7 December, 2024

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Give Mahinda An Army? Can’t Joint Opposition Stop Joking? 

By Shyamon Jayasinghe

Shyamon Jayasinghe

Shyamon Jayasinghe

I tell you, these guys in the self-styled Joint Opposition (JO) are plain crazy. Imagine an opposition demanding full-scale military security to their electorally defeated leader to enable the latter to go round the country at will and pleasure with the sole and concentrated purpose of undermining the government! Scores of military men and policemen hanging around him from Dondra to Point Pedro and buckets of money as attendant expenses for fuel and salaries and overtime? All this day in and day out? At taxpayers’ expense? That is simply outrageous.

I scaled the history of governments world over in order to see if anything like this privilege had been granted to a fallen leader. “Nope,” is my answer.

Mahinda is testing his luck in a context where he and his family are under scrutiny for various alleged misdeeds and serious frauds. Any decent statesman will lie low and gladly submit himself and his kith and kin for examination in order to clear his and their names. That’s the most appropriate thing for him to do. On the other hand, Mahinda Rajapaksa wants all investigations stopped. Does he recommend such a privilege to ordinary private citizens? Giving up the lawful and civil course, Mahinda Rajapaksa is organising a revolt against the yahapalana government. Bring down the government and crush the investigations!The strategy is “attack as the best form of defence.” In the unlikely event that the government will crumble all investigations will come to a halt. And if he gets back sufficient domination in a kind of counter revolution all government leaders would probably be safely under lock and key; if not missing altogether.Mahinda

Mahinda’s ruling record was developing into such brutality. With the 18th Amendment under his sleeve what couldn’t he have done? Mahinda Rajapaksa as President never listened to anyone but himself and never thought of anyone but himself and his. I am reminded of Trujillo, the Columbian dictator, who figures in the novel tilted “The Feast of the Goat,” written by Nobel Laureate, Mario Vargas Llosa. When Mahinda jailed Sarath Fonseka and when he sacked the Chief Justice he showed his true character.

On the general question there is no denying that a past President should be allocated adequate security. Also, there isn’t any doubt that given his relationship with the Tigers Mahinda Rajapaksa in particular should be given strong security. There is, however, an assumption behind such a gesture,namely that security is given while he performs standard functions and duties as a civilian. As a matter of fact, his risk limit would be assessed lower if Mahinda does confine himself to such functions that normally retired heads of state do carry out. In the case before us, however, we have a preceding head of state back in active politics going the full hog to destroy the government that is supposed to offer him personal security. He employs all kinds of rhetoric-falsehoods, distortions and emotional innuendos as his arsenal. He gathers big crowds around him and,by his demeanour, inspires Parliamentarians to resort to violence inside the well of Parliament.

The former President is pursuing an active political goal that carries with it,as all political or power-pursuing roles do, the potential for violence. The hidden subtext of his campaign is to encourage even a violent overthrow of government. Thus the circumstances of his requirement for security becomes problematic. In this way he ups his own security needs by his own doing and volition while,simultaneously raising security concerns for the government itself.

The Prime Minister announced that Mahinda will be given full police security and even permitted him to pick his own cops and intelligence men for the purpose. That’s it and caput. Why isn’t this enough? Does he want to employ an army core in order to stage a coup?

Tuesday, we saw a hideous tragedy in the well of Parliament when Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka rose to comment on the issue. One UNP MP was assaulted and is now in hospital. The UNP would not have assaulted its own men and so this grubby job would have been presumably executed by a JO muscleman. The investigation committee came out with a report charging two MPs-one a government Deputy joker and the other UNFPA clown. The report also stated that Messrs Dinesh and Bandula-two very senior Parliamentarians- had rushed toward the chair in ugly fashion and abused the Speaker. Media Minister Gayan said this was “Rajapaksa Culture”- confronting different points of view with thuggery.

The fact that this kind of incident can happen freely in the well of the House of Parliament portends something very foreboding. Politics, particularly in the Sri Lankan environment, bears a clear potential for violence. It is power against power.

