One month since people’s tsunami: new president, new PM still clueless!

 

Tuesday, 10 February 2015 

Overtaking the velocity of the tsunami that devastated Sri Lanka’s coastal area on December 26, 2004, a people’s tsunami to save the entire country from wicked, corrupt persons hit the king who resided at Temple Trees and he was thrown away to Tangalle on January 08, 2015. This people’s tsunami brought a person, who tried for 20 long years at the opposition leader’s office to safeguard his position, to Temple Trees.

The people’s tsunami brought a simple, just man from Pulathisipura to the top position in the country. Still, both cannot comprehend as to what has happened. Ranil still acts like an opposition leader. Maithripala Sirisena holds the position of the executive health minister. A clueless Mahinda Rajapaksa remains in Tangalle. Proving the Buddha’s words ‘Thanhaya Jayathi Shoko’ to be true, he still tries to regain consciousness, after failing in his attempt to make the two years in his hands into eight years. It is natural that he should be under severe mental stress.

The new president spends a considerable period of his time every day to engage in meditation, say sources close to him. The pictures of Che Guevara, Marx and Lenin that adorned his office have now been replaced by pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. Mr. Maithripala Sirisena now speaks a word after thinking twice, say those closest to him. He now patronizes his previous business friends very cautiously. He is now more of a real follower of Buddhism than a politician.

Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe’s situation is no better. He never thought of taking oaths as the prime minister, soon after the swearing in of Mr. Sirisena. What has happened was quite unexpected for him. He is not prepared to be in the position of prime minister. The best example for that is the situation at the prime minister’s office. His personal assistant Sandra still goes about her activities at a snail’s pace. The 10 emails previously received have increased to 200 now. But, Sandra still responds to her habitual 10 emails. Without sending someone else, she personally goes to the prime minister’s residence in Nuwara Eliya to take its inventory. When told to employ a few people under her, she says ‘I want to do it myself.” Sagala is a nominal head of the prime minister’s staff. Saman Athaudahetti and Sudath Chandrasekara still consider themselves as being at the opposition leader’s office. Daya runs around with ‘the prime minister’s diary’ in hand. All these are good, honest people. But, new secretary to the prime minister Saman Ekanayake cannot clap with one hand.

By now, the entire mechanism of the UNP has become inactive. Its general secretary Kabir Hashim is running with a burden he cannot shoulder. He is burdened with more and more work. It was wise to appoint Malik Samarawickrema as the chairman, even belatedly. He was the behind-the-scene man in the party’s victory. If Malik and Kabir stand up shoulder to shoulder, they can make the party mechanism live and healthy once again. The lads and lasses who worked for the party with death warrants in their hands have become discouraged. Malik and Kabir should comprehend this situation in view of the general election that comes up in three months’ time.

Every political party in Sri Lanka has this weakness of having plans only until they gain power. None has a lasting programme for the retention of power. In politics, gaining power is 25%, while retention of power is 75%. The crisis happens in the retention of power. If there is no proper programme for that, another tsunami could come in the way from the direction of Tangalle.