By S. I. Keethaponcalan –
Dr S.I. Keethaponcalan
President Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated by the incumbent Maithripala Sirisena fair and square in the January 2015 presidential election. Yet, Rajapaksa is not convinced that he has lost the election because he still retains overwhelming support within the Sinhala community. Therefore, instead of retiring from active politics and enjoying his retirement benefits, he continue to be in a state of semi-retirement. Now, he seems to be coming out of the semi-retirement and engaging in active politics. A couple of days back he declared that he will continue to fight for his people, even if he is thrown into jail.
Opposition Leader?
Originally, Rajapaksa and his supporters wanted him to be appointed the prime ministerial candidate of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) in the forthcoming parliamentary election. This seems like a distant dream. While retaining the demand, Rajapaksa now performs tasks of the opposition leader, unofficially. He criticizes the president (and segment of) the government headed by the United National Party (UNP). In a way, he is performing an important task because, as of today, it is not clear who is the real opposition leader. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is in the government, as well as the opposition. Recently, Rajapaksa criticized the government for removing military camps and downsizing the military presence in the Northern Province, the predominantly Tamil region. He will continue this role until parliament is dissolved and fresh elections are held. His strategies could change with the new election.
What does Rajapaksa’s active politics mean for him and the country? Ideally, Rajapaksa would like to be the president. This became impossible with the introduction of the 19th Amendment to the constitution. The Amendment reintroduced the two-term limit. Within the legal framework of the country, the best Rajapaksa could achieve is the premiership. Rajapaksa supporters are organizing a series of meetings, the so called “bring back Mahinda” rallies, to demonstrate that he has adequate support within the Sinhala community to become the prime minister and to force the president, the leader of the SLFP, to appoint him the prime ministerial candidate. Now, it is clear that Rajapaksa openly encourages these meetings.
Peace Talks
Defying orders of the present leadership of the party, an increasing number of SLFP parliamentarians are attending the Rajapaksa meetings. It is reported that more than 70 parliamentarians from the UPFA attended the Matara rally. Most of them should be from the SLFP. This clearly demonstrates the challenges President Sirisena faces in retaining complete control over his party. The Rajapaksa rallies and demonstrations also place Sirisena under tremendous pressure.
Succumbing to this pressure, Sirisena met Rajapaksa for a “peace” talk. Insiders say, Rajapaksa demanded the premiership. A significant aspect of the meeting was that it imparted the impression that two equal parties were meeting. For example, a round table was used for the “talks.” It is not clear whether the use of a round table was accidental or demanded by the former president. This author wouldn’t be surprised if it was indeed demanded by the Rajapaksa group. The shape of the table has a meaning in relation to the status of the parties that are meeting. If it was intentional, Rajapaksa still believes that he is equal to the president of the country. This author is also not sure if Rajapaksa ever treated former president Kumaratunga as an equal after he became the president.
The Rajapaksa-Sirisena meeting produced no results. It however, elevated the status and confidence of the former president. Rajapaksa was supposed to be a mere retired president; not a political heavy-weight. Rajapaksa’s criticism of the president and the government have become vocal in the post-meeting period. Now, the president has appointed a committee to coordinate with Rajapaksa. This confirms the significance of the Rajapaksa factor as he cannot be simply ignored. Instead of taking on the Rajapaksa challenge, President Sirisena seems to be exposing his weaknesses. This will further embolden the former president and will further elevate his status. Sirisena believes that he can retain unity of and control over the party by appeasing Rajapaksa. He is unlikely to succeed because Rajapaksa will bring more pressure on the president.
Can Rajapaksa achieve anything substantial politically with his present strategy of challenging the president? It is doubtful. Rajapaksa has two major problems. First, the constitution will work against Rajapaksa’s aspirations. He cannot become the president again. Also, despite the introduction of the 19th Amendment, the president retains the power to appoint the prime minister. Even if Rajapaksa contests the next election and enter parliament and have enough members of parliament to support him, ultimately, it is the president who appoints the prime minister. Sirisena, is smart enough to comprehend the dangers of appointing Rajapaksa as the prime minister. It would be suicidal. Therefore, Sirisena will not appoint Rajapaksa as the SLFP’s prime ministerial candidate. He was clear about that.
The only option available to Rajapaksa is to lead his own party and contest the next parliamentary election. This is where Rajapaksa has his second problem. He is too loyal to his party, the SLFP. Since he is so committed to the SLFP, he will not easily decide to formally split the SLFP. Recently, Rajapaksa blamed other SLFP leaders for dividing the party. This is an indication that leading a separate political entity in the general election will be the last option. To form his own party, Rajapaksa needs to break the SLFP and take a substantial number of its members away. Either way, he cannot continue his present strategy for too long. Once parliament is dissolved, Rajapaksa will be forced to decide whether he can continue to stay in the background and encourage dissidents of the SLFP or take a direct role in leading his group.
Also, even for Rajapaksa supporters, it is not clear if they can win enough seats to form a government without the SLFP’s electoral machinery. The machinery is controlled by Sirisena or the group loyal to him. Therefore, at this point in time, one may assume that the chances for Rajapaksa to lead a separate group in the general election is very remote. Rajapaksa is simply trying to bring the SLFP under his control, which he believes will allow him to form the next government.
