5th Column

My dear Gota maamey,

I thought I must write to you since you have been in office in the top job for one month now, after having won the big race by a convincing margin. Although your victory was not surprising, the margin of your win came as a surprise to many and people expect you to now keep your promises.

During the election campaign it was argued that you had little or no experience in politics because you had never held public office, being an army officer for most of your life. Why, Mahinda maama was seen accompanying you to most meetings and sometimes even answering questions on your behalf.

I must say that for someone with no experience at all in politics, you have done reasonably well in your first month in office. So far, you have resisted the temptation to be a politician and kept things quite simple, much more than Mahinda maama ever did. The question is whether you can keep it up.

For instance, you managed to keep the number of ministers down to fifteen, although you did tell us that this was an ‘interim’ measure. As far as I can see, the country hasn’t come to a grinding halt because there are a lesser number of ministers, so I hope this ‘interim’ measure becomes permanent.

However, when it came to appointing state ministers, you appointed thirty-eight of them. Among them were some ‘usual suspects’ such as SB, Mahindananda, Keheliya, Thilanga and Lanza. Those who voted for you to change of our political culture wouldn’t be happy about these appointments.

It is good that you have done away with a presidential motorcade and said that you will be travelling with just three vehicles. I hope that all of your ministers will follow your example.  You have also instructed that your picture need not adorn government offices. These are praiseworthy measures.

You have also said that top appointments to all government institutions will be by handled by a committee of professionals who will appoint only qualified people. Again, I hope you can do that because a lot of people who worked hard for your victory are now expecting ‘something’ in return.

Most people thought that the first controversy that came your way involving the Swiss embassy was also handled in a professional manner. I think the Swiss chaps were trying to mock us by preventing the questioning of the person involved but we still do not know the whole truth behind this drama.

Still, Gota maamey, there are some questions we need to ask you about some issues that have arisen in the last month. For example, you said on more than one occasion that, given half a chance, you will scrap the 19th Amendment to the Constitution as it creates two centres of power in the government.

Now, Cheerio Sirisena, the Green Man and their ‘yahapaalanaya’ government don’t have much to show for the four and a half years they were in office. Yet, the 19th Amendment was one outcome they can be proud about because it prevents any person holding your job acting like a dictator.

Do you realise, Gota maamey that, if not for the 19th Amendment, the tricks that Cheerio Sirisena tried in October last year through his ‘constitutional coup’ would have succeeded and he would still be in the top job with Mahinda mama as his PM? You would be nowhere if that happened!

While you are at the top it may seem a good idea to do away with the 19th Amendment and restore the powers of the top job but you must remember that someday, that job may go to your rivals. That is what happened when JR vested all the powers to himself – and Mahinda maama then used them!

Then, Gota maamey, there is this other issue about Champika being arrested. It is true that the matter is now before courts but to me it seems strange that AG suddenly woke up one day after three years and realised that this is a case which needed urgent prosecution. It is a bit of a co-incidence, isn’t it?

You, more than any other, would know about political witch hunts. That was what you and Mahinda maama complained about during the ‘yahapaalanaya’ days. The law should take its course for anyone but the manner in which Champika was suddenly arrested certainly looks like a witch hunt.

Don’t get me wrong, Gota maamey. Wrongdoers must be punished. Still, when the AG suddenly decides that a traffic accident takes priority over a bond scam that robbed the country of billions of rupees, one wonders whether the AG is making these decisions or whether they are pulling his strings.

These are early days for you. You are still new to politics. The goodwill of those who voted for you- and most of those who didn’t- is still with you because, at the end of your term we all want a better Paradise, regardless of who is doing the top job. So, I hope you will give thought to these matters.

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS- You needn’t to worry about the big election that is due soon. The Greens are in disarray and fighting over their leadership. Now, if you want to ensure your own re-election in five years’ time, there is something you can do now to guarantee that: ensure that the Green Man leads the Greens!