5th Column

My dear Maithri,
I thought I must write to you because there are so many different questions to ask you and, judging by what happened last week, I think you owe us an answer, if only to protect your reputation as honourable man — which, by the way, helped you to win that all important election in January.

Needless to say, Maithri, most of us were very surprised when it was announced that you and Mahinda maama had secret talks in the middle of the night. The last time you talked, it was in Parliament, and the cameras recorded most of it. So, why resort to secret talks now, Maithri, why?

Then, your office denied those talks took place at Chamal maama’s house. Mahinda maama did the same. But you in fact met Mahinda maama and held talks with him at a different location. Why did you forget to mention that when you denied the meeting at Chamal maama’s house, Maithri, why?

Then we hear that you had agreed to offer Mahinda maama to contest from the betel leaf group at the elections. If that was your intention, why did you tell us only a few days ago that Mahinda maama will not be offered the premiership or even nomination from your party, Maithri, why?

Remember, Maithri, it is not yet six months since you took office and that was on a promise of ending what you called the corrupt and dictatorial regime that was in office. If you want to keep that promise, why are you now offering nomination to the person who led that regime, Maithri, why?

You won the election because about a dozen courageous people from the Blue party acted according to their conscience and left the Blue party along with you. Why would you now put them in a difficult situation by inviting Mahinda maama back, so that they would be at his mercy, Maithri, why?

Don’t forget that you had the support of many others in January, from Sobhitha hamuduruwo and the rathu sahodarayas to Rauff and the General who you promoted to Field Marshal. By inviting Mahinda maama, why didn’t you realise that you would lose that trust, Maithri, why?

You won the election after announcing that you would appoint the Green Man as your Prime Minister. If you had been completely honest with us, why didn’t you also tells us that after the general election your intention was to get Mahinda maama to return to Parliament, Maithri, why?

We remember how people like Wimal sahodaraya abused you in foul language and made wild, personal allegations against you during the election campaign. Why do you consider teaming up with them again when most people thought that their behaviour was disgusting, Maithri, why?

We also remember how you told us that you feared for your life during the campaign and that had you lost, you would have been ‘six feet under’ and your family would have been in jail. If so, why do you want to bring those who would have been responsible for that, back to power, Maithri, why?

We know you didn’t want Mahinda maama as the prime ministerial candidate. If Mahinda maama, who is now out of power and not even in Parliament can exert enough pressure an you, so much so that you offer him nomination, why do you think you can prevent him from becoming PM, Maithri, why?

Most of those who want Mahinda maama back are the thugs and thieves who are now under investigation. When many of them are still with Mahinda mama, why are you offering nominations to him when you promised us that you wouldn’t accommodate such people in your team, Maithri, why?

We know that the Blue party is important to you and you want it to do well at the next election. But we also thought you wanted to reform the Blue party and get rid of the scoundrels in it. Why didn’t you tell us that instead, what you wanted was to win the next election at all cost, Maithri, why?

During the last election, Mahinda maama had huge crowds at his rallies and government resources at his disposal and yet he lost because the people no longer trusted him, even after he won the war. Why don’t you realise that you, too, are breaching the trust placed in you by the people, Maithri, why?

Already, Sobhitha hamuduruwo, Satellite, Rauff and Champika have disowned you and it is quite possible that even some Blues might desert you because you are accommodating Mahinda maama. Why do you think that you can still win the election without their support, Maithri, why?

Satellite never wanted to give the Premiership to Mahinda maama but she did, under pressure from her party. As a result she had to give up her own position prematurely and she is still regretting appointing Mahinda maama as PM. Why do you think it will be any different for you, Maithri, why?

The majority of the people led by a few principled individuals achieved a silent revolution in January. You courageously gave leadership to that revolution. We hoped for a ‘Yahapaalanaya’ era. Unfortunately, after last week, 6.2 million people are asking ‘Why did we vote for Maithri, Why?’

Yours truly,
Punchi Putha
PS: When you enacted the 19th Amendment reducing your own powers, the people called you ‘Sirisangabo’ because they thought you were noble enough to make a great sacrifice. Now you have become more like King Yasalalaka Tissa who got a pretender to sit on the throne meant for him. We all know what happened to Yasalalaka Tissa in that famous story, don’t we, Maithri?