28 March, 2024

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Sri Lanka’s Presidential Election: Healing The Wounds Is The New Task

By Jayadeva Uyangoda

Prof. Jayadeve Uyangoda

Sri Lanka’s eighth presidential election held last Sunday has produced an outcome that has surprised the winners, the losers as well as the observers. The most obvious, and arguably disquieting, and utterly unanticipated trend that became immediately visible is the re-sharpening of majority-minority divide in the citizens’ electoral choices across the country.

 Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the winner, has received overwhelming backing of the voters of the majority Sinhalese Buddhist community. Yet he has been almost totally rejected by the minority Tamil and Muslim voters who are regionally concentrated in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern provinces and the central province’s plantation country and some urban areas of the Western and Southern provinces. 

Sajith Premadasa, Rajapaksa’s main challenger, received support of a vast majority of Tamil and Muslim voters. Yet he has been soundly rejected by the Sinhalese voters, in some electorates receiving only one-third of the votes.

The final percentages of vote share obtained by the two main candidates – 52.55 by Rajapaksa and 41. 99 by Premadasa – show that the new Present has received a clear mandate that has also rocked his opponent’s political coalition, New Democratic Front. The winner’s majority exceeds 1.36 million votes, which is quite high in Sri Lankan standards. 

Ethnic Polarization

The vote distribution between the two main candidates shows that the presidential election has re-affirmed the continuity, and not the weakening, of ethnic polarization in shaping the political destinies of Sri Lankan society. This is a factor that the new President and his government should not fail to address in a manner that will heal the wounds of the past.  

The outcome is also a severe blow to candidates who sought to emerge to form a ‘third force’, with the hope of breaking the monopoly of country’s two main political coalitions in the near future. These ‘alternative’ candidates could not secure even four percent of the total votes.  

There is one major reason that seems to have contributed to this polarizing electoral outcome. It is the political impact of the series of bomb attacks carried out by Muslim terrorists on April 21, the Easter Sunday, this year. Its far reaching consequences run parallel to the way in which 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US changed beyond recognition the contemporary politics of America and Western Europe.

Easter Sunday Attacks

The suicide blasts took place in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa killed hundreds of worshippers and other civilians and sent shock waves throughout the country at a time when people had been learning to cope with the trauma of a three-decades of civil war between the State and Tamil insurgents. The attacks and the massive devastation they caused also exposed the utter failure of the government leadership as well as the defence establishment to prevent them, despite prior warnings. 

The political impact of Easter explosions was multiple. It created a deep sense of insecurity among the citizens along with a huge loss of faith in the capacity of the government and its leadership to provide citizens security and safety. Amidst public outrage, the government immediately began to face an unprecedented crisis of public confidence. 

It also set in motion a new wave of Islamophobia, spearheaded by the social media, and it spread rapidly particularly among the Sinhalese-Buddhist citizens. 

Strong Ruler –Strong Government

This new phase of Sinhalese nationalism gave rise to a fresh political consensus as well. Its core thesis was that the ‘weak and ineffective’ government should be replaced with ‘a strong government’ headed by ‘a strong leader’ with capacity and resolve to protect the citizens from a new generation of terrorists, with international connections and modern technological capabilities.

By this time, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s former Defence Secretary who was in charge of the war against the LTTE, had already begun his campaign to be a candidate for the forthcoming presidential election. He and the party led by his two brothers, Sri Lanka People’s Party (Sri Lana Podu Jana Party –SLPP), had also developed a political campaign focusing primarily on the promise of establishing a national security regime led by a strong leader free from the shackles of liberal democracy. That was the alternative they offered to replace the deeply divided, inept and crisis – ridden government jointly headed by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. 

Thus, the sudden crisis caused by the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks provided a new context for a choice between a weak democratic regime and a strong national security regime.  

How did the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim societies respond to the two opposing political alternatives presented by the two principal candidates?

Election Campaign

Sajith Premadasa is the candidate of the New Democratic Front, which was a broad coalition formed a few weeks before the election. Its key partner is United National Party, headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. It is also a multi-ethnic coalition supported by the main Tamil and Muslim parties.

Premadasa, deputy leader of the UNP, was given party candidacy only in late September, due to internal party differences between two factions led by him and Wickremesinghe. Having entered the fray rather late, Premadasa developed a welfare state narrative that countered his own government’s neo-liberal economic and social reform policy agenda as well as his opponent’s – Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s — national security narrative. During the election campaign, Premadasa also projected his image as the presidential candidate of the poor and marginalized.

