Secretary.
Admiral Steve Kohler, a four-star US Navy Admiral and Commander of US Pacific Fleet visited Sri Lanka and met with Anura Kumara and Secretary Defence on 10, October. This marked the highest-level US military visit to the island since 2021. He was briefed on the Sri Lanka Navy’s operational functions.
US donated a BeechcraftKing Air aircraft to Sri Lanka Air Force at Katunayaka airbase with US Navy Admiral and Commander of US Pacific Fleet Kohler attending.
On 16 October Chung had a meeting with Secretary, Defence.
On 22 October Chung met with new Governor of Western Province Hani Yusuf.
Chung visited North, Jaffna, Mannar and Vauniya again in October; visited Keerimalai Naguleshwaram kovil. On 23 October Chung met with new Governor of Northern Province Nagalingam Vedanayagam, Bishop Gnanapragasam and sex workers in the North.
On 31 October Chung and Chairman BOI joined in a groundbreaking ceremony for Indiana based SHIELD’s new seat belt factory.
On 2 November Vijitha Herath and Secretary Defence wearing bow ties as the rest of the Americans attended to celebrate the legacy of US Marines at the USMC Ball (Marine Corps Birthday Ball) along with Chung wearing a red ball gown and Brigadier General Kelvin Gallman, the Guest of Honour. Semper Fi! (always faithful/ loyal). Harsha De Silva of SJB, also wearing a bow tie, posed for a photograph with Chung and Herath. In these balls the host gives the dress code, in certain cases providing the guests with dresses, tail coats, bow ties etc.! Indonesians provide batik shirts!
On 7 November Chung attended the launch of Yet Whom Do They Destroy: Black July” and Stories of Mullivaikkal” published by Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research, personal stories of Tamil terrorists.
On 8 November Chung welcomed Admiral (Rtd.) Harry Harris and students and scholars from National Defense University, underscoring deepening engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
11. Indian Factor
Colombiens should not worry about anti-Indian rhetoric of JVP/NPP anymore. JVP/NPP ties with India were cemented when Anura Kumara visited India in February 2024 (see our article posted on 15 February).Dhal remains as Mysore dhal and onions as Bombay onions. Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jah visited Anura Kumara with a bouquet of flowers.The first Foreign Minister to visit Sri Lanka after Anura Kumara ascendancy was Jaishankar. India has said that it has made a mistake as it took almost 6 months for the first high level bilateral visit between Maldives and India after Muizzu took over last year.
Again, Santosh Jah met with Anura Kumara on 1 November 2024, and according to the press release had discussed the Indian-assisted projects in Sri Lanka. No doubt this may have centered around the so-called connectivity programmes initiated by RW and Adani investments opposed by the NPP hotheads. According to the press release Anura Kumara has expressed interest in learning from India’s expertise in power and energy sector development (again RW’s power and energy connectivity) and digitalization process (a project initiated by the previous government sabotaged by the NPP).
Environment Secretary confirmed that India and Sri Lanka are going to establish a highway and railway line connecting Rameswaram, Tallaimannar and Trinco with a land bridge. This was RW’s pet project land connectivity.
It is evident that this Marxist-capitalist” wants West and India on his side. Colombien elites know that there is no worry for them. They are happy that the gonibillas created by the opposition during the Presidential election campaign has turned into a myth. But they are not aware that former actual gonibillas during 1989-1989 terror times who betrayed hundreds of JVP cadres now inspecting police guard of honor wearing full suit and posing for photographs with the American Marines and Julie Chung wearing bow ties and some others contesting parliamentary election.
13. Eyeing for Top Diplomatic Positions
These former top bureaucrats who were very close to powers that were under various regimes and former diplomats even as octogenarians have an insatiable craving to taste diplomatic puddings. Now Anura Kumara has recalled nearly 16 diplomats (excluding Mahinda Samarasinghe, US Ambassador; we are not aware how he does not fall into the category of political appointees), top positions at New Delhi, Canberra, London and UN have become vacant. London and Permanent Representative at the UN are the two coveted positions these praise singers are eyeing for.
14. BRICS and CHOGM
Sri Lanka government was not represented by the Head of State at the just concluded BRICS summit held from 23 October in Kazan on the banks of Volga and CHOGM held in Samoa respectively. This was merely overlooked by these English language praise singers. Government’s claim that its leaders were engaged in election campaign was a lame excuse. Anura Kumara, being a short person may have thought how he would rub shoulders with such giants as Putin, Xi Jinping, Modi, Lula, Ramphosa, Nicolas Maduro, Erdogan and others and wondered how to exchange basic courtesies with them initially.
To Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held from October 21 in Samoa in the Pacific, a low-level officer attached to the Sri Lankan High Commission in London was flown covering 15,747 km instead of sending the Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Canberra (4547km). This lady officer is the wife of Nadeeka Guruge, NPP platform singer, NGO artist of German-funded FLICT (Facilitating Local Initiatives for Conflict Transformation), which was actively operational during the Eelam war.