Consequences
Although, Rajapaksa’s present strategies have complicated the political milieu in the country, the consequences are relatively clear. First, Rajapaksa’s actions have seriously divided the SLFP. Now there are two major factions within the party; the Rajapaksa faction and the Sirisena faction. Despite President Sirisena’s attempts to forge greater unity within the party, it will face the election as a divided entity. This, on the other hand, should benefit the UNP. Therefore, in an immediate parliamentary election the UNP would have an added advantage.
Second, Rajapaksa is undertaking an extremely racist campaign. In the immediate aftermath of the presidential election he blamed the “Tamils” for his electoral defeat. Now, with the intention of winning Sinhala votes, he claims that government policies are paving the way for the reemergence of the LTTE terrorism. The argument is that he should come back to power to protect the motherland from the Tamils. He and his supporters want an iron grip on the Tamil population. Any conciliatory measures by the government towards the minorities will be depicted as a sellout of the motherland. Consequently, the government will be hesitant to make any conciliatory measures aimed at improving ethnic relations. Rajapaksa politics therefore, will slow down real peace and ethnic reconciliation.
Counter Strategy
It appears, President Sirisena spends more time trying to resolve problems created by Rajapaksa than actually governing the country. It has obviously become a worry for him. What can he do? He should in fact test the limits of Rajapaksa’s resolve rather than trying to appease him. Appeasement should be the last option, not the first. The dissolution of parliament will force Rajapaksa to make decisions. Also, perhaps, Hirunika Premachandra was right when she said that the president should have taken disciplinary action against the SLFP members who participated in the first bring back Mahinda meeting in Nugegoda. This would have discouraged others from participating in the subsequent meetings. He could have also avoided having peace talks with Rajapaksa.
*Dr. S. I. Keethaponcalan is Chair of the Conflict Resolution Department, Salisbury University, Maryland.
Amarasiri / June 19, 2015
Dr S.I. Keethaponcalan,
RE: Bring Back Mahinda?
“President Mahinda Rajapaksa was defeated by the incumbent Maithripala Sirisena fair and square in the January 2015 presidential election. Yet, Rajapaksa is not convinced that he has lost the election because he still retains overwhelming support within the Sinhala community.”
The reason is very simple.
He was the President when the Terrorists LTTE and their Mootal Veeran,and Mahinda Rajapaksa Buddy, VP was defeated. True, Sarath Fonseka was he True Hero, but Mahinda Rajapaksa was cunning to sideline the true hero.
MaRa MaRa Chatu MaRa Amana Mara…Cheating Mootals, Modayas and Fools..
So the the groups opposed to Mahinda Rajapaksa now need to educate the Modayas, Mootals, Fools, Morons and Imbeciles about Mahinda Rajapaksa.
This is a much harder task, because their average IQ is around 65.
Need hundreds of Sri Lanka Common Sense Pamphlets to educate the Modayas.
Thre are 25% American Modayas, 34% European Modayas and 48% Sri Lankan Modayas.
1 In 4 Americans Thinks The Sun Goes Around The Earth, Survey Says
1 In 3 Europeans Thinks The Sun Goes Around The Earth, Survey Says
1 In 2 Sri Lankans Thinks The Sun Goes Around The Earth, if you survey, it will show, based on Voting for Mahinda Rajapaksa.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/02/14/277058739/1-in-4-americans-think-the-sun-goes-around-the-earth-survey-says
A quarter of Americans surveyed could not correctly answer that the Earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around, according to a report out Friday from the National Science Foundation.
The survey of 2,200 people in the United States was conducted by the NSF in 2012 and released on Friday at an annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Chicago.
To the question “Does the Earth go around the Sun, or does the Sun go around the Earth,” 26 percent of those surveyed answered incorrectly.
In the same survey, just 39 percent answered correctly (true) that “The universe began with a huge explosion” and only 48 percent said “Human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals.”
Just over half understood that antibiotics are not effective against viruses.
As alarming as some of those deficits in science knowledge might appear, Americans fared better on several of the questions than similar, but older surveys of their Chinese and European counterparts.
Only 66 percent of people in a 2005 European Union poll answered the basic astronomy question correctly. However, both China and the EU fared significantly better (66 percent and 70 percent, respectively) on the question about human evolution.
In a survey compiled by the National Opinion Research Center from various sources, Americans seemed to generally support science research and expressed the greatest interest in new medical discoveries and local school issues related to science. They were least interested in space exploration, agricultural developments and international and foreign policy issues related to science.
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sumith / June 19, 2015
MR got 5.8 million votes.
If he go alone some of the votes remain with SLFP with MY3.
So MR will get much less than 5.8 million votes.
Then MR don’t have the state resources for election he will loose further votes.
Some electorates it depends on the candidates not MR’s populairty. so further deterioration.
MR knows he will never get majority and PM post. That’s why he is so desperate and resort to beg MY3 for the PM post.
MY3 style is he will wait for opponent to corner himself then do the sucker punch. If MY3 had been in active in his political career he would have been dead like other possible PM candidates like Kathir, Jeyaraj, CV etc..
Further while MR playing all sort of tricks for 3rd term MY3 rose in 11th hour and finished off MR.
