And so, the yuppies and the not so yuppies of the corporate sector in Colombo were pleasantly amused to find the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe unusually sociable in his white tunic top and the red baron, JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe in full suit. This was where the Opposition Leader is most comfortable, waxing eloquent and fielding questions with consummate ease.
Somebody asked him if the UNP and JVP were not like the sky and the earth (ahasai polawai), and he responded saying that the world needed both to survive. In his interview with us today he explains that the economic policy contradictions between the capitalist UNP and socialist JVP were a worldwide debate today about the sustainability of the free market system and the failures of the socialist system.
The meeting was a huge success that has prompted President Mahinda Rajapaksa to say that the forthcoming elections is between the 'sausage class' and the 'bada irungu class', a class clash.
The President is under tremendous pressure to defend the unbridled rackets seemingly taking place under his watch; but a wag who was present at the five-star hotel on Tuesday was to say that watching some of those who were the key organisers of the event for the Sarath Fonseka camp it seems the choice on Jan. 26 was now one between the 'village rascals' and the 'corporate rogues'. |