PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: MAHINDA PLUS (+) OR MINUS (-)
Posted on November 20th, 2014
By Gomin Dayasri
Next Presidential Election will be fought on the wavelength of a Mahinda Plus (+) to a Mahinda Minus (-); with the waveband set on his eight – year regime. To be precise: Will Mahinda, be good or bad personally for you in the next few years? It is the ultimate question that will decide the election.
Colombians will lose the election again on pressing with the perennial issue that sails above the head of the voters, that fails to ignite even a feint touch of interest amongst the ordinary voters, in this or previous elections: Abolition of the Presidency? Chandrika promised it; Mahinda approved it. Neither did it. They won the second term forgetting the issue? The war was won because of the Executive Presidency! People are only concerned on issues that hurt them. People feel they have done sufficiently for the country in winning the war against terrorism. Now it is the time to think of one-self: with life being hard. To hell with the executive presidency – a non – issue that titillates the intelligentsia.
The whole story is about One Man: it’s the peoples’ decision whether to exercise the vote privately in favor or against him? Majority has made the decision. It is not an easy election either for Mahinda or his opponent. Those who think of the country or society or community are an insignificant handful. People think of themselves and their families first.
The Other Man is Ranil: presently in the also ran” column: the only opposition candidate who has a chance of winning the Presidential Election. Undoubtedly the strongest common candidate for the reason he is the leader of the UNP. The rest of the gathering at the temple of Rev Sobhita – Colombian Chief Priest- will be a band of off-grade seekers for the title of common candidate –dropouts that failed to make the grade. If any other mounts the common candidate’s podium, instead of Ranil, especially Chandrika Kumaranatunga it will make Mahinda’s task much easier. The opposition will come from within.
UNP trio, Ranil, Sajit and Karu, working in unison need take the battle to the second count, where the lead candidate Mahinda, is unable to garner the needed 50% of the valid votes cast. The second preferential vote of the TNA and JVP vote base will slide in favor of any candidate but Mahinda Rajapakse.
Ranil needs to concentrate on the negatives of Mahinda, which is more appealing than his own positives. North will bring him a comfortable lead of 375000 votes before the ballot boxes are opened for the count. It’s at that point Ranil reaches his prime but will fall back as the southern vote is counted. He has to get the minorities to bend to him to reduce the lead Rajapakse will establish in the early tallies from rural electorates. Rajapakse can win every electorate in the south (except the metropolitan city seats] but still will lose the presidential election if he fails to off set the North-East vote with heavy majorities in the south.. This will be the first time North will unleash its full vote in its fury.
Ranil has positives few other politicians possess. He is clean and clever but more in the Anura Bandaranaike mode. Not a man of the People or stands fanatically for the country that makes him reluctantly shy away from being a true patriot. A truly realistic man who carries it too far to a point of the surreal. He will never say Sri Lanka is the splendor of Asia but a village in the global network. That does not sound good to the voter. Ranil should be more appealing to the youth with his modernized vision but the message remains buried in a maze in a disorganized party machine. If Ranil forfeits the right to mount the challenge at the forthcoming election, he will be making a larger mistake than when he surrendered his rights to General Fonseka. Fonseka was a national hero after the war? Chandrika cannot match the image of General Fonseka-then or now.
Times have indeed changed socially from the period of the renaissance of the ’56 era. Emerging middle – income society is still staunchly Sinhala Buddhist especially after the war but their outlook is becoming more sophisticated and modern; Buddhist leaders are incapable of keeping abreast of the developing trends to match the under – currents of its youthful society where its value structure is complex to comprehend.. New look monks carry the message further than the traditional monks with the young.
Try to read it this way to understand.
Then, pretty secretaries married their fat bosses and were displayed as prized trophies for public consumption but it was another story at home; doctors compelled to marry their playful nurses hardly presented their wives in public in fear of the lack of social graces.
