Rajpal's Column

21st March 1999

With bat and ballot, a dynasty fights back?

By Rajpal Abeynayake

This is a bad scenario, but is it impossible? The PA gets the UNP to officiate in the joint "election monitoring committee.'' The UNP appoints a couple, the PA a couple, and things look like they are roaring . Then, election day approaches. The mug-shots and posters still remain on the walls. Tender mercies.

Then, elections day really comes along. There is another repeat of Wayamba. Contrary to everyone and his puppy's reasoning, the fact that the toss up is for five provincial councils doesn't make a difference. The elections are rigged anyhow, with state machinery to boot.

The UNP leader musters his forces, and holds a press conference . "The elections ,'' he says " have been rigged.''

Chandrika Kumaranatunge is heard to laugh out loud. She dictates a statement. "The leader of the UNP has accused the government of rigging the elections in the five provinces. But the UNP leader was in the joint election monitoring committee,. He worked with us to ensure a free and fair elections. His own people worked with us to ensure that there was no malpractice. Now, he says the elections were rigged. Verdict : he is only a sore loser.''

It would be very difficult for Ranil Wickremesinghe and his help-mates to do a sudden pullout from the monitoring committee and say that the elections were stolen. As the newspaper photographs are testimony, Ranil and his lieutenants have been associated with the monitoring process from the time the President initiated the round table election monitoring conference.

It would have been difficult for Ranil Wickremesinghe to act as if he was not cooperating, but, by doing so sans caution, he may have compromised his ability to complain of election malpractice — even if it really happens.

Mr. Ranil Wickremsesinghe lacks the ability to be self-effacing. He takes criticism far too personally — it's almost a part of his innate character. In Mr. Wickremesinghe's book , there is no such thing called ideological criticism. There is also no such thing in Mr. Wickremesinghe's book called constructive criticism either. If a person criticises Mr. Wickremesighe from an ideological or political standpoint, he concludes that that person is his sworn enemy, and a card carrying member of the other side. This tendency has been shown by Mr. wickremesighe with the press, in his behaviour towards totally objective questions directed at him by journalists of the Lakbima, for example. The moment a question gets objectively critical, Mr. Wickremesighe is know to clam up. Once, he threatened to terminate an interview with this columnist in the same way. He concludes easily that if you are not asking questions on behalf of him , you must be working for the other side.

So in this context, pointing out flaws in the UNP is as dangerous as pointing out flaws in the army. (Just joking, but Mr. Wickremesinghe's stare can be pretty intimidating.)

The mileage that Chandrika Kumaratunga is getting from the all-party election monitoring committee is tremendous. She has turned, almost into a political coup, what was a political disaster in Wayamba. But if Mr. Wicikremesinghe is not careful — he could be had , hook line and sinker, before you can say "elections''…..

Clifford Ratwatte, a prominent member of the dynasty ( you know which one that is ) is running for President of the Board of Control for Cricket . Now, if Mr. Ratwatte's niece is adept at the political coup, Mr. Ratwatte maybe her avuncular pupil. This may be the Bandaranaike political dynasty's ultimate attempt to conquer the powerful office that helps — albeit from the fringe — keep the government's political fortunes alive.With success at cricket, the government can feel free to get away with murder. ( Just pulling that leg of yours….) But, cricket has been one of the achievements that has kept the barbarians from the gate. But now, with cricket on the decline, the government is in danger of losing its frontline placebo that is customarily used to keep the dumb hordes from getting rebellious.

So, it maybe, the boss thought "out with another trick from the hat.'' And Clifford Ratwatte was produced from the magic headgear, even though he strongly denies that he jumped out of the hat at his niece's behest.

But, motives aside, Clifford Ratwatte's sudden apptetite for being the cricket czar, may just about turn out to be the most exciting thing that has happened to Sri Lankan cricket in recent times. Look at it this way — the current incumbent Secretary of the Board, who was the front runner for the Cricket Board presidency until recently , doesn't exactly have a very good record to run on. The Board he was Secretary in, has presided over the most obvious decline in Sri Lankan cricket that has been seen for a very long time. From World Cup winners, the Board has taken the Sri Lankan cricket team to being one of the most consistent losing sides on earth. So when the Cricket Board's Secretary talks of organizing the Asian under-19 tournament etc., there is a palpable feeling that he has lost it. From the time the comprador business classes took over the Board, from Ana Punchihewa who presided over the World Cup winning era, Sri Lankan cricket has been almost needlessly assailed from all sides, particularly from the top. First, the new board got rid of the World Cup winning coach, with the connivance of you know who…. That did it. Many other mistakes were to follow.

So Clifford Ratwatte, whether he was sent by the dynasty or the devil himself, may offer the best alternative to that pathetic record. If he can instil some discipline into the lot and show some top players where they should get off, who knows, he might salvage some respect for Sri Lanka as the defenders of the Word Cup , while winning back the government's best loved antidote to general civic unrest — whacky paddle cricket.

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