28 March, 2024

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Choice Can’t Be Clearer; Existence Or Extinction

By Vishwamithra

“Ignore the noise and follow your own choice.” ~Anonymous

When one looks back on the pros and cons of the decision taken by the people in the 2015 Presidential Elections and the mandate it carried, after two and half years in power, the current administration does not have anything to brag about except one outstanding accomplishment of theirs. With all the alleged corruption and ineffective management of the country’s ailing economy, the very introduction of transparency aspect of governance where the government party’s own members were taken to task when found in want of proper and accountable conduct. Dismissal of Ravi Karunanayake from the Ministry of Finance in the wake of the conclusion of the Presidential Commission on the so-called ‘Bond-Scam issue is one conspicuous example of such transparency and accountability in governance. 

However, the optics of such a finding and what followed the findings were extremely injurious to the “Yahapalanaya” concept the government boasted about. In politics, it’s all optics, especially in the short run. The failure on the part of the Prime Minister to realize this fundamental aspect of politics is astonishing given the length of years he has been playing this game of politics.  That is why most governments, especially the Rajapaksa regime, during their tenure, swept such numerous cases, found to be manifestly authentic, under the proverbial carpet. The following Ready-reckoner would indicate in a nutshell the various atrocities brought upon the nation by the Rajapaksa clan: 

Ready-reckoner of corruption, murders and intimidation by Rajapaksa and Company

  • November 9 and 10, 2012 Prison attack – 27 killed 
  • On 13 January 2013 Impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake
  • On 8 February 2010 by Military Police arrested General Sarath Fonseka
  • Disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda since 24 January 2010
  • August 1, 2013 three persons were killed including two students in Rathupaswela
  • Katunayake
  • Unanswered heinous crimes against journalists and media institutions
  • May 2008: Keith Noyahr, Associate Editor and defense columnist of The Nation newspaper was abducted and beaten up.
  • January 6, 2009: The Sirasa Depanama Studio Complex was bombed by a group of assailants.
  • January 8, 2009: Not even 48 hours after the attack on the Depanama Complex, Senior Journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge was assassinated in Atthidiya.
  • January 23, 2009: Chief Editor of the Rivira newspaper Upali Tennekone was assaulted by a group that arrived on two motorcycles.
  • March 25, 2009: The office of the Udayan newspaper in Jaffna was attacked with a hand grenade.
  • June 1, 2009: Journalist Poddala Jayantha was abducted in Ambuldeniya, Nugegoda.
  • March 22, 2010: Attack launched on the head office of the Sirasa Media Network, leaving several of its employees injured.
  • July 30, 2010: Attack lanced on the Voice of Asia Media group which runs Siyatha TV and radio stations.
  • April 13, 2013: Head office of the Udayan newspaper attacked once again, making it the 33rd such attack on its office and journalists.

While no exceptional defense should or would be made for the so-called ‘Bond-Scam’ issue, a significant black mark against the current administration remains the ‘Bond-Scam’. Furthermore, even before any judicial findings were concluded, the Minister who was allegedly responsible for the scam was removed by the Prime Minister and those who were alleged to have committed this horrendous white-collar crime are behind bars. None of that sort happened during the regime of the ‘Rajapaksa and Company’. During that time all the alleged perpetrators were free to roam the street corners crowded by political and financial thuggery and allowed to indulge in their favorite pastime of newly defined governance. Galloping down the road to glory and self-enlargement with their Masters, the leeches of the past regime played their own despicable game of power-politics to a sinister end. In their game, the people were pawns and other insignificant pieces of trash. The deal makers and commission agents were the only VVIPs who could meet the Ministers and the King at their own behest.

While the voting public, who faithfully voted these caricatures of political trash into office successively in 2005 and 2009, unrelentingly supported the ‘Rajapaksa and Company’ to an intolerable limit, the then Opposition led by the current Prime Minister was in their own messy circumstance. Ranil’s leadership was challenged by a motivated group of second-tier leaders of the United National Party (UNP), led by Karu Jayasuriya and Sajith Premadasa. While Karu Jayasuriya was willing to go and did go all the way, Sajith decided to go so far and no further. This is an unbecoming conduct on the part of Sajith Premadasa. Sajith is nursing his own ambition to be the leader of the UNP, yet a pathetic show of vacillation is no trait of sound leadership. 

