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• SJB candidate lays his manifesto at the feet of the sacred Dalada

In that split second he struck a moving chord, instantly identifying his religious sentiments with the Buddhists of the land, who take their newborn child first to the
Sri Dalada to receive the blessings of the Nobel Triple Gem; as do other parents of various different faiths take their newborn children to their respective sites of worship to be blessed.

The significance of the moment was not lost on the Sasuna monks. A host of monks, representing the Tri-Nikayas, observed: “The symbolic importance of one, bred in the Buddhist faith from birth, promising before the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha to fulfil the pledges made in the manifesto laid at its feet, which no other leader has ever done since the time of ancient Sinhala kings, inspires and instills confidence in us in Sajith’s genuineness to fulfil the pledges made.”

It was only after he had presented his manifesto at the feet of the Sri Dalada that he crossed to the opposite bank of the city’s wewa to present the 44-page SJB manifesto to the custodian of the sacred temple, Malwatte Chapter’s Chief Monk, Venerable Sumangala Thera, at his office; and then proceeded to the nearby Asgiriya Temple to present the same to the Chapter’s Chief Monk, Venerable Sri Gnanarathana Thera.

After he had struck the right note in presenting the SJB manifesto to the sacred Tooth Relic, the Sangha and the public, Sajith began the last lap of the marathon race to win the President’s House.

AT THE FEET OF THE SRI DALADA: SJB candidate Sajith presents his manifesto to the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha in a widely acclaimed symbolically unique act

Two years ago, he had already begun his ‘Sakwala’ programme to establish a digital classrooms and thereby introduce even students in remote rural villages to a world of technological marvels they had never known before; and to instill in them the importance of learning English from a young age. Simultaneously he had begun his ‘Husma’ hospital programme under which he donated more than a billion rupees worth of essential medical equipment to government hospitals.

By the time elections were announced, and election laws forbade him from continuing his ‘Sakwala’ programme, he was on the verge of opening his 386th “smart classroom” in the 386th school.

These two projects alone—focusing on education and health—which no other opposition leader had done before without power or state finance, showed him as a self-starter who, on his own initiative, sought and found the necessary funds from local and world philanthropists to launch and continue these two vital projects. He didn’t wait for presidential office to fall on his lap to serve the people but had served them, nevertheless, with or without office. As a politician who projects himself as a man of the people, who works night and day to serve the people, whose word is his bond, he certainly has so far ‘walked the talk’ as he had said he will do.

His core team of professionals, having worked in both private and public sectors, come with a rich experience in administration and time management and can be relied on to competently execute the duties of any office given. As Sajith said, “All will have to sleep less and work more if I come to power.” They all bring with them a clean record and are as determined as  their leader is, to stamp out corruption from the country’s body politic.

He is also further strengthened by the launch last month of the Samagi Jana Bala Sandhanaya, initially an alliance of seven important political parties, including Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauff Hakeem. At a ceremony held at Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, each leader signed a solemn pledge to uphold the SJB ethos: Good Governance.

In his ‘A Win for All’ manifesto, he pledges to follow a social free market economy based on social democratic principles to ensure social justice for all, and is dedicated to create a poverty and corruption free country.

To rise from economic bankruptcy, the SJB will continue with the IMF programme, though they will revisit and—except for the ‘debt sustainability analysis’, the very bedrock of the IMF Agreement—mutually agree to change certain harsh and merciless terms in the Programme to mitigate the hardships the people have faced these last two years.

The IMF, no doubt, will be more receptive to give an ear to suggestions made by a new, elected Government, headed by a team of professional economic experts rather than to a team from the same old corruption ridden government, who were responsible for the abject plunder of the country’s coffers but who with absolute impertinence claimed they could get the country out of the economic black hole they created.

The SJB pledges to give 20,000 rupees per month for a period of two years for those in poverty’s nadir. This is not merely to assuage their crying hunger but to strengthen them to rise above the poverty trap. A host of promises have been made to the needy in various lanes of life, including pensioners, the people that politicians forgot.

Though this posy of promises may be viewed by cynics as election ‘goondoos’, SJB leaders assure the nation, these are not just hot air or pie in the sky. They assure us that, unlike the dreams woven by the JVP in celestial skies, each pledge has been filtered by its economic expert panel, and the means by which to procure the finances will be by showing zero tolerance to corruption and wastage in the government sector, and, by expanding the tax net, increase tax revenue.

Then on Thursday at Ratnadeepa Hotel in Galle Face, Colombo 1, Sajith with his core economic expert team of Harsha, Eran and Kabir, presented their own oral submissions on Economic Blueprint 3 of SJB’s manifesto before an audience of hard-boiled professional guests for their own minute scrutiny. Eran took the floor first, followed by Dr. Harsha and then by Kabir Hashim. Towards the tail end of his entertaining speech, a figure dressed in black, silently strode up the auditorium aisle to take his empty seat in the front row. It was then Kabir revealed that Sajith had arrived. When Kabir had finished, Sajith was invited by the compere to deliver his speech.

