Columns

• How tension-gripped UNP and SLPP scramble in haste at the eleventh hour to make final ‘candidate’ decision

Election fever hit a new high on Wednesday as sole electoral jurisdiction passed on to the Election Commission to conduct a fair and free presidential election before the scheduled date. Simultaneously the President was constitutionally charged with the duty of ensuring the environs necessary to hold such a fair and free poll.

The Election Commission held a press conference on Tuesday to announce the assumption of electoral jurisdiction on the following day. The Commission’s Chairman said that though they have the power to proclaim the presidential polls date until 20th August, they will announce the election date before the end of July, as well as the date of nominations. The elections must be held between September 17 and October 16.

SLPP NAMAL: Isn’t aware of known contestants’ willingness

With D-Day fast approaching for the elusive nomination date to be announced by the end of this month, parties, yet to decide on their favourite steed, made a beeline to the Election Commission’s office.

One is a party that continuously says it’s ever ready to contest the poll but has no candidate, while the other is one whose minions continuously say, he’ll be an independent candidate but is still without a party, past or present, to forcefully promote his candidacy to the hilt.

UNP’S RANGE BANDARA: Not to urge delay but to urge earliest date

SLPP leaders and UNP senior officials were all on the road to the mecca of the Election Chief’s turbo-thrust office. The SLPP has its own uncle-nephew combination now in the Basil-Namal combo.

While Bappie Basil went alone to the polls chief’s parlour for a one-to-one chat, to discuss, perhaps, in view of the Election Chief’s statement, he will avoid the day’s malefic ‘rahu kaalaya’, which can fall in the morning or afternoon on certain days of the week, when deciding on the date of nominations–in deference to the entrenched traditional beliefs in the country–if the Election Chief can grant a further concession by naming a nomination date and time most beneficial to his party since it was the long held belief of his party leaders: it was left to nephew Namal to remain on the street and speak to reporters.

He was asked the stock question, ‘Who will be your candidate’ and pat came the stock reply, ‘the party will decide and announce the name at the correct time.’ But reporters persisted nevertheless and directly asked: ‘Will it be Ranil or Dhammika Perera?’

His reply will astound the two hopefuls, gunning to win SLPP’s much-hyped presidential ticket. Feigning ignorance, Namal–himself a presidential aspirant, if only papa will give the nod to run–said: ‘Neither Ranil nor Dhammika has made it known to the party that they are willing to contest on the SLPP ticket.’

Poor Dhammika. There he is, having striven his utmost to fulfill all the conditions laid down by the Rajapaksas to become their choice candidate; there he is, brought forth on centre stage at every recent party event and, with an envied seat amongst the Rajapaksa brethren, given implied top billing as the party’s reserved candidate whose name will be announced later, lest it dulls the surprise if announced prematurely. On the strength of it all, there he is, gambling millions–like big-time rollers do at Bally’s casino–on TV and other promotional blitzes, on the assured wager of winning the hyped SLPP candidacy stake.

Poor tycoon Dhammika. There he had been, busily campaigning as the likely SLPP nominee for the presidential race, only to learn from media reports that Namal Rajapaksa had told TV reporters–no less outside the polls office–his party wasn’t even aware of Dhammika’s willingness to contest under the SLPP’s ‘pohottuwa’ sign, since neither Ranil nor Dhammika had made known to the party of any willingness.

Were the SLPP leadership rather dim not to figure out why Ranil was parleying with Basil on Monday evenings or why Dhammika was assiduously campaigning in provinces as the likely candidate held in reserve to be sprung as a surprise before the deal line lapsed, even as Mahinda Rajapaksa had dedicated his brother, Gotabaya, not once, not twice but thrice to the nation as his chosen seed to usher a resplendent era which, however, had ended in an era of mass poverty and seen the country’s bankruptcy within less than three years. So much for surprises, and snakes rising from Kelani River’s belly.

Or did the SLPP dimwits expect sworn affidavits from the hopeful two front runners, affirmed and certified, expressing their irrevocable willingness to contest the marathon race wearing SLPP colours? If not for Ranil staking his bid at the cost of his reputation or Dhammika staking his at the cost of his  fortune, which has given the SLPP a brief sense of importance, the hard truth is the SLPP will be hard put to field a decent, respectable, relatively uncorrupt candidate from its own ranks.

Another surprise presence at the election office was the UNP Secretary, Range Bandara, who had arrived to meet the Election Commission Chairman. Bandara had created a political ruckus in May by proposing a referendum to postpone both presidential and parliamentary elections for a further two years. His presumptuous call to extend, in effect, the President’s tenure for two years more had been scorned, vilified and ridiculed by the entire opposition.