Now, youth are different- with women numerically over taking the men in professions, consultants marrying consultants and bosses marry bosses. Secretaries and Nurses are pretty and playful as ever but have their trade unions and dinner dances to invite Boss & Wife for a function and keep a safe distance.
Then, elections meant a change of government each time but now the Presidency has been in bosom of one party for four terms from November 1994. Those kids that vote for the first time have not seen a President from another party or hardly seen another administration and are unable to make a comparison of the bad from the worse. Many of the youth of then, that have voted more than once, now reach forty and have not seen a functional administration except the present- but for the brief interlude of the Ranil Wickremasinghe’s government in office.That was not a success.
People that lived through periods of war and peace appreciates the difference between the two eras at home, school and office; saw a President nearly assassinated yet tamely succumbing to the might of the Tigers to a President that decimated the ferocious Tigers and is not succumbing to threats of the West. They both came from the blue corner. Greens hold a vantage; youth hardly saw them in the government. They know the UNP as a perennial fixture in the permanent Opposition and know the looks of the Opposition.
Youth have seen the best and the worst of a government in power. They were preparing for a continuation of another term when Badulla delivered a result that pulled Humpty Dumpty down from the wall, yet gave him time to gather the pieces to get back on the wall. But the King’s men may stand in the way of gathering pieces and placing Humpty back again on the wall because the young surely do not like most of the king’ men: youth may still respond to the call of a ‘long live the king’ scream yet will shout hoarse to down his horsemen. Youth yearn for a change, a change for the better.
Strange, in the age of Apple, young can take two bites at the forbidden fruit and hope their dreams might come true- for they vote at the Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Down the wire it will travel as twin battles between Mahinda vs Ranil followed by UPFA vs Rest. There can be a President from one party and a Prime Minister from another and a Cabinet from a combination. But the power is with the President as the Supreme Court of Chief Justice Silva deemed.
Youth observed parliamentarians cross the floor of the House and living happily thereafter in the cabinet till the day of reckoning arrives when they loose parliamentary privileges. Such enabling judgments were given by courts during a period of judicial de-activism when Sarath Silva ruled as Chief Justice that he may care to apologize till his dying day of helping a government to prop up and thereafter desirous of bringing it down (spare a though for the other two worthy honorable judges who were associated in writing the judgment in Help-in Hambantota). Such is the way of a man who lives for himself.
Youth that vote for the first time give sway to idealism and are optimistic not opportunistic. Romanticism leads to fantasizing to live in a better country, for a better tomorrow. They take pride in taming terrorism and are ashamed of the surrounding corruption and the way society is being fashioned. Not those urban kids that make their parents break the hard filled family till to send them to study abroad but those simple kids that know they have to live their lives in the home country on scholarship or on home support. Youthful form the under- 40 Club (more than 50 % of the voting population) that will decide who will rule in 2015.
The difference is that Rajapakse moves with the young in provincial schools distributing high tech computer equipment for which they and their parents are grateful; his reach is not for the Colombo kids except those in the rugby stands. Kids in cities source through social media networks that tweets messages or open pages in the Facebook the extent of corruption, waste and breakdown of law and order in the country. Yet computer society has not reached the villagers where the bulk of the youth live. To them its jobs and economy, which won support at the last budget but is yet to materialize. Life is indeed tough for candidates as they cast their vote.
It’s the vote of the under-40 club that will decide the winner.
November 19th, 2014 at 1:22 pm
UNP can easily MANIPULATE the poor youth.
ALL private media is against MR. This is another BIG factor. YOUTH don’t watch state TV.
November 19th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
It is a shooting match between SLFP – Catholic Church coalition and UNP – Catholic Church union. Ranil has stacked his party with Christian / Catholics that there is no way the UNP can extricate itself from the Chrisitian / Catholic image. Rajapakse is in bed with the Catholic Church like a fly courting the flame. More interesting things for the idiotic Buddhist majority is still unfolding everyday.
