Welcome to the political circus

The currently ongoing project of the Rajapaksas, banished from office only a few moths ago but now crawling out of the woodwork, is a clear demonstration that anything is possible in this land like no other. We give all credit to President Ranil Wickremesinghe for dragging his feet on making more cabinet appointments despite the pressure to do so. RW is too well aware of public opinion on that score to rush into anything like that especially at this time when all kinds of straws, like bringing Namal baba back into the cabinet, have already been thrown in the wind.

Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella told parliament on Thursday that Mahinda Rajapaksa is now on a comeback trail. He reminded former speaker and elder brother Chamal Rajapaksa of his earlier public comment, during the height of the Aragalaya, that his malli had misjudged the time at which he should have relinquished power. Kiriella added that such advice should be retendered. Many will agree that the game MR is playing now is not intended to win anything for himself but in the interest of the dynastic succession of his son, Namal Rajapaksa. However that be, the way the papadam crumbles will be played out down the road in the months to come.

Most would be astonished at Rajapaksa resilience and Rajapaksa brass. Who could have imagined in their wildest imagination that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, no doubt seeking US residence having renounced citizenship to run for president, would be back home as quickly as he did to the comforts bestowed on ex-presidents by Sri Lanka’s impoverished taxpayers? True there is no Mahinda sulanga today such as that created by the likes of Wimal Weerawansa, Udaya Gammanpila and many others when crowds streamed to Carlton House at Tangalle where a stunningly defeated ex-president held court. Many of those who fanned that wind (or gale, if we may say so) have now broken ranks, but that is another story. Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe must take the blame for the failure to nail the crooks when they were out of office. Sri Lanka’s massive tragedy was the premature death of Ven Madulwawe Sobitha, the moral force that led to a common opposition candidate defeating Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The Rajapaksa brass alluded to in the previous paragraph refers to the organizers of the rallies backing their return. The first of these was organized in Kalutara by Rohitha Abeygunawardene, also known as Rattaran. His own explanation for that nickname is that was what his mother lovingly called him as a baby and infant. But there are other allegations about the origin of the name. Be that as it may, Mahinda Rajapaksa glowingly spoke of the rally’s organizer at the event and YouTube watchers are privy to everything that was said there. The next event followed at Nawalapitiya and it was organized by the redoubtable Mahindananda Aluthgamage who was Minister of Agriculture when the fertilizer ban was imposed. He has lately attempted to distance himself from that disastrous policy decision claiming that the subject was under the purview of a state minister under the agriculture ministry. He’s also on record saying he advised President Gotabaya to go slow on implementating that policy.

That will be laughed out of court by thousands of farmers who burned hundreds of effigies of the former minister who was (and is) a doughty defender of the Rajapaksas. The next rally, we are told, will be at Kurunegala and guess who the organizer is going to be? Right, first guess, none other that Johnston Fernando, one of the most visible proponents of the Rajapaksa creed and its policies. How much ice these events are cutting with the general public who will vote at the next election is anybody’s guess. Mahinda Rajapaksa went on record recently that “we are not afraid of elections.” But the perception of the many the due local government polls will not take place in March as scheduled. No doubt the public warmly welcomed President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent announcement that he intends halving the present number of local councilors standing at 8,000 to 4,000 prior to the next election. He also mentioned giving the executive powers of a pradeshiya sabha to a chairman-based committee rather than a single chairman saying draft laws for this will be prepared before the next local elections.

The voters who are sick of elected leeches fattening themselves off the public purse will cheer these measures. But Wickremesinghe and his government must not delude themselves that the public is not well aware that the proposed changes will take time to enter the statute. That would mean no local elections in March 2023. Given the country situation today, with Sri Lanka in the grips of its worst ever economic crisis with many of its people struggling to survive, we desperately need a government with a mandate to rule. We don’t have that now. Wickremesinghe has been installed in office by his discredited predecessor, elected by the parliamentary majority of the Rajapaksas’ SLPP and not the Sri Lankan people.

He wields executive power courtesy of the SLPP of which he’s a prisoner at least until he can constitutionally dissolve parliament in February 2023. Right now the ruling cabal needs an election, any election, like a hole in the head. Whether the oppositions dictum of no postponement of elections on which a declaration was signed last week can hold water given the current political structure is therefore very much in doubt.