Wait to see how MY3 plans the general election and deliver the sucker punch to MR. Anyway MY3 hold all aces MR nothing other than beg MY3 for PM post.
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Leelawathie / June 19, 2015
Now the numbers are not 5.8mio
It is lower than 4.8 mio. In the days to come, they will declare the gravity of fund grabs by him – will further reduce it to 2.8 or so.
Those who make every effort to bring the bugger back to the stage will have no chance. Gone are the days, people were fooled, but Meeharakas will have to go on eating thanakola that long to get it… half the nation are fools as found nowhere. Only introducing new form of fodder only, give them a life again. Be them literate or not, most will stay as if real harakas. That is the problem in srilanka.
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Analyst / June 19, 2015
Why do we need to see this deposed thugs gigantic cut outs. I thought this kind of publicity is against the YAHAPALANAYA. ETHOS.
This kind of publicity should be banned he is not a leader .
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justice / June 19, 2015
Today, Vitarana is reported to have proposed that Namal R should be appointed prime minister !!
This old leftist’s brain is addled to this extent!!
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Amarasiri / June 19, 2015
Bring Back Mahinda?
Mootals, Modayas and Baiyyas are all discontented. They need MaRa guidance.
2/2 =0 etc.
Mahinda Rajapaksa worst lie ever told-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dt4A8MdEoE
NMaRa <MaRa Chatu Mara Amana Moda
Rajapaksha Jathakaya Rajapaksa Sagas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd_sxTugtrc
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Amarasiri / June 19, 2015
Bring Back Mahinda?
And Put Sarath Fonseka, Maitripala Sirisena and RW in Jail again?
Politics of revenge of Mahinda Rajapaksa regime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0UxJMyPPPU
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Ambedkar Reborn / June 19, 2015
Every SL voter who puts the country before their party loyalty must ask themselves what are the real motives of MR & Co in trying to come back to power at any cost.
Also must ask what will be the effect of MR & Co getting elected again will have on the progress of SL
as a sovereign country. If they come back will they continue to sell parts of SL soil as free hold lands to foreign powers ?
What will happen to the democracy and transparency which MR & CO are now making use to undermine MS who was elected by the people ?
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Vanguard / June 19, 2015
“Also must ask what will be the effect of MR & Co getting elected again will have on the progress of SL”
Elected as what? Minister?
According to the article:
He cannot be PM.
He cannot obtain SLFP nominations..
He can only split the party and form his own, which is unlikely to gain a majority.
It is President Sirisena who has Executive Powers this time. In MR will be under the authority of the President. What power will MR have to “sell out” or destroy “democracy and transparency?”
Does MR have some unseen powers that we are not aware of?
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Navin / June 19, 2015
A reasonable analysis; sensible suggestions.
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Peace Lover / June 19, 2015
Bring back MR bring back oh bring back my MR thats what K A Sumanasekera dreams and has wet dreams each night of the week ;-)
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Sunil Dahanayake / June 19, 2015
The writer used to be a political scientist attached to the University of Colombo. But his analysis of current political situation is a complete rubbish. He does not have any understanding of Sri Lanka common man’s feelings and expectations. If we ask some basic questions about the current political situation in Sri Lanka, from a three wheeler driver in Colombo, he would provide the better answers and analysis than this writer’s analysis.
My dear writer, do your home work and come up with an analysis and predictions that we can write, as a political scientist.
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Uthungan / June 19, 2015
It would be better for to elect a three wheeler driver because we would at least know for certain that, even if he shortchange us with his tampered his meter.,the country would not risk getting bankrupted as it would under MR.
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Navin / June 19, 2015
Sunil Dahanayake
You are a moron. It is highly unlikely you have understood anything the writer has stated.
Or is it simply that you are a MaRa shill?
If you think you are a genius why don’t you explain to us what is wrong with the writer’s analysis and suggestions? Of course that’s too much to ask of a dunderhead!
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Analyst / June 19, 2015
SUnil the Writer. Why don’t you do some research and come out with some facts and figures to expose how much your master has amassed from the coffers of poor Srilankans??
That will be more helpful to bang up the looter of the state and the citizens of Srilanka.
You and I know including the Modayas of SL that this man and the family is finished..
It is gutter politics and disgraceful trying to PROMOTE THE powerful thug of SL WHO WAS DEFEATED BY AN UNKNOWN CANDIDATE .NOW WITH BEGGING BOWL LOOKING FOR A CLEANER POST IN THE SRILANKAN PARLIAMENT. NEVER HEARD OF IN THE HISTORY.
ARE THESE FOLLOWERS AND THE SO CALLED MORONS TRYING TO FIND A PLACE IN THE MENTAL HOSPITAL OR SEND HIM TO EARLY GRAVE??
ANY RIGHT MINDED PEOPLE CAN READ THE WRITING ON THE WALL.. THIS MANS POLITICAL CAREER IS FINISHED. LET THE MAN ENJOY HIS RETIREMENT.
ALL HES DOING NOW IS VISITING PRISONS OR VISITING THE TEMPLES AND TRYING SPREAD RACISM.
ITS NOT HEALTHY FOR A SO CALLED EX PRESIDENT. HE CAN GO TO GALLOWS FOR SPREADING LIES AND PLAYING RACE CARD.