As for Rajapakse – God of the Bible said – I am the Lord, thy God. He should know that his God is nothing but the Buddhist majority – who helped him come to power – who helped him win the war – who is helping him to remain in power despite all the abominations against Buddhism – paying only lip service to the Buddhists and the Buddhist establishment. Bringing the Pope – the head of the pedophylic Church will not endear him to the Buddhist of Sri Lanka or abroad.
It is time the Buddhists took matters into their own hands for the welfare of all Sri Lankans.
November 19th, 2014 at 3:30 pm
AGREE with Ratanapala (except the first para).
November 19th, 2014 at 6:12 pm
Mahinda Rajapakse had two terms. WE know what he did.
People should give an opportunity Ranil Wickramasinghe too and see. Ranil was never a president.
Most negatives against Ranil are UPFA propaganda.
What Mahinda Rajapakse had done outstanding except being the right place at the right time ?
November 19th, 2014 at 10:09 pm
Rathnapala:
Christian – Buddhists in Lankaweb are supporting Mahinda Rajapakse to Scre Sinhala buddhists.
November 19th, 2014 at 10:13 pm
I am one of some 21 million citizens of the Sovereign . . . etc Sri Lanaka, which is supposed to be a democracy, and where we choose the people to govern on our behalf.
The President elected by us has stated that he desires a fresh mandate; he has asked the Supreme Court of the country if it can be done after November 19th 2014, and got a positive response, but there still is no announcement. We are now asked to wait until noon today, the 20th, and when that deadline possibly passes with nothing known?
The people of Sri Lanka collectively ought to know what is happening in this country and if there are elections there should be time for other candidates to get ready – after an OFFICIAL announcement is made. The lack of transparency proves it: we live in a dictatorship where we are expected to accept all that is dished out to us. Revoltions are undesirable; the thugs finally prevail. However, only about half a million of our 21 million people need take to the streets for irreversible unrest to commnce; a tyrant requires the tacit concent of his subjects, PLUS some committed gendarmes to carry out his orders. When the tyrant’s conduct is irrational, who will be committed to obey him?
This is worrying for us all.
November 20th, 2014 at 12:16 am
Daya,
People have more important things to do than worry about election notice!!
e.g. employment, schooling, finding a job, running their business, etc.
ONLY opposition politicians and their poster boys are worried about these things. They are just less than 0.1% of the population.
“we live in a dictatorship”
But then you said you are awaiting the election announcement. A dictatorship doesn’t have elections!
“However, only about half a million of our 21 million people need take to the streets for irreversible unrest to commnce.”
We saw that in LIBYA, SYRIA, IRAQ, UKRAINE, TUNESIA, etc. and look what has happened to them now? Total RUIN and their people today wish they had not done those stupid revolutions. Revolutions demanding elections before 2 years? That is totally undemocratic.
As I said before people in SL have MORE IMPORTANT things to do than REVOLUTIONS and other nonsense. REVOLUTION is the OPPOSITTE of EVOLUTION which means going backwards.
But I’m all for a MILITARY TAKEOVER and the creation of a MERITOCRACY.
November 20th, 2014 at 1:10 am
I am for Lorenzo’s idea only if the new rulers scrap 13A. MERITOCRACY – Nice word.
November 20th, 2014 at 1:35 am
Lorenzo,
How can military takeover take place in Sri Lanka ? Gotabaya is there to look after the brother. Even if it happened it will be Indian Takeover afterwards. Not practical.
Also 100% meritocracy is not good. Those disable people will have to die. We have a lot of disable in Sri Lanka ( no- not in the parliament)
November 20th, 2014 at 2:05 am
Independent,
We don’t have to copy idealisms as they are. It will be tweaked as needed to suit SL.
I didn’t say GR should NOT play a part in it!!
BTW president has declared his intention to have an election. Election commissioner will say WHEN.
Let the games begin.
November 20th, 2014 at 3:35 am
Whoever did this should be cursed. This is NOT acceptable. Looks like Islamic fundamentalists. They have a habit of stone throwing.