Election results indicate that Premadasa’s central promise of bringing the welfare state back, with an ideology of paternalistic populism, failed to make any significant impact on the Sinhalese-Buddhist electorate. The fact that he was the candidate of a ruling party that had lost public trust and the resultant anti-incumbency disadvantage has obviously added to his woes. 

In the deep South, Premadasa’s election campaign may have refreshed among many Sinhalese families those horrific memories of violence associated with the government headed by his own father during the late 1980s.

However, the most important reason why he was rejected by the Sinhalese section of the electorate by a substantial margin is the perception that he was not nationalist enough to be Sri Lanka’s President in the post-Easter Sunday context.

Community Insecurities

It is also Premadasa’s weak Sinhalese nationalist credentials that ensured him overwhelming support – in many electorates over 80% of the valid votes – among Tamil and Muslim voters.

The Tamil and Muslim citizens seem to have had an insecurity problem different from their Sinhalese counterparts. The source of this minority insecurity is the political elite of the Sinhalese nationalist coalition led by the Rajapaksa family. The latter’s past track record, from the point of view of the minority communities, has had a distinctly Sinhalese-nationalist orientation.  

Rajapaksa’s campaign strategists were also keen to prove the point that they could win a presidential election without the support of ethnic minority voters. They seem to have been inspired by the electoral strategy of benefitting from deep ethnic divisions and the majority’s security anxieties, as successfully practiced by India’s Bharatiya Janatha Party.    

Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s developmentalist agenda for Tamil and Muslim-majority provinces could hardly resolve the insecurity dilemma of the ethnic minorities. Thus, in the districts where the Tamil and Muslim communities are dominant numerically, Sajith Premadasa has polled more than one million votes over Gotabaya Rajapaksa. They have contributed to Premadasa’s national total as well as the national average quite significantly. In many electorates in the North and East, Rajapaksa’s share of votes is as low as 20 percent.

Meanwhile, if the 9/11 altered the politics of Western democracies in a trajectory away from liberal democracy, multiculturalism, and political pluralism, and fostered deep insecurities among the majority ethnic communities, a similar process of change has been taking place in South Asia too. It also fueled new tensions among ethnic communities in multi-ethnic societies.

Sri Lanka proved an exception in 2015, but in 2019, it has clearly joined the global trend. The dismal failure of Sri Lanka’s democratic reform experiment of 2015 too has provided the context for a shift in the popular support for a possible retreat from traditional forms of democracy. 

Meanwhile, the pressures of big electoral victories are such that the new president and his family members, who will constitute the core of the new regime, might find it difficult to resist the temptation of giving into the wishes of their Sinhalese nationalist constituency. This is particularly so in view of the ethnic polarization of the electoral verdict. 

Reconciliation

However, to fulfill his promise of taking the country out of its present state of deep economic and governance crisis and stagnation as well as ushering in an era of economic prosperity and political stability, Sri Lanka’s new President will need to re-build the trust between the majority and minority communities. 

The best, incurring possibly the lowest political cost, to achieving that goal lays through essentially democratic, inclusive, dialogical, and accommodative means.

Thus, the outcome of the presidential election highlights once again how inter-ethnic reconciliation continues to be centrally relevant to any recovery and reform agenda for post-war Sri Lanka. 

Reconciliation is needed for healing, and not aggravating, the wounds in a country that is struggling to come out from a recent past of conflict, violence and democratic setbacks. 

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Latest comments

  • 4
    0

    excellent analysis
    not enough said about ranils duplicity and sirisenas failure to inform the people of the easter sunday attacks of which nilantha jayewadene informed him and forced him to take his family to singapore
    leavinig the catholicss to face disaster and opening the doors to a rajapaksa presidency
    he is the biggest culprit in this sordid affair and has got off scot free

    • 2
      0

      Unfortunatley the saddest truth, it s really painful to see the pictures where i was compelled to watch last night, UNPrs though decent by every means (today s unprs) to be treated by “hoo hoo” just infront of so called RUWANWALISAYA dagabas yesterday… most of them were bitches born to poor uneducated families were animated to treat those decent men with hoo hoo…
      .
      I am living in Europe for the last 3 decades. It is like we stayed back after finishing our uni education. We thought we could do lot more for our people if only we would continue here. To tell you good educated people, I have never heard that the nationalists and racists could do lot more in the society than their anti rivals. Germans were that racists then, but today most of them think so liberal to those who re really in need. More racism is in the UK than in Germany. We know it well from the BREXIT saga.
      :
      In Germany, yet today they decent people would never utter a single word about being nationalists. NPD the party representing the nationalists and neonazis are on a rise but only those states that were then called east germany.
      .
      In srilanka, just because you would work as EXTREMISTS and RACISTS against own srilanken muslims and tamils, you would earn lot more respect….. see that is where we are reached today.
      Above all those monks spreading lies but lies should be beheaded on broad day light if the democracy lovers and dignified people to see it forward.
      :

