The President will co-habit on the UNP's terms

It is better to quote that paragraph from the Hindu to rub it into those pundits and prognosticators who thought that it is "fantastic'' that economic imperatives will force the PA government to collapse. Come to think of it, these were not pundits in fact — they were cheap moonlighting propagandists.

Some even harboured the illusion that the JVP has become the second force in Sri Lankan politics, and that the UNP could be wished away. Mind you, this barely two months back! Small wonder these are propagandists and not serious analysts of contemporary politics.

Now, some of them are involved in a devious (and hilarious) campaign to enthrone a "national government''/ all-party government. Ranil Wickremesinghe did say that there will be a "national government'' by default, with a UNP administration and a PA President. But that's not quite the same as the UNP agreeing to an all-party government, as some apologists think, as they wallow in a devastating drubbing.

It is time hypocrites and henchmen — the whole lot, were held accountable, legally and within the bounds of due process of course, for all that has been done, especially in terms of election malpractice. Lohan Ratwatte is said to have made an exit, and emplaned abroad. Sixty-one deaths occurred during the election campaign, there is no gainsaying that the "progressive'' forces of the PA, with some cheerleading by their propagandists, were responsible for most of these horrendous killings. These progressive killers, and everyone who egged them on, should be accountable for the most disgusting election related killing spree in the country's history.

These progressive killers and progressive pen-pushers are surely not unaware that under the first past the post system, which their President was calling for, just a few months back, the UNP would have received a steamroller two-thirds majority in parliament? That's the extent of the PA's defeat, and these propagandists have the bare gall to suggest that there will be an "all party government." Though this is not the time for recriminations, the new government has a moral and legal obligation to see that all election related crimes — including the smaller percentage that the UNP was responsible for — are accounted for, and punished. 

Most situations change in quantums, and the UNF victory at the concluded poll is a quantum change that will hopefully put paid to the politics of the forked tongue that was practiced by the PA government since 1994. The UNP has a damnable past record. But, the UNP has also a better record of delivering the goods, and of course, of spawning less lies and deceptions on the people. The UNP is the known devil. The PA is Satan incarnate trying to pass off as progressive patron saint with a halo. Therefore, the PA is the biggest humbug this side of the Suez.

The PA has taken the first reality check by inviting Ranil Wickremesinghe to form a government. After the cabinet is appointed, and the formalities are dispensed with, the so-called cohabitiaitve process in which a UNP government and a PA President will have to co-exist will officially begin.

The PA is convincingly humbled and the President knows this. After all, she has been enough of a politician to know a defeat when she sees it. But, not so, some of the political propagandists and sundry ignoramuses by her side. That's why we see some of them making some tentative steps towards saying that "President is still chief'' and " an all party government is in the offing.''

This is a subversive tendency of trying to goad a humbled president to fly in the face of a convincing verdict. There is no place for such tendencies in a democracy in which the winning party, after all, had to contend with some of the worst cases of election malpractice recorded in polling history — anywhere in the world.

There is no question of legitimacy hanging over this verdict, as there was over the PA "victory'' of 2000 which was one that was dubious due to the same kind of rigging that was practiced last year by the PA. That was also a lesser victory anyhow in electoral terms.

The good thing about it is of course that no pundit pen-pusher or petty puppeteer will have a choice this time around.

Not many machinations are possible, when the winning collation can command a clear majority in parliament. The President, as Commander-in-Chief, still has to depend on parliament for the money. She can cohabit for all she likes, but like it or not, it will definitely will have to be on the new government's terms.