PATHETIC MAN HAS LOST THE GREY MATTER COMPLETELY.
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punchinilame / June 19, 2015
The writers alanysis appears to be logical. This BBM campaign should have been nipped in
the bud, however MS thinking under “good governance” gave way to MR taking the upper-hand. With time, the pressure on MS has increased is obvious by his actions. A webnews
reads that H.E. has instructed the IGP/AG that Gota must not be arrested without his
express permission. Elesehwere, Gota has claimed that he will not enter politics even
as a National List Member. If these positions are true, it can be interpreted that MS
life has been threatened by devious ways and these stands are a give-and-take or back-
scratching modes of SL politicians? If Gota is to be used in the Island-wide BBM campaign and has some success, Gota will be forced to enter Parliament, to “save” himself
from ICC charges that are inevitable. If corruption charges are concluded the turning
point can be achieved by MS, however if it is to be used as only a political slogan, it
will be a hard going for both MS and RW.
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Vanguard / June 19, 2015
Dr. Keethaponcalan I liked your article. I shall not call it well balanced as that will undoubtedly generate negative thoughts on the part of readers.
There are some things you say, however that need to be clarified.
“Yet, Rajapaksa is not convinced that he has lost the election because he still retains overwhelming support within the Sinhala community.”
Later on you say “In the immediate aftermath of the presidential election he blamed the “Tamils” for his electoral defeat”
So he does acknowledge his defeat, I do not think it is correct to say he is ‘not convinced he lost’. He may have thought that foreign governments had a hand in his defeat, however that is not known for sure.
This talk of “bringing back” Mahinda Rajapaksa is really a red herring. He cannot be brought back as president. He will not get the SLFP nomination for prime minister, according to reports. So what are we bringing him back to? Parliament? Maybe. I really do not see the point in talking about ‘Bringing Back’ except for fear-mongering which has been quite popular the in political arena.
“If it was intentional, Rajapaksa still believes that he is equal to the president of the country.” I don’t know how you know what he believes, just because he is met at a round table discussion. Leave it at that.
You go on to say:
“First, Rajapaksa’s actions have seriously divided the SLFP. Now there are two major factions within the party; the Rajapaksa faction and the Sirisena faction”
It is the action of his supporters that have caused the split. You bring up former president Chandrika Kumaratunga, why did her supporters not cause a split in the party? Maybe it is her actions that have caused the split? Or is it her supporters in the SLFP after all? The former President has a lot of support still, and that is the reality.
“Second, Rajapaksa is undertaking an extremely racist campaign. In the immediate aftermath of the presidential election he blamed the “Tamils” for his electoral defeat. Now, with the intention of winning Sinhala votes, he claims that government policies are paving the way for the reemergence of the LTTE terrorism”
I do not see a racist campaign. He should have been more diplomatic to say that the TNA and SLMC (and the UNP) were to blame for his defeat. But that is not racist. That is his opinion, blaming political parties that officially supported President Sirisena cannot be construed as racist.
You go on to say
“He and his supporters want an iron grip on the Tamil population. Any conciliatory measures by the government towards the minorities will be depicted as a sellout of the motherland..”
There are several things here: first of all, it is pure conjecture to say what he and his supporters want. They were losing their party control over the Nothern Province anyway. Depicting a sellout and so on is well within the rights of the former President to express his opinion. As a citizen he can do that? Do you expect him to change his stripes as it were, now, assuming he was biased in the first place?
“Consequently, the government will be hesitant to make any conciliatory measures aimed at improving ethnic relations. Rajapaksa politics therefore, will slow down real peace and ethnic reconciliation.”
“
The politics of the Bring Back MR program are a political reality. It simply has to be dealt with – possibly President Sirisena has a way to deal with all these problems, after all he asked for it.
“He could have also avoided having peace talks with Rajapaksa.”
I think having the decency to be able to hold formal talks with the previous President speaks great volumes on the character of President Sirisena. Why would you suggest anything else?
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Thamilan / June 19, 2015
Can someone (maybe Dr.Dayan) forward this article to ex President Rajapakse and get his response please??
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Rajash / June 19, 2015
translate in Sinhala please before forwarding
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Kumaran / June 19, 2015
I agree with one thing: unless the elections are held SOON, things will be tough for the My3/RW. The reason is obvious. Delays in implementing urgent work, suspect corrupt activity in high places, increasing costs of living, and people get fed-up and go looking for change.
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Dionysius / June 19, 2015
Dear Editor
It would be good if Colombo Telegraph followers read such articles carefully and attempt to understand their content before rushing to publish comments that only display ignorance. The article is an objective analysis of the pros and cons of MR’s political future, in light of what’s currently going on. We should read it and give thanks the author has taken the time to explain things to us. Instead, many of us, seemingly unable to understand simple English, or unwilling to do so, rush in with abusive and crude comments. Aren’t we behaving like modayas?
