MR’s imaginary crisis | Page 3 | Daily News

MR’s imaginary crisis

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing the pohottuwa party’s maiden rally, in Anuradhapura, on Sunday, claimed that the country was in crisis today, solely because his successor, President Maithripala Sirisena, appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister of the country.

We are not aware as to the nature of the crisis, the country is confronted with, today. Suffice it to say that there are no white vans roaming about the streets, nor are journalists abducted and tortured, or worse, murdered in broad daylight. Nor are media houses subject to claymore attacks and razed to the ground. One also does not see entire roads being closed, and, the public shooed away, to allow VVIPs comfortable passage. The country is also being spared the oppressive family rule where the Rajapaksas had the last word on any and everything. There are also no giant cutouts at every street corner, with the beaming visage of the country’s ruler. Local government politicians are no longer killing foreign nationals and raping their girl friends, nor are those holding mayoral office giving chase to opposition politicians, brandishing toy pistols. Holders of the office of the country’s Chief Justice are not unceremoniously dispatched, after a hearing by a kangaroo court, read Parliamentary Select Committee, and political thugs deployed to hoot and shout vulgarities outside the official residence of the deposed CJ.

President Sirisena had good reasons to appoint Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister, soon after his victory on January 8. To begin with, the UNP, it was, which, provided the overwhelming numbers that saw the Common Candidate through. Towards this end, the party made tremendous sacrifices, it’s members being subject to violence and even death. It has to be noted that the incumbent Prime Minister, at the time, was firmly with Rajapaksa, during the election campaign, together, with a majority of those in the SLFP, now holding ministerial office, in the Yahapalanaya government. The new President had promised to the people, groundbreaking reforms, including, clipping the wings of the Executive Presidency. He could not have made the changes, with a hostile parliament, that included the incumbent Prime Minister who owed his position to Mahinda Rajapaksa. He (President) would also have had the reasonable apprehension, that, with the two thirds majority at his command, there was the very real possibility of a coup of sorts engineered by Mahinda Rajapaksa to make himself Prime Minister, by a majority vote in parliament, in which eventuality, his (President’s) victory would have come to naught. It was abundantly clear, to all, that President Sirisena could not afford to have a parliament that was against him, hanging like the sword of Damocleas, over his head. Hence, his decision to appoint Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister, concurrently, with his own oath taking.

The same logic may also have been behind his decision to cut the grass from under the feet of Rajapaksa, at the subsequent general election. A UPFA victory, under MR, would have had the same effect, upsetting his reform plan, particularly, the changes to the constitution to achieve reconciliation.

Be that as it may, the so called crisis in the country, attributed to the PM, by Rajapaksa, is a crisis that is a deliberate creation of the JO, in furtherance of it’s political agenda. True, the petrol crisis placed tremendous hardships on the public, and, was something that could have been avoided. But, Rajapaksa should also recall that there was a near week long countrywide blackout in the early days of the Chandrika regime, of which he was a senior minister. As with that episode, the petroleum strike was something that was suddenly sprung on the country, for which, one can hardly blame the Prime Minister, like Chandrika was not to blame for the blackout. Besides, the economic crisis, which Rajapaksa may have been referring to, as ‘the crisis’, for which Premier Wickremesinghe is responsible, was, to a large extent, created by MR himself, by plunging the country into an eternal debt trap, and, pushing vital state institutions like our national carrier into a financial hellhole.

A good move

President Maithripala Sirisena’s proposal for the declaration of a National Diabetes Month, to educate the public on measures to prevent the disease, through the proposed National Programme, is commendable, indeed, considering the rapid spread of this deadly Non-Communicable Disease, that has taken a heavy toll, on both, the old and young alike. Diabetes is a silent killer, more insidious than even cancer, in that the victim, for all intents and purposes, leads a normal life, on the surface, oblivious to the danger that lurks within him. Needless to say, the sedentary lives, led by most, have contributed to the disease, coupled with the rate race, that leaves no room for recreational activity and outdoor pursuits. Today’s young are preoccupied with computers and electronic games, restricting their physical activity, while being addicted to fast food and sugar based products. The whole gamut of factors should be addressed when designing plans to combat the disease. 


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