Hence,If a retired head of state wants to continue in a political role it is farcical and asinine that he be offered military assistance on a platter to do so. In the case of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the fact that he and his family are under existential threat from the law compounds the folly. Furthermore, such a concession would take an ironical comical character when one realises that Mahinda Rajapaksa himself showed no such grace to his opponents.

sjturaus@optusnet.com.au

Latest comments

  • 16
    4

    MR is a man who will scoop down to any level to stay in power, abuse same, rob as much as possible fearlessly and hoodwink anyone including the poor voters of this country for his own benefit. He is no nation leader nor a statesman. But a born crook who brought this country on its knees financially after robbing it!

    If he is still a target of LTTE why on earth did he give 760 million through Basil to LTTE to buy boats from Malaysia in order to win election?

  • 9
    4

    Well said Polly,
    You have put your finger right on spot. That what exactly MaRa is all about….Next the deep state he created should be annulled. bring out all the blck money….

  • 7
    7

    Thank you Mr. Jayasinghe and you ask me: “Would MR ever have allowed this kind of facility to his prime opponent? He would have sent him missing in a white van”.
    1. I am not MR to give a direct answer but your second sentence is just pure exaggeration and the only comment I would make is that if MR had done anything wrong it is up to the Yahapalana Government to raise the issue and take him to courts. It is utter waste of public money, our time and energy to keep blaming him and not punish him according to the law of the land. I would like to see justice prevail on all matters and MR or even Prez Sirisena and PM Wickremasinghe should not be exempted from it. However, I do not like to blame a person, especially of MR’s caliber, who gave the unprecedented political leadership to liberate the country from terrorism, just because a few of his political opponents want to destroy his image and him as a leader.
    2. His main opponents are not prime enemies of the LTTE; actually they have become friends of the LTTE mainly because they managed to topple MR and his government and continue to give him and his supporters a hard time. The JO’s accusation leveled at the Yahapalana leaders is exactly this. Therefore, you cannot compare MR’s security with those of his political opponents including that of Prez Sirisena and PM Wickremasinghe. CBK was an enemy of the LTTE for some time and that’s why the LTTE blinded her, but she is not a prime target, not anymore, like MR now. We know Prez Premadasa and Mr. Gamini Dissanayake who became LTTE targets and died but at that time MR was not a target at all. As some critics allege he was then a friend of LTTE leader Mr. Prabhakaran. Therefore, you could see how a person becomes a target of the enemy depending on his work and achievements against that enemy.
    3. I wrote clearly in my comments that we should not waste our time, energy, and space on this matter unless we try to appease a certain person in the Yahapalanaya. Journalists who write to the Press and Websites should look at issues impartially since they do it on behalf of all of us!
    4. The bottom line is clear and I have mentioned it in my previous comments: there are 3 uncompromisable VIPP in Sri Lanka who need full state protection that should be determined and decided by themselves individually (not by the state security apparatus): i.e. Ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, and Ex-defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. And nobody should raise negative questions about these trio’s security arrangements!
    5. I say this because Sri Lankans, particularly the poor masses in cities and villages cannot take a chance at this juncture when Sri Lanka is trying to come out of a 30 year bloody mess! Mr. Jayasinghe! You as a writer/journalist and I, as a vivid reader of Sri Lankan affairs have a noble duty and a common obligation to make every effort to help Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans come out of this mess without paving the way for another lengthy bloodshed. I think that reducing MR’s security without his consent would do more harm than good to our noble duty and common obligation. Thank you once again!

    • 2
      2

      Ruwan…Out of all these so called journalists, who are going to and try to take all the society to hell …. you are a noble one.
      Reluctantly, I agree about SF although I do not like him at all.

  • 13
    3

    Stupid Rajapakse thinks he is still the President. 50 men to protect him is adequate. What he wants is to interrupt everything the Government is doing. It will be prudent to transfer him to the state guest house at Welikada.