      contd

      • 2
        0

        I think people themselves buried lanken DEMOCRACY on 18th Nov 2019. Had they been better aware of the danger before us, things would have ended up in favour of the democrats. World is moving to democracy but our people to move backward from demo to dictatorship is beyond bearing.
        .
        I will never want to continue helping our people again. I dont consider me as buddhist even if I am born buddhist. I just believe in true teachings of buddha but not lanken style of buddagama.
        I did lot more good work for the poor of poor following TSUNAMI disaster and in general to homes for the aged. Now I feel, i could do lot more to the poor in other countries that are really in need. Our sinhala people are parayahs of rarity. I now feel butbetter to turn my head to any othe rpoor countries where real good hearted souls are there.

        OUR HOPES we set for a better future are crushed as buds of a tree is proned at it early stage. I thought i could do lot more to our people …. but I really dont think my mind can be healed off to continue any good work for the country.

  • 1
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  • 0
    2

    Wound: They are the focal point every time. What about the other ?

  • 2
    0

    1. Prof Uyangoda never fails to hit the nail on its head: Healing The Wounds Is The New Task

    2. How do e undo the political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and psychological denuding of the North i the last 10yrs by the Military. First step is to stop the military continuing the carnage. …..

  • 1
    2

    Pohottuwa supporting inhabitants are thankful to the NGOs who worked relentlessly to create this Ethnic Polarization even before Jan 2015.

    We had a peaceful Country , going along nicely ,with beautiful numbers in both Tourist Arrivals and Economic Growth.

    Muslims were making oodles od Ruppiahs from our peace loving post Pirhaparan peoples enthusiastic consumer spending.with that extra cash in the pockets from 8 % Plus Economic growth which even gave RIO Ice cream to ex the LTTE captives in the North.
    These are statistically proven facts.

    Although the Country was blooming , including the North with a Growth rate of 20 % , TNA the main Political Lot of the Tamils didn’t want to even Talk about reconciliation with the then President.

    All they wanted is Separate Home land with all Police and Land Powers.

    NGOs were working 24/7 making lists of their so called grievances and writing reports for the UN , asking Punishments , until UN and its buddies put the stop to the country’s forward March.
    The rest is history.

    After 4 and 1/2 years of Dr Ranil’s Yahapalane, Our Economy is gone belly up with only 1.6 % growth and pushing us in to a Depression early in the New Year.

    Dr Ranil and his mates decimated the Intelligence Services giving a free hand to Whabi supporters to carry out that Easter Disaster.
    And went further even to protect Muslims and try to put the blame on Sinhala Buddhists.

    Nandasena’s first priority must be to Secure the Nation from Terrorism and turbo charge the Economy to prevent the impending recession.

  • 5
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    This is MR’s third term. GR is just a figure head, and he will continue as he did the last time. MR will be the Puppet Master. Buckle your seat belts people, we are in for a rough ride.

  • 4
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    The first task of healing the wounds is holding Gotabaya accountable for genocide crimes committed against the Tamils.

  • 6
    0

    Listening to Gota’s inaugural speech, especially him saying that he extended his hands to Tamils and Muslims which they didn’t accept shows he is bitter about it Looking at the election results it’s clear SL is divided into almost 52-48 for and against Gota that means he is the winner but not a clear winner. His Sinhala Buddhist slanted speech does not heal the wounds but throws salt into the wound. SL is today a Rajapakse- Sinhala Buddhist Captured state. What’s going to be its fate?

  • 0
    1

    Respect that peoples mandate of landslide victory of New President by GR.
    As decline political party of that UNP has to leave power as earliest possible date.
    New choice is lay of of that citizens of Islander to decided New mandate for representatives of system of Democracy governance.
    By doing so that is an accountability of UNP political leadership has to created new opportunities for elected their members in Parliament.
    That is the way and means of democratic will of citizens aspiration of been reflected in Parliment . In 2019 people are looking for development polices of GR and SLPP … be implement by under MR led party leadership .