On the other hand, Navin Dissanayake, albeit the fact that he left the UNP and joined the Rajapaksa regime during the time of the war, (Navin’s father, Gamini Dissanayake, was brutally bombed down by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam) after joining the UNP, is enjoying the support of a clear majority of UNP parliamentarians. When parliamentarians ponder about their future leaders, there are three characteristics which stand out as crucial in determining that quality. 1. The leader should be a winner 2. He must possess decision-making capabilities, not vacillating 3. Inspire others. In all three categories, Navin Dissanayake is ahead of Sajith and the UNP parliamentarians seem to have realized that.

Well, that is all events yet to come. There may well be, as the saying goes, many a slip between the cup and the lip. In whichever case, either Sajith or Navin is infinitely better than any member of the Rajapaksa clan. For that matter, there is no second-tier leadership in either the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) or Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). The UNP can boast about a wealth of talent and experience in its second-tier: Sajith, Navin, Ruwan Wijewardene or Mangala Samaraweera could be miles ahead of any leader the SLFP or SLPP can field. 

Looking back on the list of atrocities committed by the Rajapaksa clan- as illustrated in the above list- any one single member of the Rajapaksa family or its associates has disqualified him or herself. That is clear as crystal, one would say. That is the realistic picture the current political landscape displays. Enveloped in a culture of corruption that has been taken hostage by politicians of all parties, enmeshed in dire straits of economic hardships and having come to terms with a degenerate lifestyle of being subservient to money and power, our people, in 2020, will again face a choice between realistic, decent and honest politics and perverted and debased practice of governance in the likes of the Rajapaksa-rule.

In whatever circumstances, Ranil Wickremasinghe, the present Prime Minister and leader of the UNP cannot be just discounted as a non-entity. His strengths purely lie in his experience as leader of his Party. However, the present coalition setup has managed to ruin Ranil’s image as a ‘good’ manager of the country’s economy. On top of that, the infamous ‘Bond-Scam’ and Ranil’s close affinity towards Ravi Karunanayake also have helped in this downward path of Ranil Wickremesinghe. But he does not seem to have given up on his ambition to be Sri Lanka’s next President. What seemed a few years ago a distant reality, Ranil’s ambition, as evidenced in the recently held local government elections, now seems almost dead.

In the clear context of a suitable candidate from the UNP to contest the next Presidential Elections, Ranil in fact is behind Sajith Premadasa and Navin Dissanayake. The UNP, although had a great history of bouncing back from near extinction, is now facing another frontier. In the international arena, populist politics is gaining grounds. Sri Lanka simply cannot escape from that political geography. In spite of history, the United National Party is now grappling with the geography of political thinking. A leader who can give the right expression to that prevailing current of politics would certainly have a better chance than any man or woman who is sinking in traditional politics. It is a choice between existence and extinction.

*The writer can be contacted at vishwamithra1984@gmail.com       

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Latest comments

  • 6
    2

    EXTINCTION without any argument!!! People’s hope for a peaceful country is extinguishing.
    Country is now taken over by mafia unidentified gun-&-gang. Chief incumbent of Kirivehera is shot along with another Buddhist priest. Before that two local politicians were shot dead. Before that some innocent civilians were shot dead.
    A SICKENING KILLING SPREE IS GOING ON while the President and the PM are busy in appointing more crooks to the Cabinet.
    Pathetic losers, the President and the Prime Minister should resign forthwith.

    • 1
      4

      You being a Buddhist should not complain. Karma is a Bitch.

      • 2
        0

        Burt
        What are you saying? Are you telling us to keep quite and let Karma do the job? Then there is no need for a Police Department, Legal Department and a Judiciary.
        .
        Man, if you think this is Karma, then I can give you a long list of people whom Karma has missed.

        • 0
          0

          typo – to keep “quiet” and ….

        • 2
          1

          “Then there is no need for a Police Department, Legal Department and a Judiciary.”

          No the Catholics, Muslims and Hindu’s believe in law and order. They don’t give shit about karma crap. :)

          Kataragama Devio screwed the yellow clad thugs for polluting its place of worship. You guys should keep this problem within the temple.
          I don’t say police should not investigate after all this could be a drug deal gone wrong. Drugs do affect general society.