Dionysius
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Rajash / June 19, 2015
Absolutely agree. The articl is not an analysis why MR lost the election but what options MR have and ros and cosn of it
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Ajith / June 19, 2015
We all assume that Mahinda is very popular among Sinhalese. How far this assumption is valid? When it comes to SLFP as a political party, voters can be grouped as those loyal to party, voters loyal to Chandrika, voters loyal to Maithiri and voters loyal to Mahinda. For the SLFP voters, the choice is to vote for SLFP or Vote for Mahinda? What will happen to those SLFP MPs who wants to join Mahinda group? Are they going to contest in Mahinda’s party leaving the SLFP? Are they prepared to loose their existing benefits? Will they take a risk? What is the policy of Mahinda party? “I will stop LTTE coming back” is enough? What is he going to do stop LTTE? He and his group says that we have eliminated LTTE here but threat of Dispora Tamils is still active? Where is Diaspora Tamils? Are they in China? They are in the west? Can Mahinda get the support of the West to deal with Diaspora threat?
The motive of Mahinda is very clear. He wants to take revenge against Maithiri, Chandrika and those people who voted against him. He will bring back Gotapaya and Basil. He will assasinate all Tamil and Muslims leaders. He will assasinate Maithiri and Chandrika. He will assasinate all the judges and civil service officers.
Bring Back Mahinda movement will bring back Terror!
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Rohan Polwatte / June 19, 2015
If our SINAHLA[Edited out] wants rapassas to come after knowing the damage done to the country then we need to analyze the pathetics situation we have in our country. Literacy rate more than 90%, but know intelligence to understand who[Edited out]? IS that the idiot sinahla philosophy? Even the monks? [edited out] That why I will never worship a buddhist monk unless some one like sobitha thero.
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sach / June 19, 2015
Rajapakse is the BEST president SL has ever seen..show me a better one
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Lanka Liar / June 19, 2015
My3
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sach / June 19, 2015
what has Mi3 done to SL?
MR defeated LTTE, ended war and brought peace, recorded the biggest growth rate which is 7.4%. It was only during his period SL was a strong enough to fight for its rights..
what did Mi3 do? Let me give you the popular answer….bringing 19 and reducing president powers? LOL
the president is a post and its powers are part of the power structure of the country not his personal wealth. If he cannot handle such power, he should not have run for it. and shelve his responsibility towards the country’…
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peiris / June 20, 2015
Exactly right.Why accept a position which you can’t handle just for self satisfaction?Also don’t forget the betrayal of his own party and the ruling party.In most counties it would be unacceptable.Wake up Sri Lanka.
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Sylvia Haik / June 19, 2015
“Bring Back Mahinda” It is true, Whom the Gods wants to destroy, they first make them mad. The motive for Mahinda to get back into politics is to keep himself and his cohorts from going to jail but I don’t understand these deaf, dumb and blind idiots who delude themselves he is a saint and should be back.
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sach / June 19, 2015
So this S. I. Keethaponcalan is saying the 58 lakhs of people who rejected Mi3 should not have a political right to have their representative? Isnt it that this person is saying? What about democracy then? These people should not have the democratic right because they support Rajapakse?
The only reason for this confused situation is a president appointed by UNP votes have hijacked the SLFP leaving the true SLFP supporters who rejected the UNP candidate without any representation.
Had Mi3 was made the UNP leader, this wont arise. This is the lowest level of democracy this country has ever seen.
Between his campaign is not racist…when he meant tigers, it means LTTE and not Tamils…Mangala having meetings with LTTE proxies before election,,well that explains it.
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Ajith / June 19, 2015
Mahinda said he lost the Election by Tamils, not LTTE. You don’t understand democracy or mathematics. Maithiri got more than 58 lakhs which is greater than Mahinda got. Maithiri was not elected by UNP. He was elected by people of Srilanka despite Mahinda was violated laws of the country during election. You don’t know how many SLFP/UNP supporters voted for Mahinda or Maithiri. It is the SLFP who decides who should represent SLFP in the election, not Mahinda or Weerawanse or Vitharane. the whole world know how Mahinda hijacked victory of Sarath Fonseka in 2010 and Ranil Wickremasinghe in 2005 after paid billions to LTTE.
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sach / June 19, 2015
First he categorically said eelamists…
And second you dont know anything about democracy..that is not surprising given you backed a megalomaniac for ages
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Navin / June 20, 2015
The Punnakku Sac as usual talking through its ars.
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Ram / June 19, 2015
” The argument is that he should come back to power to protect the motherland from the Tamils “
On the very day that an article appears in the ‘Hindu’ that most of the diaspora Tamils were opposed to the LTTE and now want to return to Sri Lanka, the above statement is rather obnoxious. The author attempts surreptitiously to imply that the LTTE was all encompassing. We know it wasn’t then and it isn’t today.
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Mohamed Marzook / June 19, 2015
MR in his lust for power, pride and wealth was misled by his family, associates and the sooth-sayer. Now he wants to come back to again to achieve his wishful ambitions also misled by bankrupt politicians like Wimal, Dinesh, Udaya, Vasu and the like who can never enter Parliament without riding on others back who are using for their advantage MR’s foolishness and some support he has from a section of the Sinhalese for his communal ways. Their end together will be disgraceful.
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Ranil Wijeyesekera / June 19, 2015
The people have spoken. A lot of peole are kepping their feet on both sides.Mr is claiming support as a true SLFP and a sinhal buddhist. He claims he got the sinhal buddhist vote. His claim was based on a media bliz and use of government resources and money from private sector recieved on promise of favours. His bluff has being called.