“The temple where Rathana thera is attached stoned, government accused
November 20, 2014 at 3:09 pm | lanka C news
The temple where the president of the Jathika Hela Urumaya is residing in Rajagiriya,”Sadhaham Sevana” temple had been stoned a few minutes ago.
In this connection Ven. Wattehene Vijitha thera of the ‘Sadhaham-Sevana” International Buddhist information and research institute had said to the media that some government municipal members and people had gathered at a meeting in Obeysekarapura had got together for this act of stoning, the dayakaya’s of the temple had told the thera.The police security and protection had been sought before the attack the thera had said.”
-lankacnews
November 20th, 2014 at 5:39 am
This is the place he was accused as built by cheating. It is actually was offered to Sangha by the President.
No. It is not Islamic fundamentalist, if so they could have done in August. It is those stupid people obsessed with the President. This is the kind of law and order we have now.
But stoning is not a big thing. It happens all the time.
November 20th, 2014 at 10:39 am
game start now- Bikku need to go back to his old Temple (if any , homeless ) .
or
Poor Bikku ….. say sorry to our Maharaja & support for his third team election.
November 20th, 2014 at 1:09 pm
Crossovers have begin.
UPFA MP Wasantha Senanayaka has crossed over to opposition.
This is the 3rd crossover so far in November. Govt. seats reduced to 154.
Hackhim and his loyal SLMC MPs and Gonason are likely to crossover (GO BACK) to UNP around Thalaivar’s birthday celebrations.
The RUMOR Maithripala is crossing over is nonsense. Karu J has said he will contest on his own if not given UNP nomination! This is his LAST election. Now or never for him.
November 20th, 2014 at 2:42 pm
If Maitripala Sirisena and 20 MPs defect from the SLFP, it could create a HUGE PROBLEM for the Governing UPFA!
Is this true, or merely a wishful rumor spread by Sri Lanka’s enemies?
If so, the PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE is truly fractured, and FUTURE National Integrity and Economic Progress of our Motherland is SERIOUSLY at RISK!
Et tu, Brute’!
I hope those “PATRIOTIC IDIOTS” and “ASININE CONCERNED CITIZENS” who are undermining the UPFA Government and the President will ENJOY the return of Anarchy and Chaos to the nation after 5 years of peace, tranquility, security and progress. Forget the Vision of becoming the New Wonder of Asia and prepare to usher in another Age of Destruction and Death!
When bombs start exploding again killing your loved ones, and the nation screeches to a halt. and becomes a basket case AGAIN, PLEASE BLAME YOURSELVES and NOT OTHERS! You have sown the seeds of your own destruction!
………………….
Major split in Sri Lanka’s ruling party is anticipated ahead of presidential election
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s political circles anticipate a major split in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent party of ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) ahead of the filing of nominations for the presidential elections.
Media reports quoting United National Party (UNP) parliamentarian Ajith P. Perera said that General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Maithripala Sirisena would quit the party with about 20 leaders of the party.
MP Perera has said that the UNP will support a common candidate. The common candidate would be either UNP leader Ranil Wickremasinghe or SLFP secretary Maithripala Sirisena, media reports speculated.
It has also been reported that the government had failed to compel former UPFA Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera to cross over from UNP to join the government.
Websites handled by Samaraweera have restarted to criticize the government vehemently after a lapse of several weeks.
November 20th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
“But I’m all for a MILITARY TAKEOVER and the creation of a MERITOCRACY.” expounds that quintessential PURE WARRIOR Lorenzo, who elsewhere QUITE RIGHTLY deprecates the stoning of Ven. Ratana’s temple by an assorted mob of putative dayakayas as the TRUE DEMOCRAT that he is (er, sometimes)!
What are we puzzled readers of his comments to make of these apparently contradictory personalities from dear Lorenzo?
Just remember that deep within Lorenzo lurks two different people, a TRUE DEMOCRAT Dr. Jekyll, and a PURE WARRIOR Mr. Hyde, and all will make sense to the uninitiated if they keep these two personalities separate!