  • 1
    0

    Attn:CT .
    Deadly Muslim.-Sinhala riots reported in Hambantota, suppose to be spreading one Sinhalese dead.
    Can you kindly varify this message and advice

  • 1
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    Surprised by your claim that “the new Present has received a clear mandate”.

  • 0
    0

    THANK YOU
    REGARDS

  • 2
    3

    “Nandikadal. Nandikadal was won with bullets. Novmber 16th was won with ballots. Both were led by Gota. The nationalist forces that swept Gotabaya into power is not confined to Sri Lanka” and very true.

  • 1
    0

    Jayadewa,
    Even though most analysts tend to see election results as a sign of a racial wedge, I strongly believe that such a picture, despite its superficial visibility, is an illusion. Instead, GoRa’s victory is an outcome brought about by multitude of factors some of which are not necessarily negative. For example, except for highly exaggerated Bond Scam, corruption, nepotism and political favoritism nearly nonexistent. Even in the case of Bond Scam, unlike during MaRa regime, there was a thorough investigation and the suspects have been brought to justice.

    What went wrong mostly resulted from positive gains. One is the highly imbalanced – highly unfair should be the right word – criticism against the UNP using the introduction of newly established freedom expression & the openness Gvt information. Then there was saboteurs like Wijedasa Rajapakse as well as the SLFP cabinet members who worked to save criminals of MaRa gang while at the same time, disrupting major economic reforms. Even the president who came to power with UNP votes, became a huge factor in this regard. Therefore, despite many positive gains, in the minds of the public, only the negatives highlighted. The racial division mostly enforced by the incident of Easter Bombing was only the icing of the cake. And yet, it was GoRa’s name as a racist was the main reason why Muslims & Tamils voted against him. In other words, if the SLPP candidate was someone from outside of the Ra..kse family, Sajith’s lost would have been much bigger!

    I strongly believe that, in the final analysis, it was Ranil’s policy of “let the work speak for itself”, instead of attacking his political enemies directly, became the biggest catalyst. Ranil’s policy of responding to potential political dangers was so bad that it helped MY 3 slipped away from Easter Bombing blame nearly unscathed.

  • 4
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    GR is playing the same old game as witnessing the appointment of secretaries like Kamal Gunarathna a war crime accused as well as P.B Jayuasundara who was the economic hit man during MR regime and responsible for all these Chinese debt traps.

    The stupid Sinhala Buddhist folks were conned by the rascist theories and sold the Easter carnage to its full marketing campaign to spread hatred among religious lines.

    The looks of things., lets say within 2 years this country will become another Libya with religious fractions and economic embargoes from the West +India.

    May the Noble Double gem of Buddha and Dharma bless my motherland now and always !

    • 0
      0

      Matilda Ellepola,
      You omitted the Third Gem – the Sangha. Why?
      While Gota is patron of BBS too ?

  • 0
    6

    It wasn’t Sinhalese that acted racist in this election. It was Tamils and Muslims. Look at the results. North and east voted 90% sajith 5% Gota. Elsewhere it was 60% Gota 40% Sajith.

    It’s high time Tamils wakeup and see TNAs racist agenda.

    • 1
      0

      Doug,
      Tamils & Muslims voted for Sajith who is also a S/B. GoRa’s candidacy certainly was the main factor in minority voting but the race was not the main factor elsewhere. Rather, it was an extension of 2018 results due mainly to disappointment.

    • 1
      0

      Doug,

      is your staple food – the extrementa of Rajakashes ?
      :
      Man, you guys not just hurt but you even stab the wounds of our minority people why ?.
      .
      Calling yourself buddhists but to trust do the other way around has nothing to do with a religion but how you have been brought up. THat is it.

      Not the good side of buddhism teachings but JATHAKA katha are what they most practise today inlcuding that SIVURU wearing patta hora at Kelaniya TEMPLE by name, Prof. Kollupitiya DAMMA rakkitha.. These pingutharayas will have to pay it back sooner than later.
      30 years we fought a war for no reasons, no the ballige puthas born to Rajakshes families and their kith and kin ömake it worst. Entire world is laughing from their backsides, looking at how these men represent our people.
      :
      At least 55 to 60 lacks out of 14 mio of voter eligible to have chosen it right. They are the brainy ones that have the wisdom.
      Now the abusive family is brought back and their kith and kin would have been ones that give commands to the people next on.

  • 0
    1

    Prop. Uyangoda

    What you say regarding minorities voting for Sajith is quite difficult to accept because It’s not their whole hearted interest/decision to vote for Sajith but the strong commitment of political leaders to take them to vote for sajith; that prompted them to vote for Sajith.