The maha sanga anusasana was ignored by him. Ms and RW have introduced vital legistlature to prevent corruption. They have taken action againts manymiscreants wether drugsd,gambling or the corrupt.They have acted fairly and not pressurised the police and court as MR did. The maha sanga are therefore with him and the sinhal buddhist vote.
The SLFP stand for a policy. It was definitily againts Mr’s corrupt practices shown earlier. It was againts neocolonosiam. Backing China only meant having to toe the line at a great loss but persernally rewarding.
He supported the catholic pope. catholism in Sri Lanka has its own flavour. The pope gained loyalty by making a cardinal. The catholic church has interfered in World affairs as the biggest offender. He weeded out loyalist to the SLFP ideals. He granted favoure more to non SLFP UPFA and UNP people to play a numbers game.
CB appointed MR as PM without AB. He withheld support to CB. He threw her out as president of the Party and gave her no role. now he is asking the opposite. It was Mr who changed the party constitution.Therefore the member of the party who becomes President becomes president of the Party with sweeping powers he created. Now he is saying it is unfair.
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Lanka Watch / June 20, 2015
The author of this article has just put the fright into the people that MR clan is making a come back, listening to hearsay from sources in the UK but has not properly analysed the ground situation. It is true that hue and cry is raised in meetings to bring back MR but who are the sponsors & organizers of these meetings and who funds them. They are the very same people like Vasu, Wimal,Dinesh and Tissa. There are no new comers on the stages and the same old team beats the drums in all the pro MR meetings. Mr. dulles Alahaperuma, hard core member of UFPA had also stated that SLFP is split and to their bad luck the SLFP machinery is in President’s hands. Not long time ago, retired Indian General Harikaran,who often writes in CT has said that President
has mastered the art of keeping the secrets to himself, unlike many other national leaders. He has 40 or more years experience in politics and had been a minister for number of years, more than any other minister and had been the secretary of the party,almost from inception,
under several prime ministers and Presidents and need lees to say that the Presidents is no fool
He is fortifying himself for a long stay at the helm from day 1 and
he keeps the plans to himself and may share some with very close confidants, who may not be even parliamentarians or Sri Lankans. Not even UNP is aware of his plans as we can see from his carefree conduct.
He has rounded up the International community, UN, India and the diaspora who did some damage to the country’s image in the past and homeland security is also being tightened by armed forces personnel
and Police. It is not come to the surface yet as to who is doing what but things are moving fast to steady the country. He has silenced the minorities, including TNA & SLMC by having an understanding with them personally, and not by exerting force.
Tell me which party that is vociferous against the govt., other that UFPA, only. He has a good relationship with both Mahanayake Theras and
high priests of many temples and got the backing of Sinhala Buddhists.
So, he has the international community, to back up him up, diaspora and
minorities, are kept happy, has friendly neighbours, Buddhist majority
supporting his ideas of coexistence and most importantly the support of the people all over the country and what else the President needs to run the country in the next term. He has also made way for three party contest to make certain that a national govt. will be formed in the end.
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Champa / June 20, 2015
Dr. S. I. Keethaponcalan
“Also, even for Rajapaksa supporters, it is not clear if they can win enough seats to form a government without the SLFP’s electoral machinery. The machinery is controlled by Sirisena or the group loyal to him.”
This is a completely wrong assumption. First of all, the present situ in the SLFP is a new phenomenon. You can’t find any example for such a situation in a party, in the past or present political history.
If we face the truth and talk about the truth, the ‘present’ Leader of the SLFP, Sirisena, is the ‘rival candidate’ who defected the party and contested under the opposition alliance at the last presidential election AGAINST the true Leader of the SLFP. This ‘combination’ doesn’t make any sense. However, it is a fact now. What is an electoral machinery of a party? You can define it at electorate level (local), district level and national level. As the Leader of the SLFP, Sirisena is a complete failure in garnering local, district or national level support. He became the President at a national level election through SLFP’s ‘rival votes’, while the majority of the SLFP voted for their Leader former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The statement that the SLFP machinery is controlled by Sirisena is completely fallacious. At the moment there is no interconnection between the party leadership and the local, municipal or provincial members. The SLFP supporters are farther away from the present Leader of the SLFP. Unlike the UNP, the foundation of the SLFP is their party loyalists in local electorates. Going ‘local’ is very important to SLFP. The mass membership of SLFP at ground level, district level and national level is with Mahinda Rajapaksa wholeheartedly. Sirisena is unable to discharge any obligation to party supporters at any level.
President Sirisena is Sri Lanka’s most unpopular leader of any party. Under him, the SLFP is a weak hollow shell. The growth of the SLFP is in a downward trend. He has lost his ability to ‘re-establish’ a meaningful connection with party supporters. On the contrary, those who are with Mahinda Rajapaksa receive meaningful roles to play in their political activities with overwhelming support from the the loyalists.
In every way, Sirisena is incapable of reinvigorating the SLFP. He is not in a position to handle SLFP election campaign at all. To whom is he going to depend on? Rajitha and Hirunika? Whoever who are with Sirisena (the group loyalty to him) have no identity. They don’t have strong roots at ground level or any capability of getting such support. In fact, SLFP loyalists have already made them ‘non-existent’ while everybody who supported Mahinda Rajapaksa have strengthened and sealed a bright political future already. For the handful of SLFP MPP who are with Sirisena, it is time to decide whether they prefer to “Go Local with Mahinda Rajapaksa” or “Go Home”.
