Columns

There is no need to beat about the bush. For the last two years we have marched on our stomachs, and next Saturday we shall arrive at the critical juncture when we all must decide which road to place irreversible step to reach a far better destination than the wasteland we left.

One sign states, continue on the same road ahead or you’ll upset the apple cart. The other says, take the road on the right and reach fertile pastures awaiting to be ploughed and harvested. The last sign states, take the left road which leads to a beautiful paradise where you can realise your dreams.

But, stranded as we are in this virginal lair, what’s the best road to take that will lead the country and us to a far better clime? For many fellow travelers, it’s the one that offers the most radical change. ‘The SLPP’s corrupt reign,’ they say, ‘have laid the land to waste. They have ruined even the mite we had, and we have nothing more to lose. So let’s take the radical road, and even though it may lead to hell, so be it. What more is there us to lose?’

It’s a decision taken in anger. It’s a decision easily taken by merely following the herd’s instincts. It is a decision reached when ‘reason has fled to the brutish beast’. It’s the decision of the selfish fatalist; who, without thought nor care, save for his own anger, plunges not only his but the future and fate of his own growing-up children into the black hole of uncertainties though it may be a living hell.

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE: Ranil

It is a decision only minds, warped by anger and twisted by a deep-seated hatred will take, even as the Germanic race took to bring Hitler to power, blindly trusting him to raise Germany from the rubble of World War I. The first act of Hitler when in power was to set fire to the Reichstag, the German Parliament and rule as a dictator. That’s the bitter lesson of history.

It will be the most stupid and insane, negative decision the Lankan people can ever take, revealing to the world at large that, for all our much-vaunted claims to high literacy rates, it has grossly failed to bless us with the barest of intelligence; and rendered us a primitive tribe, quick to take the attractively adorned and euphemistically presented suicidal road as the way of beating adversity.

It is the one the weak assume, in a fit of frenzied anger, that falling from the frying pan into the fire is infinitely more desirable than staying in the pan. It is the decision the weak most often take to make a quick exit when the burdens of life become too much to bear.

But what of the efficient and competent team, each leader needs to successfully implement the high-flown pledges made? Does any team inspire us to repose confidence in their leader that he will deliver the promised goods?

Out of the three main contestants, independent candidate President Ranil Wickremesinghe says, ‘I can play with any team that a general election proffers.’ But can he play the singular role of an omnipresent and omnipotent sole reigning god on earth, alone
without an efficient and competent team to put into effect his pledges from their ministerial offices
after first successfully pushing through the necessary enactments in Parliament?

Even Hitler had his Goebbels, his Goring, and even his Himmler to run the Gestapo, to name a few. All of them ruthlessly but competently executed the orders Hitler issued, without question or pause. Even God has his Archangel and a chorus of Guardian Angels, even as the Buddha had his team of erudite and enlightened monks to spread his noble message in far distant lands. Even the infallible Pope has his eminent team of Cardinals and Bishops to guide and advise the papacy.

However, if Ranil believes he can, that’s great. But will a stand-alone candidate win the people’s trust and confidence in full measure to make him President? What if the batsman at the crease cannot wield the willow with a straight bat? And when ruled out leg before, refuses to leave the pitch? What if the fast bowlers can only send no balls? And when charged with ball tampering, stubbornly disputes the umpires’ decision? What if some team players are charged in court with match fixing? With such an immoral, indisciplined and incompetent team, can any President, no matter how remarkable he is, win any match?

SJB CANDIDATE: Sajith

The greatest impediment that may dent Ranil’s emerging popularity, is the arrival of the deserters’ bandwagon with SLPP Ministers and MPs aboard. Though their coming filled the empty seats with well-known faces, alas, they also brought with them, the collective stink of the Rajapaksas’ corrupt barn, to his political platform. Whether they’ll bring through the National List the infamy of the SLPP to Parliament is still unknown. Ranil will increase his chances should he polish his act and rid himself of the nation’s opprobrium.

What of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayaka’s team? Do they have the ability to deliver ‘a rich beautiful life’ as pledged in their utopian manifesto? Let’s see. For instance, the man tipped to be the JVP’s Finance Minister Sunil Handunnetti, the one who said, ‘Elon Musk is an economic assassin’, has also said, ‘One of the ways I will solve the financial crisis is by acquiring all the fixed deposits in banks.’ Furthermore, he announced in July this year to allow the people to surrender their black money to the National Development Project—on a no-questions-asked basis and guaranteeing them, their names will not be disclosed—this black money to be used to develop the country.

Or take the case, for instance, of the JVP senior politburo member Lal Kantha—the true voice of the JVP—tipped to be the JVP’s Police Minister, responsible for the nation’s law and order. He said at JVP’s May Day rally this year that he will vest every Village Sabha with judicial authority, empowered to hold summary trials and instant justice to the people. In July he announced at a public rally in Kandy, ‘most media organisations will be taken over by the JVP Government. The few that remain will close down on their own volition. The rest will naturally disappear.’