    What they really expected was to have the winner in their grip denying victory in the 1st count & make Sajith the winner.

    Hadn’t minority leaders taken their people to vote for Sajith only, the result would have been different & Gota would have secured more than 52.25% of votes.

    So your attempt to say that minority & the majority have been divided between Gota & Sajith is politically silly & unproductive.

  • 5
    1

    Let me put it bluntly. The divide between the two communities has widened. A vast section of the majority community has no interest whatsoever in reconciliation. The Sinhalese people have missed an opportunity to end disharmony. Despite the fact that the Tamil leadership marshalled their efforts to get the Tamils vote en-block to a Sinhalese candidate there was no reciprocation from the leadership of the Sinhalese polity to grasp the hand of friendship extended to them. Expecting the new government to address the healing of the wounds is wishful thinking. To imagine that the bomb attacks on Easter Sunday has played a role shifts the focus away from discussing the real reason for the voting pattern. The attack was not a reflection of a weak government but of a rivalry between the two powers holding the rein. Premadasa’s eagerness to seize power when UNP was weak was unhealthy. RW unable to accept that disloyalty played a double game!

    • 0
      1

      Thappu

      Reconcile! On what?

      Minority enjoy equal rights except the fact that Tamils may have difficulties in communicating as their language isn’t spoken by all the population.

      It’s up to them to be friendly enough so as to make Sinhalese interested in learning Tamil & they themselves to have a respect for Sinhala.

      Everybody is proud of his/her language but seeking a separate country/separate administration for that mere reason is a terrorist attitude.

      The belief that 52.25% voted for Gota was on racist consideration is a serious mistake.

      There’ s democracy in the country & every citizen has a responsibility use it to solve their problems without calling foreign opportunists.

      • 0
        0

        Real Revolutionist, Are you revolutionising logic or what.
        Reconciliation is the restoration of friendly relations. We are not speaking of equal rights on paper. We are talking of equal opportunities, in practice. You will not admit that most of those who voted for GR voted on communal grounds. If you do, you will lose your argument! Those who voted for SP are not racists, are they? Didn’t we vote for SP? How we become racists? The country is continuing to slide down since Independence. Why? If you have any consideration for the well-being of our children you’ll come out of your racist mindset.

  • 0
    0

    Let us follow the example of Rwanda which only 25 years ago slaughtered and killed 1/10 of the population due to tribal warfare, is today one country that has united and stable countries. Today it is banned by law to identify anyone by the two tribes Hutu or Totsi The country is developing so fast under the HONEST AND DECISIVE leadership of Paul Kagame that some have even named it the Singapore of Africa. Let us take a leaf from the country that suffered from genocide only 25 years ago and has risen up from the ashes.

  • 1
    1

    “Muslim terrorists” it shows your racist thinking Mr. Jayadeve. Look into the definition of terrorists in oxford dictionary. If we are to call terrorists by religion then every sri lankan including me is a terrorist. Think b4 you write nxt time. @Colombo Telegragh I hope there exists a moderator b4 articles of such nature are published.

  • 1
    1

    Dear Dr. Uyangoda,
    Your political science opinions are out of date and no relevant to solving the problems of current Sri Lanka. Your opinions before the elections and after the elections are completely different. You vehemently supported to defeat GR with people like Victor Ivon and other NGO dollar kakkas.
    Your solutions for healing the rift country is outdated and no relevance in the developed and developing world.

    GR’s main tasks should be the following:
    Strategically analyse the 2019 election map and solving the problems of people who voted for SP through providing education, providing and creating job and economic opportunities for these people. By doing that GR can win the hearts and minds of these people and can keep away them from racist politicians in the North and East. So that the popularity of TNA and other racist political parties will be diminished.

    Establishing the country with security and law and order that will bring the economic and social prosperity to Sri Lanka. There are short term strategies and long-term strategies to do that.
    Enhancing the opportunities for Education and commencing other development strategies such as infrastructure development to upgrade the living standards of ordinary people living in rural areas.

    Establishment of efficient and effective public sector in par with the developed world and other strategies to increase the living standards of people.

    I hope that GR is a good strategist and he has a good team to implement those strategies. His post graduate education in IT and work experience in USA has proved that he has the capacity to develop Sri Lanka for another 10 years.

    The main reason why SP has lost is that he does not have a proper education, intelligence and professional work experience, even though he talks like a parrot with inconsistent thousand promises. Ultimately, he became a joker in front of voters in Sri Lanka. They are good during the 1980s and 1990s. But they are irrelevant in Current Sri Lanka.