There is no ‘split’ in the SLFP, in actual terms. SLFP members, supporters and loyalists who were with Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last presidential election are STILL with him even after he was defeated by a ‘rival candidate’ and lost his party leadership to the ‘rival. You cannot call it a ‘SPLIT’. In a decent world, it is called a ‘GRAVE INJUSTICE”.
By defecting the party and contesting against the rightful leader of the SLFP from a rival alliance, Sirisena himself made him a “non-native’ of the SLFP while President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the authentic “Twenty-Four-Carat” owner of the SLFP who has the support of almost every single loyalist of the party.
There is no hurry for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to take a decision right now. He can enjoy the limelight he always garner effortlessly and be at home with his loyalists and his ‘bring back MR’ campaigners. He knows already ”by heart’ what his loyalists ‘like’ him to do.
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kali / June 20, 2015
Dr S.I. Keethaponcalan
Your Choice of words leave a lot to be desired.
This is how yoy should have titled.
5.8 Million Sinkalams want to bring back the Fallen ” King”.
But in reality the Tsunami on the 8th January destroyed the Castle and the Kingdom has crumbled.
But the Echo from the Tamil Land is Bring Back the THUG before the UN report in September to bring Eelam a step nearer.
As for some of your observations let me give you my take.
1) Yet, Rajapaksa is not convinced that he has lost the election because he still retains overwhelming support within the Sinhala community. Therefore, instead of retiring from active politics and enjoying his retirement benefits, he continue to be in a state of semi-retirement. Now, he seems to be coming out of the semi-retirement and engaging in active politics. A couple of days back he declared that he will continue to fight for his people, even if he is thrown into jail.
*** Who told you that the THUG retired. He took a Career break which I would call Sabatical. He is coming back to preach his racist message.
2) MahindaWhat does Rajapaksa’s active politics mean for him and the country? Ideally, Rajapaksa would like to be the president. This became impossible with the introduction of the 19th Amendment to the constitution. The Amendment reintroduced the two-term limit. Within the legal framework of the country, the best Rajapaksa could achieve is the premiership. Rajapaksa supporters are organizing a series of meetings, the so called “bring back Mahinda” rallies, to demonstrate that he has adequate support within the Sinhala community to become the prime minister and to force the president, the leader of the SLFP, to appoint him the prime ministerial candidate. Now, it is clear that Rajapaksa openly encourages these meetings.
*** Reading the above sounds like you are revising loud for an exam.
3) Defying orders of the present leadership of the party, an increasing number of SLFP parliamentarians are attending the Rajapaksa meetings. It is reported that more than 70 parliamentarians from the UPFA attended the Matara rally. Most of them should be from the SLFP. This clearly demonstrates the challenges President Sirisena faces in retaining complete control over his party. The Rajapaksa rallies and demonstrations also place Sirisena under tremendous pressure.
*** Have you not heard of ” Honour ” killing if you bring shame on the family by breaking the Tradition of Ethnic Cleansing.
4) The Rajapaksa-Sirisena meeting produced no results. It however, elevated the status and confidence of the former president. Rajapaksa was supposed to be a mere retired president; not a political heavy-weight.
*** I am not sure who is feeding you with all this wrong information.
The meeting was intended to reassure the War winning CRIMNAL that MS & RW will do everything to stall Accountabilty and Reconciliation.
5) Rajapaksa’s criticism of the president and the government have become vocal in the post-meeting period. Now, the president has appointed a committee to coordinate with Rajapaksa. This confirms the significance of the Rajapaksa factor as he cannot be simply ignored. Instead of taking on the Rajapaksa challenge, President Sirisena seems to be exposing his weaknesses.
*** This is not a weakness. On the contrary it is a Strength of the Presidents character to fool the Tamils that the salavation to the Tamils lies in an internal mechanism with the help of people like Desmond the Twister.
6) Can Rajapaksa achieve anything substantial politically with his present strategy of challenging the president? It is doubtful. Rajapaksa has two major problems. First, the constitution will work against Rajapaksa’s aspirations. He cannot become the president again. Also, despite the introduction of the 19th Amendment, the president retains the power to appoint the prime minister. Even if Rajapaksa contests the next election and enter parliament and have enough members of parliament to support him, ultimately, it is the president who appoints the prime minister. Sirisena, is smart enough to comprehend the dangers of appointing Rajapaksa as the prime minister. It would be suicidal. Therefore, Sirisena will not appoint Rajapaksa as the SLFP’s prime ministerial candidate. He was clear about that.
*** I have had enough. If you read your Article again you will see that one minute you are saying
Srisena is “Daft ( Instead of taking on the Rajapaksa challenge, President Sirisena seems to be exposing his weaknesses)
Next minute you are saying Srisena is ” Smart”
Can I ask you which is correct.
Consequences
7) This, on the other hand, should benefit the UNP. Therefore, in an immediate parliamentary election the UNP would have an added advantage.
