Green patriots + Blue patriots = 113 Yellow Hypocrites

Shenali Waduge

Sunday 28th January 2007 will be written in Sri Lanka’s history books as one of the most dramatic events in the political arena and “it was all because of Ranil”.

Ranil may be the excuse being used to defect but the reality is that these strings of jumbos, federalists, green-blooded politicos’ couldn’t resist the plum portfolios and perks that Mahinda the genie was ready to offer.

It seems quite a waste of any reader’s time in drawing attention to the history of corruption and misdeeds that these defectors have been party to not to mention the parliamentarians in the Government. It is rather like a big tea party where all the merry men and women have now joined to fill their stomachs at the expense of the public. That really is the ground reality and undoubtedly the truth of the situation.

What will the ardent UNP vote base who voted for these UNP’ers now say? Some of these voters can only see green and are oblivious to any other color in the political arena – will they too excuse the defectors & now put the blame on Ranil but what good would it do anyway? The carpet has slipped from Ranil’s feet and some of the UNP’s best men are now holding very lucrative posts in the “Chinthana Government” that they were laughing at not so long ago. The genie is definitely having the last laugh even though it will eventually be at the expense of the poor public who will once again have to suffer to upkeep the lifestyles of these Ministers, Non-cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers and possibly more defectors for whom the genie has still kept some vacancies. Would it not be amusing if even Ranil ends up defecting and lands up the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka!!!

What any voter today should take serious note of is a simple truth. ALL politico’s have no principles, no shame and certainly NO INTEGRITY.

For purpose of votes, to draw attention and gain mileage as politically important figures on the political ramp they use their rhetoric and at times their physical prowess to fool the voters. This happens time in and time out.

Our memories are too short but a brief look down memory lane would help us remember how some of these UNPers were so critical of the UPFA members and vice versa. Yet, yesterday they were shaking hands, indulging in small talk and having the last laugh at our cost! What hypocrites!

With the present reshuffling Sri Lanka has the most number of Ministers in the Asian region.

India with a population of 1.1billion has only 73 ministers.

Pakistan with a population of 168million has just 16 but Sri Lanka with a population of only 20million has 104 ministers (46% of the total membership of the House are ministers – 104 out of 225)

What more can we expect from sons and daughters of avarice!