      • 1
        1

        BURT the Cartoon character Catholic believe in KArma too. but, did you understand what you said.

        • 0
          1

          No we don’t believe in Karma. Its heaven or hell. If by accident I go to hell: will sure air condition the place .

      • 1
        0

        Really stupid Burt..why don’t you ask the UN to dissolve itself,

    • 2
      0

      He is talking about “Saving Mate Arajuna”. Sequel part two to follow “Saving Aloysius In-Law ” from extinction.

    • 3
      0

      Vishwa, shoddy thinking. We need alternatives to MR, RW and Sira.
      Sunil Handuntti or AKD are my choice for next Prez. if JVP’s 20 Amendment fails.
      This Corrupt Parliament of morons and vermin should b dissolved NOW.
      Both Mahinda Jarapassa and Bondscam Ranil WIckramasinghe are partners in turning SL parliament into a corrupt hole of maggots and using hate crimes against minorities to Divide, Distract, Rule and LOOT the people of Lanka.
      Destroying Institutions like CB.
      They, RW and MR and clown Sira must share the same prison cell.

    • 1
      0

      Killing spree is drugs. What I heard Spy agencies of foreign countries are involve dinthe drug all over the world. Almost every president, some president a lot more than the others, every minister, and Ranjan Ramanayake said 175 in the parliament have signed for Drug importing consignements. Why do we knowingly import Sugar from Brazil when we know thesouth america is ridden with drug exports. Besides, Sri lanka should inspect at the customs even the containers coming for embassies. the gvot has no plans to monitor the seas around. I think then foreign countries come and say buy ships and monitor the Chinese ships moving. Some thing like that is happening. Every time, Drug killings are connected with the provincial councils.

  • 3
    5

    Ranil should do the best he can during the rest of the term and then retire from politics and live his life as an elder statesmen advising the govt if asked for.
    With all the faults he is still one of the better politicians Sri Lanka has had.

  • 5
    2

    Good try,
    * 2009 Me and my vomiting partner were hiding under the Bed in old ICH next to President’s House, when Pirahparan sent his Air Force to Slave Island.
    2017
    * PS member Galkissa shot dead by AK 47 Fire
    * PS Member Karandeniya shot dead by AK 47 Fire
    * Chief Monk shot in Kiri Vihara.
    Thai is Yahapalana Security and Protection for our Inhabitants who suffered under Pirahaparan for 3 decades.
    Is it necessary to point out the Economic Vandalism sorry Achievements .
    * SLFP Daya takes 1 Million Santhosam and 5 years Grilling from Dr Ranil’s CID
    * UNP Sujiya gets 3.3 Million (or is it 30 Million) and issues a challenge on Hiru TV to prove that he took the money,
    And tell the TV Hosts he also can ask questions on TV,
    Wonder where Dr Ranil’s CID.
    *Chief Robber is hiding in Singapore
    * Dr Ranil , his best mate and Employment Agent when Yahapalanaya kicked in, says he doesn’t know where the Buddy is and hasn’t got his Mobile Number even.
    And Vishwa is trying to save Dr Ranil’s ass from extinction..
    How cool…

  • 2
    1

    I am sure that the majority of Sri Lankan will agree that there is a scope for a SL Macron to contest for the next Presidential election.
    Did Ranil promise the Rajapaksa clan that no cases will be brought against them soon after the 2015 election????
    Is that why they are still FREE!!!

  • 9
    1

    How can a man with any decency write about a rascal like Ranil in this style ? A fellow who pretends to be elite but is unnatural in everything ? Every February he goes a school boy cricket match to act the donkey -even this in his circles is being natural !
    This chap is not a leader , and will never have the support of the followers. So he manipulates to take away the right of the followers to remove him ! That is what he did in the UNP, now run like a private company owned by a few corrupt Colombo businessmen.

    His last time as PM he brought Mahendran his closest operative to the BOI where the two of them made money from investors.That time all investors had to entertain Mahendran and sometimes Ranil at Hilton.

    This time as PM, Ranil , Mahendran , Malik, Ravi and Kabir planned the Bond scam. Aloysious was the tool.The gods who curse Ranil somehow saved the country by exposing the racket. But already the buggers had made billions. But they had to spend a lot of that money to bribe their own MPs during the No confidence ! That is this man Ranil who you say is a leader !