    • 1
      1

      Not Rajaakshe joint opposition men – but general public must protests asking as to why some leaders are given 256 personnel in a country according to Rajakashes the war is no longer there. Terrror is no longer there.They and thier magical powers put the stop to civil war….
      Not Rajaakshe joint opposition men – but general public must protests asking as to why some leaders are given 256 personnel in a country according to Rajakashes the war is no longer there. Terrror is no longer there.They and thier magical powers put the stop to civil war..
      Not Rajaakshe joint opposition men – but general public must protests asking as to why some leaders are given 256 personnel in a country according to Rajakashes the war is no longer there. Terrror is no longer there.They and thier magical powers put the stop to civil war..
      Not Rajaakshe joint opposition men – but general public must protests asking as to why some leaders are given 256 personnel in a country according to Rajakashes the war is no longer there. Terrror is no longer there.They and thier magical powers put the stop to civil war..

  • 2
    1

    to Mr/Ms Polly Weerakkody!
    If it is the case it will be a good opportunity for the Yahapalana leaders to catch and prosecute the perpetrators with solid evidence! Please do not accuse people for no logical reasons but for mere assumptions!
    You know when you assume things they say in the West, “you make an ass of you and me!”

  • 5
    3

    For the life of me I cannot understand why the current government is not fast-tracking the investigations on MR and his henchmen. The earlier it is done, the sooner they will get unmasked. Until they are brought before the law, they will not shut up.
    If that is done, it will be interesting to see his how the thugs will behave and how his intellectual backers like Dr. Mervyn, Dr. Dayan and Dr. GL will react.

    The current big wigs must be crazy to let this continue. The man has lost an election. He is out of power. As an ex-president he gets his security. It has been said that some of the army security guys have not had proper training in VIP security. He should be grateful that he will get properly trained security police.
    He is dancing to the tune of his puppeteers. About time he gets a life and leave the current government to develop the country.
    Fast-track the investigations and bring them in front of the law. Hello IGP, AG’s Department. When can we see some positive action.

    • 3
      2

      No.. Nandimithra
      If you can understand why they are not investigating BOND SCAM .. your brain will work again.

  • 2
    3

    RUVAN Yours of 6/May. Please read Mrs Polly Weerakkoday’s comment above. She has grasped what I have said.
    Investigations will take time because YP govt cannot do things like MR did. Due procedure and evidence must pile up. Not like impeaching the CJ by MR. But MR is trying hard to sabotage the investigations. If he is such a hero why is he afraid? He should do his politics after he is cleared. So are the other Royal brothers.

  • 3
    1

    MR doesn’t need so much security he is just an fallen MP now I think he is afraid of his life that’s why his fellow stupid MPs talk on his behalf.He should know that he killed innocent Tamils at the last stage and for this he should pay.No need for his security let him live as a ordinary citizen to show an example to others, he was a statesman but not now.This is called rise and fall of a racist leader he only think of about himself only.

    • 1
      1

      moiez, what about the innocent Sinhalese? Do not be racialistic.A killing is a killing and whaite vanning is white vanning.

  • 4
    3

    Those who murdered defenseless persons like Lasantha, Ekneliyagoda, Raviraj and Thajudeen are now pleading for defense themselves. Irony it is

  • 3
    1

    The MPs, who want MR to come back are those who are afraid that the noose around their neck is getting tighter. I just cannot fathom why the Govt. is moving at snail pace in delivering justice to MR and his cohorts. There will be maximum security in jail for MR and his family members. MR will go down in history being the only President who ruled for two terms, lost the third and stoops to low level with his cohorts in support to get back what he lost. Shame on him. The rest of the world must be laughing at his antics.

  • 5
    0

    LTTE was gone according to former President. Then what is this fear about his life?

  • 7
    1

    Congratulations to Shyamon for a splendid piece. Former President Mahinda Rajapakse is someone who had no respect for others’ rights. He will get anyone killed. It was nothing for him. Lasantha was murdered on his way to work. MR silent and no action, Raviraj was killed. MR silent and no action. Thajudeen was murdered and cops were ordered to hush it up by Gota. MR silent and no action. Does anyone with a bird’s brain think MR was not behind these murders? These innocent victims of MR’s and Gota’s wrath had no protection and they were defenceless. But MR is crying for protection. He sent a message to UN through GL,his buddy in foolish acts. He has no friends to go to as he alienated all world leaders except dictators. But those dictators are now dead. Only the lout in some unknown island still lives. China has let him down. MR doesn’t know he is dealing with two quiet and cunning achievers-Ranil and Sirisena.