15. Danger of a Repetition of 1971, 1988-89 and 2022: Warning Shadows”
Now the President and his Cabinet and key speakers at election rallies are in a threatening mode. White maskof NPP is gradually unravelling revealing its uglyblack skin. Lal Kantha and Samarasinghe openly reveal JVP’s intentions at election rallies as the JVP bogeymen. Recently at Kandy Lal Kanthastated that earlier they were thugswithout a license and now turned to be thugs with license with state power in their hands!
These Colombo elites are not aware of the impending catastrophe that would send shock waves through their nerves and fear psychosis” they all experienced during the Reign of Terror in 1988-89. Once catapulted into the highest position in the country now JVP/NPP calls for a 2/3 majority in the Parliament. Addressing a meeting at Katunayake on 20 October, Anura Kumara declared that there is absolutely no need for a parliamentary opposition, that the parliament should not be polluted with an opposition, disclosing his dream for a one-party rule. He emphasized that the responsibility of the electorate is to ensure the elimination of the political opposition, to wipe out the opposition at the next parliamentary election. He urged to complete the cleanup operation of the parliament by a mass Shramadana on November 14, the day of the parliamentary election, that the next parliament should be overwhelmingly dominated by the NPP. Anura Kumara reiterated this call at rallies held at Polonnaruwa and Trinco too. Its slogan is to clean the parliament and fill it with NPP MPs.
These warning signals have made some writers to ring alarm bells that the NPP is showing colours” of a Marxist party, that this is none other than Marxist dictatorshipof the proletariat”. This is another attempt discrediting Marxism. What dictatorshipof the proletariat” with these liberals and anarchists who now ascending the pyramid? A Presidential or a parliamentary election victory do not pave the way for dictatorship of the proletariat”. It is something more intricate and complex than these men think. If it is dictatorship of the proletariat Anura Kumara and his party have produced their own grave-diggers as Marx and Engels have stated.
Although JVP/NPP calls the parliament a den of thieves pulverizing the parliamentarians of previous dispensations as rogues, they are silent about the bombing inside the parliamentary complex by a JVPer that killed an UNP MP Keerthi Abeywickrema and severely injured few more UNP ministers including the late Lalith Athulathmudali. Thus, the parliament was desecrated by the JVP with blood and splattered flesh of JVP’s opponents decades ago.
With whom NPP planning to overwhelmingly dominate the parliament? It will be filled by people like Lal Kanthathe rabble-rouser and the original JVP set with some NPP cohorts such as the woman lawyer who recited poetry at NPP public rallies that the sacred Menik Ganga was urinating!
Can these Colombo elites deny that the JVP/NPP was actively involved in Galle Face Protest, stormed the Presidential House and Presidential Secretariat and senior JVP party men were on record urging the agitators to overrun the parliament, arson on 9 May 2022, destruction of property, hotels set on fire, looting in broad day light and killing of an SLPP MP in broad daylight? Can these grandees request an investigation on these matters too?
16. Good Bye, Trade Unions!
Addressing an election rally, Colombo District candidate of NPP, Nipunaarachchi said that the trade unions have become redundant now as the NPP government is looking after the interests of the working class. There is no need for labour struggles and the NPP is considering disbanding its trade unions he said. Colombo elites would like this suggestion as they were frequently disturbed when they were travelling in their limousines due to trade union demonstrations. But the danger is the likelihood of the NPP imposing a total ban on all trade unions as the JVP/DJV censures in 1988/89. JVP did not support or participate in the 1980 General Strike saying that it was in the process of establishing their own trade union center as it wanted to have only one trade union at a work place decimating all other trade unions. In 1988/89 JVP/DJV killed trade union leaders such as L.W. Panditha and George Ratnayaka, two Communist stalwarts.
A person who is well-informed about how trade union movement in Sri Lanka evolved overtime from colonial days, winning over every suppression and how trade unions fought for workers’ rights and their victories would not make such a foolish suggestion. Voters should question the NPP, are you going to fill the Parliament with this type of fools?
In a way it is good if the NPP disbands its own trade unions. NPP trade unions were responsible for disrupting public life over the years. If people like Lal Kantha, Samarasinghe, Handunnetti, Mahinda Jayasinghe, Jayatissa, Namal Karunaratne, Vidyararatne, Hewage, Jayalal et al enter the parliament NPP trade unions will be left abandoned leaderless and they will not be able to organize any trade union action against their own government. But the biggest question is if it disbands its own trade unions how could they extort Kappan money from big businessmen and industrialists showing a façade of industrial peace?
If the trade union leaders of NPP still pay lip service to Marxism they should understand that even Russia after establishing a workers’ government never disbanded trade unions. For the NPP amateurs we recommend that they should read at least Lenin’s Collected Works Volume 32. In a speech made in 1920 criticising Trotsky’s theoretical mistakes and glaring blunders” Lenin stated: Trade unions are not just historically necessary; they are historically inevitable; they are historically inevitable as an organization of the industrial proletariat”.
Finally, we warn the Colombiens that the slithery predator adopted to life in different environments, now enjoying bourgeois luxuries, consummate food, designer ware, flashy limousines and living in plush mansions can change colour with the time.
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