    He should face criminal charges and be punished. that is the only way in which we can progress to become a modern society.

  • 1
    0

    vishavamithra: Ranil’s elelction promises were, he would prosecute teh thieves of the previous govt, He would provide One million jobs, Srilanka would become a Agricultural Technology, Information Technology hub, He would govern with Lichchavi-LMalla type govt, He would bring FCID. did Ranil do anything. Instead, Ranil and his most important lieutinents – GALLEON RAVI, Arjun Mahendran and Ranil himself were caught emptying the Bank. do you say Malik Smarawickrama and KAbir HAssim did not get Bond Scam profits. Why Do they hide the PCOL report. why Ranil had to clarify instead of going through questioning by the same FCID lawyers who knew the subject, Why there is a 124 (including the very new 6) Ministers now., why there was a NCM against RAnil, Why People are complain Lot of money from MCC and businessmen changed hands just before the NCM. Why Ranil again selected Almost all royal college Polite Beauru. Why Ranil is not talking about Ranil, Mangala Samaraweera, Arjun Mahendran;s connections with MCC Boss. why Sri lankan Money is found in Malaysia.

  • 8
    3

    Dear Wiswamithra,

    I am a village man from South. I have seen your articles many times and you are a paid coolie of the RW and UNP government. First of all when you write articles, write with your actual name.

    I think that your thinking and thinking of people of Sri Lanka is completely different. We never ever allow candidate from the UNP to become the next president of Sri Lanka. UNP has already ruined our country and destroyed Sri Lanka. We do not need .Treasure Hunters, Bank Robbers and Paga masters to govern our country again.

    We have also not forgotten the following incidents when UNP were in power.

    1. Killing of more than 20 000 youths during the 1988-1990.
    2. Stealing of democratic write to vote in 1983.
    3. Sacking and killing of government servants during July 1983 strike.

  • 0
    2

    The difference between This government and the previous one is that the previous government robbed the country left right and center but they never got caught, where as the present UNP government robbed once but got caught, also The UNP did all the bad things or didn’t do the good things, but there is one thing in this government which way better than everything else, that is it’s functioning like a proper democracy, which was extinct during the previous regime

    If the UNP propagate this properly they stand a chance, because people still value democracy more than anything.

    I am for Navin Dissanayake as the presidential candidate, he will stand much better chance than Ranil or anyone else

  • 4
    2

    Precisely. It is existence or extinction for Sinhala Buddhists again Similar to the choice before 2005. Had we chosen Ranil Wickramasinghe in place of Mahinda Rajapaksa we would have been extinct by now. Game plan this time around is more devilish. Dr David K on this column has enlightened us about the arithmetic involved – it is imperative that 100% minority votes are secured as UNP can expect only around 30% of Sinhala votes. In order to achieve this target further INTENSIFICATION of ethnic/religious devide and hatred towards the majority is a paramount requisite. We can see likes of Vishvamitra and Thisaranee Gunasekara working 24/7 over this task of brainwashing the minority minds with hatred and animosity towards the majority.
    Soma

    • 2
      3

      Soma,
      What Visvamitra said about Mahinda Regime was true and if you are a true Sinhala Buddhist you will not disagree with this statement. He only listed few things. It is Ranil who made the split in the LTTE and got Karuna Amman who was the primary factor to defeat LTTE. He didn’t mention about the creation of BBS by Mahinda and started his attack on Muslims IN Dumbualla followed by further attacks on Muslims in the South and even the recent attack was under the cover of Mahinda. It is the Ranil who saved Srilanka from the international pressure on war crimes and genocide. It is Ranil & Chandrika who saved Srilanka falling under dictatorship and extinction of Sinhalese.

  • 0
    0

    Vishwamithra ~ “Choice Can’t Be Clearer; Existence Or Extinction”.
    Certainly not extinction. We survived this through evolution in which the corrupt survive. The war is now for the fittest.
    We, the silent majority are allowed ‘existence’ mode but at subsistence level. This is very difficult in a ‘lawless/orderless’ atmosphere. The feed is language/religion-divide carrion. One day we will refuse this food and go back to vegetables.
    .
    All is not doom and gloom Vishwa.

