Sunday Times 2
What’s Premadasa’s option in the national crisis?
While the ruling powers of crisis-ridden Lanka are considering the IMF as a three letter word ending in F and dissenters view that it is the only way out of the national crisis, today’s suffering people of this once proclaimed paradise island are exercising their only available option: coming on to the streets on their own and demonstrating against the rulers.
Meanwhile, queries are being posed on the role of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
Some critics say that with the president and the ‘Pohottuwa’ Government in a seemingly state of impotence and confusion, Premadasa should rally round the emerging forces opposing the Government, to storm the Presidential Secretariat and Parliament to seize power.
While that has been the format in some countries like ours in similar situations, it may not work out here. Any shift of political power except through the constitutional process will necessarily involve the armed services and the current Government is well in with the army and other security forces with budgetary allocations for Defence and Security related institutions exceeding allocations made for vital ministries such as the Public Services, Provincial Councils and Local Government. It could lead to invocation of the Public Security Act, Declaration of Emergency, armed forces on the streets etc which Sri Lankans are very familiar with during years of insurrections.
The other option for Premadasa is to go for a political alliance with parties opposing the Rajapaksa Government but considering the disparate political ideologies held, the extremist views and the calibre of activists, it is clearly a non-starter.
Reuniting with UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe seems a sound proposition on paper but considering their past antagonisms it would be as optimistic hope as the peaceful co-existence of fire and dynamite.
Besides, in foreign relations, Premadasa has no firm backers although last week he claimed that there were some countries which have indicated their desire to supply oil to Lanka.
The relationship of the UNP — he was its deputy leader — with China was tortuous and the construction of the Colombo Port City came to a halt for considerable time with the Yahapalana Government taking over. Subsequently relations eased out and Port City activities recommenced. Although Premadasa remained silent during this conflict, it is unlikely that Beijing comrades of the Rajapaksas would be anxious to come to the aid of their rivals although China’s foreign policy is to maintain good relations with countries and their peoples irrespective of changing political leadership.
Indo-Lanka relations hit the utmost depths during the presidency of Ranasinghe Premadasa when he armed the LTTE and also asked the so-called Indian Peace Keeping Force to quit Sri Lanka. Sajith Premadasa reiterating his commitment to his father’s policies would not be to the liking of the historians of Indian foreign policy. Besides, India is today a partner of the quadrilateral defence organisation together with the United States, Japan and Australia to counterbalance China in South and South East Asia. India will be the proxy power of the Quad for South Asia.
Sajith Premadasa, if he is to build bridges with the Western bloc, has to circumvent the influence of the Quad and its proxy power India.
Perhaps, the above factors may be the reason behind Sajith Premadasa’s policy of following a strictly constitutional strategy during this crisis. Considering his progress after the UNP split-up, he has done creditably well. He had just about a month to ratchet up a political party to face a presidential election while his opponent had years. He polled 41.99 percent of the votes cast to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s 52.25 percent. In the parliamentary elections that followed his party fared disastrously, polling only 23.09 percent of votes and winning only 54 seats against 59.09 percent of the Rajapaksa party that won 145 seats.
Premadasa is holding his party together despite many rumblings within it. But older and much stronger parties are not only rumbling but are undergoing fission as was seen in recent weeks.
Thus, it appears that Premadasa has no other option but tread the constitutional path, vehemently demanding in public that the Rajapaksas resign, knowing well that it won’t happen.
For weeks on end the country has seen angry people screaming on the roads: They have no fertiliser to grow their crops; their harvests have failed; they have no money, no food, no gas, no diesel, no petrol and now no electricity — only day-time blackouts. Quite obviously the Government has no dollars apart from meagre amounts Lanka’s Loan Rangers going about foreign capitals are able to collect in their begging bowls.
Only the Clean Suit Empty Pocket Governor of the Central Bank says he has the dollars but won’t pull it out of his pocket. He is a good fall guy for his bosses.
The Rajapaksa strategy appears to go muddling along hoping Covid will go away, tourists will come, the world situation will ease and their Visions of Prosperity and Splendour will materialise. Meanwhile, their faithful will keep the spirits up with slogans like: GL ge Mole, Gota ge Baley (GL’s brains and Gota’s Power) or even vice versa. It doesn’t matter.
Shouldn’t those responsible for all this suffering of the people and destruction of the country without stopping it soon by resorting to means to end the crisis instead of talking sheer gobbledygook be identified for justice to be delivered when the time comes?
Cursory Rhymes
(Rhymed with vengeance during a 5+2 blackout)
This is the time to be in a zone in and around Colombo7
It will be like living in absolute heaven
A/Cs buzzing and fans whirring
While in the suburbs we are roasting and burning —
From beyond Maradana along to seaside Ratmalana.
But it is luxuriating cool in Meerihana.
If you don’t know why in Meerihana it’s nice and cool
Then you are an ignorant Lotus Bud fool.
Blood and Water
Years ago in Nugegoda market Square
Weerawansa in his stentorian voice did declare
Rajapaksas though in defeat are the best and the greatest
Yesterday, in a corner cogitating on laws of nature
He realised the Blood was Thicker than that celebrated glass of Thambili Water.
Karma and Uruma
Short and garrulous Gammanpillah
Always a Rajapaksa granite pillar
Meditating yesterday on his Karmaya
Realised it was not being in line to the Rajapaksa Urumaya