However, be warned, there is no telling which of these two will pop up at any given moment. Ha! Ha!
November 20th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Ananda,
“What are we puzzled readers of his comments to make of these apparently contradictory personalities from dear Lorenzo?”
NO. There is NO contradiction. IF you look from PRO-MR and ANTI-MR glasses, yes you will see I’m contradicting myself.
e.g. I defend MR when HATE attacks are lauched against him. (PRO-MR?)
e.g. I CONDEMN when POLITICALLY MOTIVATED corruption charges, attempted arrests, threats, etc. are directed at Ratana, etc. (ANTI-MR?)
But if you remove political glasses and OBJECTIVELY LOOK this is what you see.
HATE attacks against MR are WRONG.
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED corruption charges, attempted arrests, threats, etc. are directed at Ratana, etc. are WRONG.
I will NOT BLINDLY support MR or even JESUS. I call a spade a SPADE no matter what.
“SAMMA DITTI” verses “SUMMA DITTI”!!
Then comes to OFTEN debated MILITARY TAKEOVER.
Should the nation’s soverignty, integrity, etc. depend SOLELY on an election which can be manipulated by NGOs, USAID, RAW, NORWAY, LTTE, ENDIA, etc.? NO WAY. The soldiers of the nation’s guardian dieties must step in as they ALWAYS did.
Democracy must serve SL national interests, NOT the other way round!!
November 20th, 2014 at 5:09 pm
It appears that our beloved President has angered a lot of his party members by bringing in UNPiers as ministers. In a way is looks like single person controlled government. If this is the actual case, he will face great danger by unnecessarily calling elections with ulterior motives.
As Lorenzo said “MILITARY TAKEOVER ” by Gotabhaya could be a reality. If so let it be. Either way, to the delight people of Sri Lanka lead by USA Ananda, our beloved President wins ! Be happy !
November 20th, 2014 at 7:09 pm
Lorenzo,
By often urging GR to initiate a MILITARY TAKEOVER, wittingly or unwittingly, you are doing several VERY BAD things:
1. You are undermining the TRUST people of Sri Lanka have in both GR and the Armed Forces of SL that liberated the nation, and that defended the Government of Sri Lanka ELECTED by their FREE WILL. The UNDERMINING of that TRUST EARNED through the blood and sacrifice of thousands of servicemen is not in the best interest of the people of Sri Lanka.
2. You are undermining the TRUST between GR and the rest of the Rajapaksa Family, and in particular the President who was instrumental in giving him the opportunity to serve his country in a way that a patriotic soldier can only DREAM about, by urging a military takeover of the Government in which the other members of the Rajapaksa Family play key roles. Part of the strength of the President, his government, and our nation is that there is this Patriotic Band of Brothers he can rely on for support in a sea of enemies. You are undermining that TRUST.
3. You are undermining the FORM OF DEMOCRATIC SELF-GOVERNMENT by the people, for the people, and of the people, that has survived in Sri Lanka for 66 years since independence, despite a murderous terrorist war that brought the nation to its knees, by urging an unrepresentative military takeover. The democratic form of elected government truly reflects that the sovereignty of Sri Lanka rests in the hands of ALL of its citizen voters, and not in a the hands of a military junta that seizes power by overt or covert means, for whatever reason.
Such a military takeover would undermine one of the MAIN DETERRENTS to foreign invasion by Western Neo-Colonialists who are well aware that whatever they may accuse the Government of Sri Lanka of, it is a GOVERNMENT ELECTED by the Free Will of People of Sri Lanka that they dare not TOPPLE through OVERT means, for that would expose their nakedness behind the figleaf of commitment to Democracy. As a weak nation sailing in a sea of rapacious sharks, we need that protection.
The unwavering PATRIOT and LOVING DUTIFUL BROTHER that GR is, he will NEVER RESORT to militarily taking over the Government of Sri Lanka that he is duty bound to defend loyally.
