Dilrook Kannangara

Having considered about 13 suiters including Ranil for the prime minister post in May 2022, Gotabaya chose Ranil for the post on May 12, 2022. Since that day Ranil plotted to get rid of Gotabaya.

For three months Ranil kept telling the people that the economy was bankrupt and that it cannot be fixed without making even more painful sacrifices than people were going through then. This was a calculated move to further arouse people against Gotabaya. And it worked.

One of the main concerns Gotabaya had was the presence of Aragalaya crowd in High Security Zones and this was discussed in detail with every politician who wanted to become prime minister. Ranil too agreed to this condition by Gotabaya. But the moment he became prime minister he not only went back on his promise but also encouraged Aragalaya to be more aggressive. This was amply clear in his speeches.

It was a repetition of Aesop’s children’s story – the fox and the crow.

https://read.gov/aesop/027.html

However, due to his inexperience in politics, Gotabaya didn’t grasp what his prime minister was doing; that he was plotting against him.

Then came August 2022. Gotabaya fled the country. However, there is no law saying that a president vacates his office just by fleeing the country. There is no such law or tradition. The president can rule the country from anywhere in the world and he can return when he sees fit. However, Ranil was in a mighty hurry to get Gotabaya to resign from the post of president so that he will automatically become the president until parliament appoints him via a show of hands in parliament. He quickly appointed a large number of SLPP MPs into ministerial posts turning them into bonded supporters of Ranil. Rajapaksas were fearful of public anger and Ranil could sell them security in exchange for support in parliament.

The top lawyer in the country due to his post within the lawyers’ professional association was shedding tears for people’s fundamental rights and human rights in 2022 but was easily tamed when Ranil became president. Or was he! What’s even more interesting is in the Supreme Court case concluded recently where it found Ranil as finance minister and the elections commission violated fundamental rights and human rights of the people by cancelling the local government election after it was called in March 2023, this particular lawyer appeared for Ranil!

Aragalaya financiers including free food suppliers suddenly ended their generosity the day Ranil was appointed president by the parliament. A look at their support at past presidential elections, particularly 1999, 2005 and 2015 clearly show they are Ranil supporters.

This is not to say the plot should not have succeeded. It is Sri Lankan politics and anything goes. However, it went against people’s democratic choice.

Ranil owes a presidency to the SLPP party which handed him the post of president after winning it. When will the favor be returned voluntarily or through the cycle of karma? Stolen wealth never remains in the hands of the looter. It slips away.