{"id":50966,"date":"2016-01-12T13:36:41","date_gmt":"2016-01-12T19:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=50966"},"modified":"2016-01-11T16:02:09","modified_gmt":"2016-01-11T23:02:09","slug":"aiyo-sirisena-the-president-sri-lanka-had-to-have-in-order-not-to-have-a-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2016\/01\/12\/aiyo-sirisena-the-president-sri-lanka-had-to-have-in-order-not-to-have-a-president\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Aiyo Sirisena\u2019- the President Sri Lanka had to have in order not to have a President"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Surangani Seneviratne<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

A year ago Sri Lanka elected a new president, Maithripala Sirisena to a chorus of \u2018democracy\u2019 and \u2018just government\u2019 cheering on from inside and outside the besieged island. Sirisena was the President Sri Lanka had to have in order not to have a President. The main stage the new President was placed on had a heading of \u2018democracy\u2019 and subtext of \u2018corruption\u2019 implying that the claimed injustice and nepotism of a previous era was to be erased and a new era of just government \/ \u2018Yahapalanaya\u2019 heralded. \u2018Corruption\u2019 and \u2018democracy\u2019 have become the war cry of regime change makers even prior to the events that have resulted in deadly consequences in the middle east and elsewhere an \u2018Arab Spring\u2019 was sprung upon the people. Yet Sri Lankans, if the 2015 Presidential election and subsequent General election were fair and the results not manipulated by high tech devices, appear to have voted for a change that had disastrous consequences elsewhere.<\/strong> While Maithripala Sirisena is feathering his nest in many ways than the literal- refurbishing the Presidential abode, he appears not to have read the memo that said his main task is to abolish the Executive Presidency. Is Sirisena heading to his Siri Sangabo days- chopping off his own head? He is not a virtuous Buddhist or shown any characteristics of a man willingly give up power and leadership. So the man who likes to compare himself to the Polonnaruwa kings, fall by his own sward?<\/p>\n

Maithripala Sirisena made headlines in the international media not on 8th<\/sup> January, 2015 as the winner \/ President elect of the \u2018new\u2019 Sri Lanka. But a few days ago, as the clueless and pointless leader of a little nation for his remarks on the behaviour of a hormonally charged teenage girl at Enrique Iglesias concert. In January, 2015 the international media was focused on Mahinda Rajapakse trying to justifying his surprise loss at the Presidential elections and completely ignored the new Presidential elect \u2013 Maithripala Sirisena. Was Sirisena so stricken by the loss of limelight in January, 2015 that he has to rectify this? The Stingray comments by Sirisena made the bra throwing incident that was best forgotten into an international event. And the President subject of ridicule not only within the nation, mainly in the international media \/ community.<\/p>\n

Is Maithripala Sirisena just a clueless leader? Were his comments on the bra throwing incident due to bad advice from his team? Or was he setup by those in the wings, with ambitions and yearning for the Nobel Peace Prize? Only a few days earlier Maithripala Sirisena was puffed up as the potential recipient, chosen one for the Nobel Peace Prize 2016, a prize given lately to those blatantly towing the line for the status quo. Ranil Wickremasignhe had always looked towards Norway, prayed and said \u2018Amen\u2019 to every agreement \/ demand to get this worthless peace prize. Would Ranil be happy to see Sirisena receive the prize that he sold the nation for? In the final analysis, Sirisena had very little to gain from the \u2018Bra-gate\u2019 \/ bra throwing incident. If he was appealing to the conservative and religious elements of the population, especially among the Sinhala Buddhist, to gain popularity. It may have done more damage than good- drawing attention to his government policies and behaviour of members of his administration. After all, the girl who lost her bra was closely connected to his own select group \/ the daughter of one of his henchmen! By focusing on \u2018Sunscruthiya\u2019 \/ culture, he brought attention to what his own Ministers are doing to the \u2018culture\u2019 according to his own definition. Does what happens in Colombo night clubs fall within his definition of \u2018culture\u2019? Or the said destruction of this \u2018culture\u2019? They throw more under garments than a bra, and known to use whipping though no Stingrays are harmed!<\/p>\n

A video currently doing the social media rounds – the deleted video of President Sirisena\u2019s Official Song for 2016 – does not help the Sirisena cause. The music video depicts Sirisena as chosen by Kings of the Polonnaruwa reign as a suitable candidate to build and protect the nation. It is so cringe worthy that it has been shelved by the Sirisena camp in hindsight. The President himself would have had some input and has participated in the production of this video. Whatever the case maybe it indicates Sirisena\u2019s lack of insight and refinement. Raises the question if Maithripala Sirisena is suitable to occupy the President\u2019s chair even for a brief moment- until he reads the memo to abolish the Executive Presidency.<\/p>\n