Many people, who want to bring down the Government, will try to DRIVE WEDGES into the trust that exists within the Rajapaksa Family, but they will FAIL ABJECTLY. GR is not cast in the same greedy mold as that unlamented “war-hero” Gonzeka, to fall prey to such siren calls to TREASON.
Therefore, my concern is not that GR will be affected by your DISASTROUS advice, but that it contributes to undermining the TRUST between the Armed Forces and its Leadership in the eyes of the ordinary PEOPLE of Sri Lanka.
Your verbal assaults on the President are now on record as undermining the President and the UPFA Govt of Sri Lanka.
Is it also your intent to undermine the TRUST between the People and the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka?
I FERVENTLY hope not. If not, I urge you to change your ways, and cease and desist from making such RASH DESTRUCTIVE proposals.
November 20th, 2014 at 8:56 pm
ALL the stupids have forgotten what Ranil,Premadasa,Chandrika,JR did during their power. Did any of them were able to stop death and carnage done by LTTE murderers? When the LTTE terrorists massacre 700 Policeman did any one cried or asked questions? When LTTE terrorists massacre our valiant soldiers in thousands,Destroy our valuable assets,destroy innocent lives,destroy our economy etc did any one of those so called heroes Ranil and other leaders did something to stop it? Who stopped and allowed every citizen to live free as one family? So try to think wisely whether we have another leader other other than the current President to lead our Motherland once again and bring us new hopes.
Ranil the wizard as some people say almost gave half of the land to terrorists in writing, Premadas said “PRABAKARAN WAS HIS BROTHER AND GAVE money and Arms to LTTE. How come anyone forget all those things so soon. They allowed LTTE to massacre our civilians and leaders at ease. Those terrorists were all over the country and people lived in fear all the time. Do you have any fear now? I dont think so but if by any chance those traitors come back then we can expect more fear than before by seeing what they are up to. There maybe bad things in this Govt but this man Mahinda should be the leader if you need a peaceful country to live. Listen to his speeches and see what he is doing as a leader.
In cricket you find brothers playing some times in the same team. They have been selected because they were good at it likewise in the present Govt you find brothers in the same team because they were all good and hard working people and people like them. The traitors to Motherlanka always wanted to tarnish the image of these patriots but people will give them a good answer once again. Wait and see.
November 20th, 2014 at 9:40 pm
Ananda,
I DON’T make ANY verbal assaults on the president.
I praise him when RIGHT and CONSTRUCTIVELY CRITICISE him when WRONG. I want him to do the RIGHT thing and remain in STABLE power for as LONG as he can.
I DON’T PROPOSE so and so takes over the country by a military takeover. Who am I to tell him! Is this a joke?
Please read the above what I wrote to see WHEN and under WHAT conditions. Quoting out of context is wrong.
November 21st, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Ranjit,
Well said!
I too believe that in spite of the ANTICS of politicians and jaundiced critics of the President and his Family, the Presdent will be re-elected by the Patriotic Ordinary People of our Motherland.
Those who JUMPED SHIP for PERSONAL GAIN at the crucial hour on the field of battle against Sri Lanka’s enemies, will RUE THIS DAY OF THEIR INFAMY!
November 21st, 2014 at 2:03 pm
Looks like Mahinda is severely discredited for corruption in his family and ranks. The best way to counter the 2014 Catholic Coup is to make Gota the common candidate from the UPFA. He has all the good qualities of Mahinda and is a true patriot. Mahinda now in the lap of the Christian / Catholics is a liability and his continuance can spell disaster for Sri Lanka. He should have known – you cannot forever ” have and eat the cake”. at the same time crows are leaving the elephant carcass to their doom!
Ranil and the traitorous opposition knows they have no person of the calibre of Mahinda to bring the fight to him. Ranil the fox is now digging the ground under the Mahinda Presidency. Maithripala Sirisena is just another scapegoat – just like Sarath Fonseka.
We need a person who will put the Sri Lanka and Buddhism before self, family, friends and Christian / Catholic Church.Only alternative is to put a fresh face in front and Gota fills the bill handsomely!