Mangala, Anura & Sripathi –Just as great is the greed to hang on to power as is the greed to return to power.

Shenali Waduge

If we can imagine what it must feel like to loose the gates of opportunity and a life of plush living with a single signature we must also imagine why The All Island Executive Committee of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) was quick to unanimously endorse President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision to sack Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Anura Bandaranaike and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi.

Everyone was aware that it was only a matter of time for action against these “dissidents” to take place. Given the prevailing climate amidst kidnappings, murders and human rights violations taking place in our small isle we must be happy that these Ministers only lost their portfolios.

And why are they suddenly so unhappy? Mangala was undoubtedly one of the key architects of brining the incumbent President to power. According to news columns he had wanted to be named as the country’s Prime Minister. Instead of the Premiership he was given three of the best portfolios in the country & obviously an indirect path to work his way up & become known as the No.2 in line to power.

Then there’s the only son of the Bandaranaike legacy. Having being demoted to holding the Ministry of National Heritage he suddenly discovers he has been amongst a “carnival of clowns”. Did it not dawn upon him that he was a member of the very carnival of clowns when he was enjoying unlimited foreign trips as Minister of Tourism?

Sripathi too was one of the men chosen to sit at most tv debates throughout the election campaign and despite his late entry to politics he was offered a Deputy Ministership though with the reshuffling he was reduced to a non-cabinet Minister.

One of the common traits of the three ousted Ministers was their affinity to the former President who is still unable to come to terms with the fact that she is now out of power. Blood may be thicker than water for Anura B now but he surely must recall how on top of UNP stages he ridiculed & humiliated his own sister who was then the President of the country.

Rumor is that another party is in the offing and claims that SLFP’ers dissatisfied with the bagful of goodies offered to them following the reshuffle also joining can be seen as the days unfold. This is nothing to be surprised at. Power yields a desire to remain in power and obviously these 3 former Ministers as well as the former President cannot come to terms that they have lost power. Obviously they would try all avenues available to ensure that they are back in the saddle of power and luxurious living – we will all be seeing the curtains raise soon & view the drama that is likely to unfold. Just as great is the greed to hang on to power as is the greed to return to power.

What the electorate needs to understand is that there is no friend or foe in politics. All the representatives we term as our leaders mesmerize us into voting for them purely to secure their path to glory and a term of unlimited powers for them and their kith and kin.

In many ways it is the public that must be blamed for the manner in which these politicos drain up all the hard work put in by us & trigger a journey towards economic and social instability in our small island nation. It is high time the citizens of Sri Lanka became wiser and decide not to attend political meetings & play ear to the empty rhetoric of these selfish and self-centered politicians