5th Column

My dear Rajitha,
I thought of writing to you because you are very much in the news these days, telling us what Maithri and his team have already done, would want to do and what we should do for them in return in your new role as Cabinet spokesman for the government in addition to looking after our health .

Now that over fifty days have elapsed since you took on your job, Rajitha, I hope you don’t mind me sharing some thoughts with you especially about the manner in which you have gone about your work because, some are already saying that you could give your predecessor Keheliya a run for his money!

Don’t get me wrong, Rajitha. You were one of the few Blue ministers to have left the Cabinet when Maithri announced himself as the ‘common candidate’. And, of those who left the Blue camp at the time, you were probably the most senior and therefore had the most to lose. We admire you for that.

As probably the most high profile minister who left Mahinda maama’s Cabinet to join Maithri when he left the Blues, he has given you prominence in the new government because he trusts and respects you for what you did. I think that is why he has appointed you as the Cabinet spokesman.

And, as you have reminded us so often in recent weeks, you have always been against the executive presidential system even when JR the Old Fox introduced it more than 35 years ago. More often than not, you have acted in good faith and we can’t say that about many of our politicians.

Because you are a dentist, Rajitha, I thought you are used to opening other peoples’ mouth and putting both hands in. However what we have found over the past two months is that sometimes when you open your own mouth you put both feet firmly in — and this has happened on more than one occasion.

First, you told us that Mohan had agreed to resign from the post of Chief Justice. Apparently this was at a sensitive time when Maithri and Ranil were having discussions with him. Then, after hearing that you had already made a public announcement to the media, Mohan denied any such decision.

The rest, as they say, is history. Maithri had to show him the door and tell him that in fact, he never held the job and there are many who criticise the manner in which he was removed, saying it is not in keeping with ‘yahapaalanaya’. All that could have been avoided if you had been a bit more careful.

Then you told us that the Chinese Port City project had been given the green light. You couldn’t have been unaware that stopping the project was one of Maithri’s campaign promises. Your statement attracted international headlines: the Chinese were unhappy but the Indians were very happy!

Then, Ranil had to correct you in Parliament and tell everyone that the project will be re-assessed before any final decision could be taken. And, this week you had to eat your own words and tell us that the project had been suspended. Surely, this too could have been avoided, if you had been careful.

Such incidents have left people wondering whether you are the best man for the job, Rajitha and looking back, I realise that making such statements is not a habit you had picked up in the last two months: you were doing that even when you were a minister in Mahinda maama’s Cabinet.

Why, there was the time when you came before the media after Bharatha’s murder in Kolonnawa and told us that Duminda was also seriously injured in the incident and that if he leads a normal life ever again, you will withdraw your registration as dentist. Time to honour your promise, don’t you think?

Then, just this week you told us that the Blues could do better if they asked Maithri to return to Parliament as Prime Minister. The Blues are having enough problems trying to decide who would be Prime Minister, Rajitha, and I don’t think your suggestion has been very helpful!

Why, there is already a group within the Blues who want Mahinda maama back as their Prime Minister and Maithri is already finding it hard to deal with them. And, I am sure you will be on the top of the list of Nimal Siripala’s best friends after your suggestion!

Rajitha, if Wimal sahodaraya or the ‘double crossing’ Udaya wanted someone from the Blues to sabotage Maithri’s ’100-day plan’, they couldn’t have picked anyone better than you for the job. I think you should keep that in mind when you open your mouth the next time as Cabinet spokesman.

Yours truly,
Punchi Putha
PS: Despite all this, Rajitha, you inherited this job from Keheliya, so you don’t have big shoes to fill. As long as you don’t fall off balconies and have the President’s Fund foot the bill and as long as your son doesn’t go opening cabin doors of aircraft looking for a toilet, you will still be an improvement on your predecessor!