  • 0
    0

    Presidential Commission on the so-called ‘Bond-Scam issue is one conspicuous example of such transparency and accountability in governance.

    I wonder if UNP is employing this guy to close stable after horse bolted. This spinning is way off track.
    I rarely read this writer these days. His flaws are normally indescribable mountains. PS leaving his job. The main accusation on him is he classified & stored the PCoI report for 30 years. In reality the report never came out. Few Lines from that was read out to media by EP for LG election propaganda. In other words, EP annotated that the CB looting was a private theft associated with UNP’s man. EP, during the LG campaign and he was reading out selected lines, did not mention that more than 120 political persons are paid from that proceed. The list is said to be in the report. There was always a talk, even Srikotta’s arrears electricity Bill was paid out by the theft proceeds. Today Mervyn said New King’s share on CB looting is 500 million and was given to his brother

  • 2
    1

    There many dangerous crimes of Old Royals, including war crimes are covered by UNP writers to satisfy Ranil. Having sought his acolytes’ writings, Ranil saved the Old Royals and filed charges against his personal enemy SLFPyers on vehicle abuse. Pillaiyan said to have mentioned that he was hired to target New King by Old King. Like Ranil’s precedent, his guy has listed sample dangerous crimes of Old Royals. All mass atrocities are dropped out of it, to protect Old Royals. He avoided mentioning the pending case of Resolution 30/1 of UNHRC. He missed 150,000 Tamils’ deaths. Remember, this guy didn’t forget to mention the notorious rowdy, library arsonist Dissanayake demise. This is his Sinhala hypocrisy hegemony.
    He always wrote anti- Tamil Essays here. So it is pointless take on him on this single one. But astonishing to watch is he did not mention the Aluthgama. Sinhalese, so far, has not seen Muslims as untouchable as much as Tamil. Even yesterday New King handed over the job of destroying completely Hindu Religion to Muslim Man. This guy is guiding the readers even against that Muslim Sinhala rule. That is the thickness of the writer’s racism. Did he mentioned White Vans, Grease Monster, largest SA drug Cartel, and even PMs signing the release of Alcohol and & Drugs containers. Did he know anything about Avant Grade? Yesterday Champika said if the investigation starts of coal buying from 2009-2013, he will provide the whole information. He said Coal deal is many times larger than CB looting.

    Are these hypocrisy writers are asking for Justice or are they asking impunity and exemption for their bosses and for their share from their bosses? What a shameless Laptop Journalism!

  • 1
    0

    Singapore is admired as a country without corruption. Yet Sri Lankan politicians were clever enough to bribe the Singapore Government by signing the Sri Lanka-Singapore Trade Agreement which is really detrimental to Sri Lanka on the condition that Singapore Government will not send Arjun Mahendran to Sri Lanka to face trial. By doing so Singapore Government is protecting a thief suspected of robbing the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Now attempts to bring Mahendran is going nowhere. Ranil has washed his hands and acting like nothing happened. Attention is deliberately diverted to Arjun’s payments. Sujeewa’s three million is used to cover up ‘Bond Scam’ which is running into billions.

    • 0
      0

      Eagle Eye: Has GoSL requested from Singapore Government to extradite Arjun Mahendran?

  • 0
    0

    ” Now attempts to bring Mahendran is going nowhere. Ranil has washed his hands and acting like nothing happened. Attention is deliberately diverted to Arjun’s payments. ”
    Eagle Eye,
    After all you too are coming down to accept the fact that the robbery was done Sinhala UNPyers; to protect them they send back Mahendran to Singapore and keeping him from the hands of justice. But UNPyers and SLFPyers are destroying PTL and its president, because it has the Tamil markings.

    I am not an advocate for these Muslim-Sinhala government’s Acolytes, even if they are Tamils. By jealous Sinhalese burned all Tamils’ Small and Medium sized Businesses that were ruling in the South, from 1956. They dismissed all Tamils from government services. They brought Kanangra Scheme and eventually nationalized Tamils Schools and colonized with Sinhala and Muslim students. They hired a Muslim to destroy Tamil higher Education. Now, they devastated the last Tamils’ multi-front Business. PTL. Apparently the Old Royals and Son Prince who pretended like Aloysius’ friends guided him to this trap. The entire Muslim-Sinhala Government unitedly worked on tearing off one young Tamil’s Business.

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