    • 2
      0

      You are dead right. All right thiniking would not disagree with you. Sadly people have forgotten the past so quickly. We must add our thoughts and make the most stupid folks again and again. I am thankful to CT for us being given the chance.

      While the president is invited by GIPFEL 7 and UK, Mahinda Rajakshe is planning to visit UGANDA – this is no good publicity for srilakens, since UGANDA president is reelected by all vote riggings for the 5 th time.. It is believed the man has been governing the nation for the last 30 years. MR has no other good contacts but with Uganda, Swaziland and Belarus:: Birds of a feather flock together.

  • 4
    2

    Just ignore the joint opposition crooks and throw the criminal and his
    Family in jail!

  • 1
    2

    I would like to quote the first para of the most recent article written by DBS.Jeyaraj, the veteran journalist based in Toronto, Canada. This is exactly what the Joint Opposition is talking about:
    “A widespread security crackdown has been underway in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. Over 20 former members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)organization have been reportedly taken into custody over the past weeks in a staggered security operation spearheaded by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID)of the Police.Almost all of the ex-LTTE cadres are being detained under provisions of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). They are being reportedly interrogated by TID officials at Jaffna, Vavuniya, Boosa and Colombo.”

  • 1
    1

    The People of Srilanka are no fools. They know what you and he family did to the
    Nation by robbing money and crediting them to accounts outside Srilanka. Why did you go to Thailand with the nutty one to meet a fugitive Udayanga , are you looking for escape routes for you and the family, and now you want to. Go to Uganda to discuss ways to get back power along with the son who’s Passport has been impounded, Is some of the family money in the Banks in Uganda We know of Mussvani, he adopted the same methods to be in power, but Srilankans have better Brains and culture,Hence you were thrown out of power. You will be soon protected along with the family by the high walls in Welikade, hence don’t worry about the Army protection. People see in your body language and the utterances that you internally stressed and a worried man , as you know what is on the cards for and the family along withe 40 thieves

  • 1
    0

    Where is Sumanasekeara?

  • 3
    1

    MR went to court to limit Chandrika (Ex President) security to 4. He put the war Hero Sarath Fonseka in jail- without any security.
    Where are your principles MR. You had vengence against Chandrika/ Sarath Fonseka
    This Govt the President, PM and Sarath Fonseka only has the STF and no army

    This MP from Kurunegala has no guts. cannot come to parliament and complain about his grievances, but uses stooges like Dinrsh, Gammanpila, Bandula Gunawardana and Wimal

    Why should the Govt give MR any security. He is not behaving like an ex-President, but a campaigning politician, attending meetings and visiting temples. The Govt should totally remove the security for this political work.

    All this shouting to avoid going to jail for the corruption. MR not to worry- you will have all the security for you and your family- when you all end up in jail

  • 2
    1

    GL Pieris the bankrupt ex-politician has even gone and had a meeting to brief the diplomatic community about the removal of the army security for MR.

    GL- did you do the same when Chandrika security was removed? Or when General Sarath Fonseka was jailed without any security.

    Why would the Diplomatic community listen to GL – who is nobody today- Not even an MP,.. A person who Could not challenge Sajin Vass as his Boss. GL allowed 45 of the 55 Diplomatic mission to be manned by MR cronies.
    GL why not call a Diolomatic community meeting to brief them on how you ran the Foreign Ministry

    SHAME ON YOU

  • 2
    0

    Sam has said it!!! GL is a Rhodes Scholar fool who was a thorough misfit outside his academics. He is now shamelessly sucking an uneducated idiot of a leader. What company he now has-Wimal, Vasu, Namal, Yoshitha, Basil,Bandula and the new roughy,Dinesh!

  • 2
    0

    Renu.

    Have you ever heard of a one-time Head of state going to Uganda?!

    Even Mervyn Silva would consider that to be Infra-Dig!
    Why is MaRa going? That is the Million dollar question!

    I always suspected this; A part of the loot is hidden there!

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