  • 1
    0

    now pakaya ranil wants an early election so that he can enjoy the perks of leader of the opposition
    asap after destroying the unp

  • 1
    0

    What about the hidden role played by India and US? Gota was strongly supported by US. They don’t see any use of present administration.They can easily handle GR.

  • 1
    0

    so 9/11… SL Version would be 4/21…really kinky abbreviations for busy lousy miserable insane Citizens—

    but Excuse me …..I still do not got to see Article on CT blockade took place 18 th NOV 2019…by several ISPs in Sri Lanka….it is an absolute unacceptable that you people keep a lid on it…..mean time actual conspirators of the 4/21 or Eater attacks are in Temple Trees Mansion basking in finest luxury presidency has to offer…I wonder there is a god in this world and your sins follows you with in your shadows ..all of this does not leads to a everlasting Peaceful prosperous existence…..only to Misery and suffering of the masses..

  • 1
    0

    The talk of RECONCILIATION may go on for another 70 years without success. Most of the Sinhala leaders fight among themselves to ensure that the Tamils do not share any power with them.

  • 1
    0

    why JVP did not enough votes?
    because sinahzlee public love thieves and they do not care if MR families take away all national Wealth. infact; sinahzlee are not true patorlotics at all.
    but they support thieves.
    that is the fact; both parties have thieves and still they vote for them.

  • 0
    0

    “Healing the wound “, not so simple Jeyadeva Uyangoda. Over years of neglect this wound has become a highly antibiotic resistant, chronic infective ULCER which is purulent, malodorous and developed multiple other complications including life threatening sepsis. Is there a treatment, for this MR. JU ?????, ( leave alone the healing ). Prognosis very poor to none. Pain and suffering expected to worsen. Amputation will be just palliative. What is left will be Grief and Guilt. The stages of grief are Denial, Anger, Bargain, Acceptance, Depression and for the fortunate few Closure or Healing of the different kind.

  • 5
    0

    ”However, the most important reason why he was rejected by the Sinhalese section of the electorate by a substantial margin is the perception that he was not nationalist enough to be Sri Lanka’s President in the post-Easter Sunday context.” to be precisely , not RACIST enough to attract Singhala votes, mostly uneducated masses of down south of Sri Lanka.
    They have swalled the bitter pill and they too will see the reaction sooner than later.

    • 0
      0

      :
      Unfortunatley the saddest truth, it s really painful to see the pictures where i was compelled to watch last night, UNPrs though decent by every means (today s unprs) to be treated by “hoo hoo” just infront of so called RUWANWALISAYA dagabas yesterday… most of them were bitches born to poor uneducated families were animated to treat those decent men with hoo hoo…
      .
      I am living in Europe for the last 3 decades. It is like we stayed back after finishing our uni education. We thought we could do lot more for our people if only we would continue here. To tell you good educated people, I have never heard that the nationalists and racists could do lot more in the society than their anti rivals. Germans were that racists then, but today most of them think so liberal to those who re really in need. More racism is in the UK than in Germany. We know it well from the BREXIT saga.
      :
      In Germany, yet today they decent people would never utter a single word about being nationalists. NPD the party representing the nationalists and neonazis are on a rise but only those states that were then called east germany.
      .
      In srilanka, just because you would work as EXTREMISTS and RACISTS against own srilanken muslims and tamils, you would earn lot more respect….. see that is where we are reached today.
      Above all those monks spreading lies but lies should be beheaded on broad day light if the democracy lovers and dignified people to see it forward.
      :
      I think people themselves buried lanken DEMOCRACY on 18th Nov 2019. Had they been better aware of the danger before us, things would have ended up in favour of the democrats. World is moving to democracy but our people to move backward from demo to dictatorship is beyond bearing.

  • 0
    0

    The most miserable problem faced in certain parts of ja ela area is no garbage collection available for last 4 years .

    One of the Promises of the new President is to address this huge garbage issue .let’s see if any action is taken

  • 1
    0

    Another writer who has now all of a sudden chosen to ignore the past deeds of the Rajapakses and their henchman!

    Height of naivety?
    No interest in the concept of justice?

    Just like ill gotten gains benefit no one,
    how can the people even enjoy any future development that is tainted by Rajapaksa hands?
    Similar to accepting blood money.
    I guess Sri Lankans are not that conscientious or honourable to care about that.

    Sri Lankans truly are something else!

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