Sajith declared in the course of his 30-minute speech, “Countries have survived bankruptcy. They have come back stronger. I believe Sri Lanka can do the same. I’m proud of the work we have presented and I’m even prouder of the SJB team’s capacity to execute this plan.”

With ‘Aragalaya’ leaders, who had demanded system change, joining him the same day, it was clear that Sajith was attracting support from every strata of society in the last lap of his marathon run to the President’s House in Colombo’s historic Fort.

Ranil lays his ‘Sri Lanka Can’ conviction at the nation’s feet Independent candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe presented his manifesto to the nation at Taj Samudra in Colombo 1. After presenting his manifesto, ‘Puluwan, Sri Lanka’ or ‘Sri Lanka Can’ to Buddhist monks and to the clergy of different faiths, he stepped onto the dais to explain in greater detail, why, indeed, Sri Lanka certainly can. The candidate with the most experience in international dealings with the IMF and other world lending institutions, the man possessing the most political acumen alive today on any local stage, the most widely read scholar of world history, ever ready with the witty retort to quash his opponents to pulp in the cut and thrust of debate, the man sneakily admired and secretly held with gratitude for bringing his vast store of accumulated knowledge and experience when Sri Lanka needed it most to salvage the nation from economic bankruptcy, had no real need to recount the depressing days of long queues which he somehow ended with  IMF’s last minute bailout loan; explained to the public why he was still the indispensable chivalrous knight, who—with malnourished infant Lanka under his arm—braved the hazardous journey on the burning rope bridge to cross the perilous chasm to lead the nation to some relative safety. THE PRESIDENT’S VISION: Ranil’s manifesto spells out why Sri Lanka certainly can “Let’s not interrupt this journey or else we shall all fall,” was the signature theme he emphasised at the presentation ceremony. As a means to incentivise the rest to stay with him, he presented his 5-year winning plan and pledged to reduce the high cost of living, to provide employment for youth, and to grant tax relief for all. Some of the main measures in the bundle he had, are planning a mega metropolis spanning Kalutara to Negombo, and sticking to a ‘Theravada’ trade economy. But what would have made him chuckle the most was Anura Kumara’s announcement on Wednesday that, “the JVP will stay with the IMF Programme and will not withdraw on its own;” thereby pledging, in a sudden U-turn in party policy, to faithfully follow Ranil on the burning rope bridge, unto the last.

Namal has nothing to offer but his ‘Dakma’ It could have been Saturday night at the London Palladium. Or Las Vegas’ matinee performance of a young show biz star making his debut appearance. As the audience of high rollers who had staked their bets on him held their breaths in suspense, the rear doors mounted on the stage, swung dramatically open to reveal two girls bearing his manifesto on trays, with political biz Crown Prince—with a funky new Hitler style haircut—following them closely behind, descended the short flight of steps to make his grand entrance on stage. With the chorus of applause rising to a crescendo, he climbed down the dais to present his fond papa with his inspiring vision or his ‘Namal Dakma’ as contained in his manifesto for his subjects. After worshipping his proud sire, he worshipped and embraced his three uncles, who had all turned up to join the great family reunion to share the momentous hour when the dynastic sceptre and crown passed from father Mahinda to his son and heir, Namal, before the official coronation on September 22. And what was this young 38-year-old’s brave new vision that would meet the aspirations of his subjects? If they had expected a bundle of miracles that would instantly transform their lives as they once had been promised in the days of the old Sire, they may have felt forlorn when Namal said, akin to a Churchillian phrase he had heard someone saying somewhere: “I have nothing to offer but my own ‘Namal Dakma’.” If that put a damper on their ardour, it was soon revived when Namal played his father’s old hit medley and promised to reduce high duty rates, promised to provide all with three square meals a day, and pledged to give economic relief as soon as possible. That was more like it, a familiar flashback to the halcyon days when Mahinda was in power. But the son didn’t stop there but began to unload what the rest of his vision held. Promises, promises and even more promises to hold his subjects spellbound. But he took their breaths away when he swore to wipe out bribery and corruption from the system. No wonder his family’s Pretorian Guard had fled to find pastures elsewhere, where parasitic weeds had begun to appear. Time and fate and a dad‘s dear wish had propelled him to inherit the SLPP crown at the last hour in a well-directed drama with a surprise ending. But will the gods and the fates soon dispose of the best-laid plans of mice and men? Or is this only a test run? Perhaps, it’s the last of his father’s vanity projects. the vainest of them all. Be that as it certainly may, the day after polling, when the last few votes are still being counted, send not to find for whom the bells toll for they, dear Namal, doth toll for thee.