By Lucien Rajakarunanayake Courtesy The Island

Do you think this election pledge will turn out to be a political pledge for the future?

What pledge are you talking about?

What else,  but the President Sirisena’s pledge to use the sword against relatives, friends or party supporters,  to create a clean, unstained and people friendly political culture.

Wow…that is a helluver pledge; looks like he has forgotten the Madu Valigey threat.

It is obvious the Madu Valigey does not work with the political culture, he is living with today… but isn’t it strange his family is not included among those who will face his sword…relatives, friends or party supporters.

Look, how can he threaten to use the sword against the family…he served for nearly a decade as a minister in the Cabinet of Mahinda Rajapaksa, when full support for the family was the keyword of politics and governance. He must have learned a lot from that MR phase of political culture, just like his reward of State Minister posts to the political catchers who are joining the SLFP.

Don’t you think he is moving on to a major change in the political culture in the country…he has spoken of the Lichchavis, too.

Well,well… it is best to remember that the most corrupt and crooked manipulators in our politics have always talked about the Lichchavis. It was JR Jayewardene who remembered the Lichchavis, when he spoke of letting the Robber Barons come here.  The Lichchavis are also remembered by his nephew Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has a major problem with conflicts of interest in the Treasury bond scams. So let the Lichchavis have their own past glory, without being linked with our corrupt politics of today.

OK…But what do you think about politicians having national agendas and not personal agendas?

That is a really good Sirisena Agenda, with little relevance to the reality of politics today.

What is so Sirisena about that?

Was it a national agenda that made Sirisena try so hard to come to some deal with the Mahinda-Basil Pohottu party or the SLPP?  What is so national about now trying to come to coalitions between the SLFP and SLPP once these

local polls are over? Is it not to grab control of local bodies to manipulate the political future of those obsessed with power and not service to the people?

But shouldn’t we be serious about his thought of purifying politics and giving power to honest politicians?

Come on, didn’t we hear much of this stuff in the early days after January 8, 2015.  Isn’t this the very stuff that the Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera was so committed to? But what has happened with the Maithripalanaya of today, which is quite a distance from Yahapalanaya?  The problem is in finding honest politicians, whether it is from the blues or greens, or any other colour.  To think that a party leaders’ convention of today could promote honesty in politics is the belief in the baloney of current politics.

But don’t you think that his use of the sword against the corrupt would start the ball rolling against corruption?

He has to begin with those very close to him…like the SLFP Secretary whose ministry was paying billions in rent for an unoccupied ministry building.

Do you think any sword would touch such a person?

How far will that sword go to fight the hoarders of paddy, especially in his Polonnaruwa area, leading to huge imports of the staple food? Would any sword rip the bags of commission earned?

Will that sword truly make some major swipes at those who have been running and ruining the SriLankan – the National Carrier – from the day they were appointed –a set of truly crooked fliers?

How long will it take to bring any legal sword to bear with real effect on those politicians who do not declare their assets under the law?

What kind of sword will be used to stop the import of luxury vehicles for politicians, in both the government and opposition? Will there be a special sword needed to curb their unaccounted for electoral expenses?

What sword is to be used to prevent Ministers from appointing spouses and other family members to key positions n the ministries they preside over?

Now, what about the Maithri advise to party leaders to prevent youth who enter politics from supporting thuggery, corruption or indecent acts?

The last sword call is a truly big one. It is to build youth not drawn to thuggery, corruption, and indecency for one’s political advantage.

This is the call for the cleanup of the stinking political grime of today, which has only enlarged from the time of the Rajapaksa Regime and not reduced, with the Maithripalanaya with a Yahapalanaya slogan. Let’s hope it is a serious resolution for the future clean up of politics and governance.

It is certainly too late to expect such clean politics in the coming local government polls – with all the crookedness and delays involved.

Let us make this our own the sword-bearing wish for the New Year!