The Sirisena backers say it is his lack of worldliness as a son of a farmer who rose to high office and politics that makes him a worthy leader. If his lack of refinement was accompanied by wisdom and humility, Sirisena would have been on the same stage as leaders of nations, especially from Latin America (such as Jos\u00e9 Mujica) that rose to power from very humble origins. And he would have been hounded by US \/ EU if that was the case. Instead Sirisena was handpicked by these powers for these reasons. They had the foresight to see his ambition, greed and deceitful nature. The man handpicked by them to guide Sri Lanka on a certain destination beyond the task of abolishing the Executive Presidency is becoming a figure of ridicule. And this suits the benefactors abroad and within the island waiting in the wings. They will set him up to fail and ridicule him until he is expendable. From Colombo to Washington they will have their \u2018Aiyo Sirisena\u2019 moments.<\/p>\n

The movers and shakers in Colombo had already whispered and at times had a few cocktails reflecting on Maithripala Sirisena\u2019s faux pas and lapses. Sirisena\u2019s dress sense when representing the nation was a topic of conversation. It may have been matter of the Presidential entourage not assisting him to put his best foot forward. Or a complete absence of a wardrobe coordinator in the Presidential team. There were several \u2018Aiyo Sirisena\u2019 moments when he met the Queen of England and at the Commonwealth Heads meeting. His wardrobe \/ attire reflected his confusion at times, and he did not appear to look like the leader of nation. Sirisena looked more like the junior staffer from an office in Dakar. His lack of attire when meeting the Queen may have been forgiven by the Colombo elite when he pointed out the Queen\u2019s own lack of attire \u2013 the gloveless hand shake. Which Sirisena proudly advertised and was well received in some circles in Colombo!<\/p>\n

Maithripala Sirisena, much to the delight of the Colombo elite \/ his \u2018International Community\u2019 backers has lately taken to wearing a \u2018mini Modi\u2019 wardrobe- white top and cloth dressed over by a sleeveless \u2018Nehru\u2019 jacket. This reflects Sirisena\u2019s demeanour \u2013in the style of \u2018Mini- Me\u2019 in the movie, \u2018Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me\u2019. Sirisena will say \u2018yes, sir\u2019 to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi anytime and all the time. \u2018A bridge connecting India from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka\u2019- Modi said. \u2018Yes sir, how high do I build it sir\u2019 says Maithripala Sirisena\u2019s \u2018mini Modi\u2019.<\/p>\n

The Yahapalana\u2019s new Sri Lanka has a growing brigade of \u2018brown shirts\u2019 \/ a police force that would put Hitler\u2019s Gestapo to shame. Sirisena is not shy to use them on revenge and repression attacks on civilians, especially those that support the former President Mahinda Rajapakse. He has even used their services to persecute victorious military personnel that defeated the LTTE. In the sidelines is his Prime Minister- Ranil Wickremasignhe, who bent over backwards to accommodate the wishes of the LTTE and made no attempt to address the carnage by this deadly terror group on the civilian population. Then there is Chandrika Kumaratunga still carrying ambitions of high office. And a parliamentary majority consisting of swingers \/ bed hoppers that swing from one party to the other as fast as they jump from one bed to another. All of them willing to bring back the LTTE and place them in power \/ terrorising the civilian population from north to south. Maithripala Sirisena is well placed to abuse the powers of Executive Presidency he is still presiding over! Within twelve months he has succeeded in executing all abuses of power he accused the former President \/ the Rajapakse\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Where will the blundering Sirisena end? Behind him are two ambitious former Presidents \u2013 Ranil and Chandrika- who chose him to do their bidding and set him up to be the fall guy. Maithripala Sirisena may be from Polonnaruwa, but he is no Parakramabahu. It is a case of when the sword will fall on Siri Sangabo Sirisena!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Surangani Seneviratne A year ago Sri Lanka elected a new president, Maithripala Sirisena to a chorus of \u2018democracy\u2019 and \u2018just government\u2019 cheering on from inside and outside the besieged island. Sirisena was the President Sri Lanka had to have in order not to have a President. The main stage the new President was placed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-forum"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50966\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}