*** What makes you think UNP would have an added advnatage. The Parliamentary elections will be decided by the Majority of the Majority who voted for MR.
8) It appears, President Sirisena spends more time trying to resolve problems created by Rajapaksa than actually governing the country. It has obviously become a worry for him.
*** If you inherited a House with a pile of Rubbish you seem to be saying that you can make it habitable without clearing the Rubbish and giving it a steam cleaning.
How can I attend the House Warming Party when it is in a filthy state.
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Don Quixote / June 20, 2015
To think that MR will hesitate to split the SLFP is a mistake. He will not care a damn if it is benificial to him.
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piyal / June 20, 2015
The defeat of MR was witnessed as a result of the conspiracy by number of group.
1. There were number of groups in the country who made their life luxurious under the guise of peace builders known as NGO and INGO which was mushroomed in the country during the conflict period who wanted to get the revenge from MR as they lost the way of piping dollars to there account which majority ws used for their personal comforts.
2. Number of western countries wanted to stop he war against and go for peace talk with there intermediation. But MR refused their request and became stubborn character who did not turn back until crush the LTTE insurgency. They wanted to expel MR and bring him to international juridiction on fabricated matter of genocide. The countries are Mainly Norway, US, and britain. Canada also on side as the canadian tamil diaspora citizen has a considerable voting power.
3.TNL and other communal mindedTamil ethnic political party which was survived under the blessing of LTTE leader Prabhakaran. The illiterate and Tamil people being mislead by this political party of the tamil people inNorth and east fabricating falls propaganda again MR.
4.I here were statement made by certain group that Indian ROW also on behind of the campaign.
5. UNP the opposition party lost there fortune of becoming a ruling party of the country for another 2 decades or so after defatting the LTTE and killed Prabhakaran . Therefor they start a fresh campaigns to fabricate falls allegations against MR government and MR.
6. Millions of money being deployed by those groups in the campaign to bribes certain fragile politicians and opportunist and money greedy parties which build on Ethnicity basis.
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Sujiva Devarani / June 20, 2015
“Bring Back Mahinda?”
Why? You want your backside played again?
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Siripala / June 20, 2015
Sujiva,
You must read before you open your backside to speak. Haha.
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Native Vedda / June 20, 2015
Siripala
“You must read before you open your backside to speak. Haha.”
How come sach, Champa, Sinhala Buddha, Nuisance, ……. Dayan, Weerawansa, Mahindapala, ….. are allowed to open their backside to speak while they are sitting on their brain(?) and not others?
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Raz / June 21, 2015
Keethaponkalan did an election analysis against Mahinda during the time Fonseka stood against him and predicted that Mahinda will loose. But Mahinda failed his prediction let alone his wishes.As a Tamil nationalist and a sympathizer of the LTTE Keethaponkalan is writing what he believes in rater than the reality.
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Ranjith Gunawaradana / June 21, 2015
By ‘Bring Back Mahinda’ is worry about diehard UNP, CBK, MS Junta click, bunch of Trotskyist elites mainly, that Tamil-Trotskyist, JVP- anarchist, TNA separatists and JHU chauvinists and self appointment Maoist.
These are whole bunch reactionaries of all time, and in the four seasons misleading mass movement in heavy hand by MS junta holy alliance power and eager to very survival of Neo-Liberal Capitalist order that mainly an opposed progressive capitalist development in Sri lanka.
Ours underdevelopment and backwardness has certain social and economic roots of political disunity and deficit ; UNP led comprador bourgeoisie was much less equipped and less resolute in fighting against US and Indian big power than has been the national Burgiosise of Sri lanka.
But in an Island ,too economic weight of the sustainability of capitalist growth has steadily increased last 9 years under MR led SLFP policies. As independent capitalist relation development ,an MR les opposition movement grew in remarkably.
THE RISE OF NATIONAL BOURGEOISISE THAT ONGOING GROWTH AND PATH OF CAPITAL AND LABOUR WISHED TO REMOVED, THE POLITICAL,ECONOMICAL & SOCIAL OBSTACLES PRESENTED BY COMPRADOR BOURGEOISIE BY FEDUL AUTOCRACY, WHICH IMPEDED SUSTANABILITY CAPITALIST GROWTH AND TO BREAK ITS WAY TO REGAIN POLITICAL POWER BY MEANS OF DEMOCRACIC PATH IS FAMILAR WITH SRI LANKA MODEL OF DEMOCRACY.
Ours Bourgeoisie class led by MR is more national, PROGERSSIVE liberal after defeated which the political form of WAR led GUN politics rule of the dominated 30 years by UNP-Ranil & CBK-SLFP reactionaries class led the set of policies.
MR led policies are more Rational, Wise and Radical than 30 year war footing politics of run by UNP & CBK-SLFP.
MR all policies of economic development & political democracy is really progressive of that political nature and its action of democratic is concern.
Its MR led forces which liberated York of Tamil terrorism and Tamil Seperatraism of back by US and Indian re-colonization of Sri lanka.
That was national salvation and movement of democracy led by MR leadership of SLFP. MR has led forces has accomplished unfinished task of national Capitalism in future.
Crux of matter is not only that coming election is engaged with development of Democracy politics of Republic, its enlarge & engaged with economic Development as well.
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