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Who to trust ? The Presidents Problem.

By Charles Perera

The Sinhala culture has received its ablution from the fountain of Buddhism. Therefore, arising from that cradle of sanctity we should be cleansed of unwholesome thoughts of hatred, jealousy and vengeance, or at least we should be able to keep in check their arising. It is important that those Parliamentarians, who have been elected by the people expecting them to be respectable, not in dress and social status, but in their thoughts , words and action, and carry out the duties expected of them, honour that trust the people had placed on them..

It is so disgusting to realise that the inside of Mangala ( or Avamangala) Samaraweera had been so absolutely black and stinking. He had been like a poisonous snake who had been waiting to strike, harbouring inside him so much of hatred and anger against the President for having his brothers as his advisors. Who else can the President have confidence in, other than his own brothers ? They are quite qualified and absolutely honest to hold the places they occupy in his government. As people of the country we are happy the President is safe with his brother around him, not with snakes like Mangala Samaraweera slithering around him in faked friendship.

When the American President late John F Kennedy was asked , what qualifications Robert Kennedy had to be appointed the Attorney General, he had said,“ Robert is my brother. ” Blood is thicker than water.

Now the question arises as to who among the large body of Cabinet Ministers could be trusted and who hold allegiance to the President. It is good for the President to carry out a general screening of those who are close to him to verify their loyalty . The JVP who the President trusted turned out to be just marking time to make the President Mahinda Rajapakse a stepping stone to political power. Ranil Wickramasinghe, is a fearsome snake under the grass waiting for a chance to join even with the devil himself to oust the President and take his place.

Besides him there are Rauf Hakeem, and Thondaman. They are there for a particular purpose and the President cannot expect much from them. They may just drop him the moment their personal safety is in question or expected benefits are not forth coming. The 18 UNP Ministers, may have little allegiance to the President and the Government, as they may be awaiting a chance to oust the present UNP leadership and step into their places. Moragoda may not be friendly but seems he could be trusted to do a good job of work. GL Pieris a bad political negotiator may be good as a friend, but a bad enemy when the friendship is over.

One cannot help feeling that with Prabhakaran you at least know that he is your enemy but with Mangala (or Avamangala) Samaraweera and Sripathy Sooriarchchi you do not know whether they are friends or enemies.

Under the circumstances there aren’t many that the President could rely on. Late Philippe Gunawardhane a diehard Marxist was at the end a meek Minister of Dudley Senanayake’s UNP Government. Therefore, Dinesh Gunawardhana may remain a big question mark ! Maithripala Sirisena could not help being a little critical of the President on the distribution of Ministries. There again it was the President’s niece Nirupama Rajapakse who showed satisfaction remaining in the government without a Ministerial post.

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