The problem in gauging what the JVP’s position really is on many main issues is that their stance changes, like shifting sand on wave-washed shores. From Marxists today to fully fledged Democrats tomorrow; from ardent atheists to devout TV Buddhists bearing ‘Ata Pirikara’ as gifts to the Chief Monk of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, which JVP had bombed on February 8th, 1989, at the height of their terror reign.

From men of principles to those without a creed. In an interview on Ada Derana TV in September 2019, Anura Kumar—as the JVP’s Presidential candidate that year—told the interviewer: ‘We believe the greatest respect we can give religion is not to bring religion into the election battleground. I ask why candidates who go to meet the Maha Nayakas, bring TV crews? We will not be like them selling religion at elections. We are not TV Buddhists.”

As the Sunday Punch commented on the 25th last month: Funny how principles dramatically change within a gap of five short years on the virtual eve of elections.

JVP CANDIDATE: Anura

From rabidly anti-India, one of the 5 classes in JVP’s initiation rites to a lover of all things India, parlaying with the Indian External Minister Jaishankar in New Delhi in black suit and red tie, the JVP has taken to changing its hues, like the chameleon, to harmoniously blend with the rest. From rabidly anti-IMF, to declare last week – in a sudden U-turn on long-held party policy – ‘the JVP will stay with the IMF Program and will not withdraw on its own.’ is, indeed, surprising, made as it is on the virtual eve of elections. The JVP’s one-stop former Karl Marx Court now caters to every tongue and taste.

And what of Sajith’s team? Have they proved their mettle and established their credentials well in the public eye? To show the calibre of men, Sajith brings with him to battle and win the economic war, he has put them on public display on mainstream TV channels, airing a SJB political broadcast.

In brief cameo roles, featuring the top team of the Samagi Jana Balawegayo and Samagi Jana Sandhanaya, the first to make his debut is Dulles Alahapperuma who briefly talks on housing; Rohini Wijerathna, briefly talks on education; Champika Ranawaka on power and energy; Eran Wickramaratne on ridding society of corruption; Kabir Hashim on industries; and finally SJB’s top economist, Dr. Harsha de Silva to briefly talk on his economic plans. The scene cuts and pans to Sajith’s team seated around an oval table, when a voice-over announces the SJB slogan.

It is a power packed message which drives home to viewers—that whichever party a team come from—that only a professional team, possessing experience, maturity, efficiency, competency, expertise and, above all, integrity can make this nation re-emerge from the economic, political, cultural and moral decadency to which ungodly depths it has fallen. No wonder, when every facet of
activity is tarred with the black grime of corruption.

This week has been another
busy week for the SJB candidate, Sajith Premadasa. On Wednesday morn, he visited Malcom Cardinal Ranjith to renew his pledge to
hold an independent probe into Easter Sunday’s bomb blast, and
to ensure its victims are sufficiently compensated.

On Wednesday afternoon, he attended the Maha Sangha Sabha meeting at Colombo’s Taj Samudra where hundreds of monks from the Tri-Nikayas were present in full force. Sajith received a Maha Sangha ‘sanasa’ listing out what the Maha Sangha expected of him to fulfill as the President.

Graciously accepting
the religious edict, officially from the General Secretary of the Asgiri Chapter of the Siam Nikaya, the Venerable Dhammananda
Thera, Sajith pledged in his speech to follow in the steps of his late father, Ranasinghe Premadasa, who, as President, had been the first to establish a Buddhist Sasana department with him as. its
first Minister. They recited the ‘Jaya Piritha’, casting their blessings on Sajith.

There was further news for Sajith. The ITAK, the largest alliance of Tamil parties in the north, reaffirmed its support for SJB’s Sajith to win the presidential election. ITAK’s Acting General Secretary Dr. Sathiyalingam reiterated the party’s decision remains unchanged. One of ITAK’s parties, the TNA spokesman Sumanthiran confirmed: ‘the ITAK is not talking with any other presidential candidates and there is “no” re-evaluation on the pledge.

But it is not the number of parties that join an alliance nor the amount of different captains aboard the ship’s deck that matters. It’s not the gale but the set of the sail that tells the people how to vote. Ultimately the final outcome of the presidential election lies in the sovereign hand of the Lankan people.

But a word of caution. When polls open this Saturday, vote-wise. And do not waste your vote. It’s too precious to waste on a frivolous fancy for a particular face. or radical change. Do not follow the herd’s brutish instincts. Beware of wolves disguised as sheep who will promise you the sun, moon and stars, merely to win your vote. May the best right man win!***