So, what was this political mischief-maker doing outside the polls office? What mischief was he up to now? What ruse had he tucked up his sleeve this time to spring on the election chief to delay polls? On the contrary, he told reporters, he had come not to urge delay but to urge the polls chief to hold the election as soon as possible.

Strange, had he, too, as the JVP in NPP wool says it has done, turned a new leaf so quickly overnight? And why has he, who had been calling for a two-year postponement two months ago, suddenly shifted his stance?  It’s the humanitarian in me, Range Bandara said. ‘Both SJB and JVP are demanding an early election. I want to alleviate the pain both will feel when defeated. I wish to put both out of misery as soon as possible. That’s why I will urge the election chief to hold the presidential election soonest, even before the legal deadline lapsed’.

How magnanimous a thought it is, to think in advance of sparing one’s opponents’ pain in the full flush of expectant future triumph.

But UNP’s Range Bandara must be warned. In the uncertain outcome of any election, should he find his shoe on the wrong foot for having urged the earliest poll date, he may have denied the incumbent in presidential office, a few more resplendent days in the uplands of power.

Meanwhile, in the opposition camp, the SJB and JVP, having chosen their leaders pretty well in advance, SJB leader Sajith was busy, opening the 332nd smart digital classroom under his Sakwala programme, thereby showing that an MP need not be in Government to serve the people, while JVP leader Anura Kumara, with his thoughts far from the madding election strife, was busy packing his bags to fly to Japan to amass yen from the Lankan expat community.

And as for the people? They will only heave a sigh of relief when the election is finally held and the result announced. They will urge the Election Chief to announce the earliest date for elections, never mind the malefic ‘rahu kalaya’. After all, it affects only candidates, if at all, and not voters.

Ambani’s 150 billion Lankan bucks all time gala wedding extravaganza When real money shows its magnetic colours, it pales into airy shadows all the tinsel glitter Bollywood can boast of. From Amitabh Bachchan to Shahrukh Khan, from Aishwarya Rai to Maduri Dixit the whole gamut of Bollywood’s top stars arrived at the court of Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, last Friday to attend the three-day glitziest weekend wedding of Ambani’s son Anant and Radhika, the daughter of wealthy pharma tycoons, Viren and Shaila Merchant. Friday was reserved for ‘Shubh Vivaah,’ the sacred Hindu fire-burning ceremony. Saturday was for ‘Shubh Aashirwad’ while the ‘Mangal Utswan’ on Sunday concluded the binge of extravagant celebrations. CHARITY BEFORE WEDDING FEAST: Anant and Radhika fed 9000 people daily before wedding But the binge had begun four months earlier in the year. In fact, the seemingly endless series of pre-nuptial celebrations from March, each attended by a seemingly endless stream of Hollywood, Bollywood, business and political world’s top celebrity guests, may have made bride-to-be Radhika wonder with alarm if the day will ever dawn to see her as a wedded wife. Or wondered if Ambani’s ostentatious wealth has condemned her to always be the bride-to-be but never Anant’s newly married bride. And so, as if to end the doubts arising in the bride-to-be, began the glitziest climax the world has ever seen to a lengthy string of lavish prenuptial celebrations, that was to last for three more fun-packed, event-packed, jam-packed, celebrity-packed wondrous days that seemed to guests to never end. From Friday, celebrity guests were seen arriving at Ambani’s convention centre in Mumbai. Among the famous guests who came were Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Samsung CEO Han-Jong Hee, ex-US President Trump’s daughter Ivanka, former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson who took to the dance floor carrying his youngest toddler to tango with his wife and family. Missing in action were Britain’s first Indian origin newly ousted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife, Indian citizen, Akshata. For some odd reason, they had been left out, like the figure 5 had not replaced 6 in Article 83(2) of the Lankan Constitution, for some mysterious reason 9 years ago. Among the many special events lined up to hold guests in thrall, was the special dance routine staged by Salman Khan and two other Bollywood stars with a host of dances joining the act. It was followed by a comedy skit by the same star trio, which had Mukesh Ambani rising to his feet, in s spasms of hysterical laughter. WEDDING CLIMAX: Anant Ambani with father Mukesh and mother Nita at wedding But as the nightly feast rose to a crescendo, the climaxing moment arrived when Radhika took to the stage. Yet, for all the stupendous wealth of Ambani, for all the galaxy of stars, including the million-dollar performance by global star Rihanna, the bride was coaxed to dance for her scrumptious wedding supper! Wow, what sheer joy it was to watch her artistic performance. And the cost for it all? An estimated cool 40,000 million Indian rupees, roughly 500 million US dollars or 150 billion Sri Lankan rupees. Probably was just some loose change, burning a hole in the deep pockets of Asia’s richest man. It made the world wish the happy couple, a joyous married life.