Along with Sirisena, three ministers and two law makers have also quit the SLFP. He expects more resignations in the days ahead. “Dozens of ministers and MPs will resign to join me”, he said but did not elaborate.
Sirisena’s announcement, which came just one day after Rajapakse called the election, is not a sudden development. Much spade work took place behind the scenes because it is difficult to strike ‘deals’ at one go given the fragmented nature of Sri Lanka politics ever since Mahinda Rajapaksa carved out a place under the Colombo sun.
Yet, it will be patently wrong to accuse Sirisena and co of indulging in a conspiracy at splitting the SLFP. To throw up a challenge to MR is a legitimate political activity; and their decision shows that all is not well with the MR sway over the party. It also shows that the President has deemed it fair and proper to advance the poll date after sensing erosion in his support base. His biggest plus is that the ruling alliance has an overwhelming majority in Parliament. It is this majority that has enabled MR to push through Parliament an amendment to end the two –term limit on the Presidency.
To the credit of MR, it must be said, he has managed to reach out to all sections of people in the South and the North. In the last presidential election, the Tamil North and Muslim East had voted for him though pundits expected him to be the loser in the Tamil belt since the election took place shortly after the Eelam War ended. Whether he fulfilled his poll promise is moot point. What is, however, significant is that elections took place for the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) last year (2013), and MR government in Colombo did not stand in the way of TNA taking oath of office in Jaffna. Well, political solution to the ethnic Tamil imbroglio is still a mirage and the talk of 13 A and 13 A plus has remained just talks thus far. The TNA is likely to throw its weight behind Sirisena’s candidature.
At his news conference to announce his candidature, Sirisena gave a new lease to these allegations.
“In the past few years the country has been heading towards a veiled dictatorship,” he declared. And added: “Corruption, fraud and injustice are rampant. The supremacy of the judiciary is crumbling… the country is under a veiled dictatorship with members of one family running the economy and the administration.”
Sirisena is promising the abolition of the executive presidency within 100 days of moving into the Temple Tree. Another pledge is that Ranil Wickremasinghe will be made the Prime Minister- a clear indication that MR opposition did its homework before asking Sirisena to throw his hat into the ring. Besides the TNA, the Sinhala-Buddhist extremist Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Democratic Party of former army chief, Sarath Fonseka are supporting him. Will Sirisena offer a tough fight to MR? Difficult to crystal gaze! Fonseka was a formidable candidate in the 2010 election as he had led the armed forces in their battle against the LTTE and the victory in the war was the crowning glory to an illustrious military career. Yet, as a common opposition candidate, he could not stop the MR march.
Like always, now also there is a talk of foreign hand ‘to destabilise the country” though it is difficult to comprehend how standing against the incumbent president in the Presidential election can be deemed against national interest. For instance, The Daily Mirror wrote: “UNP leaders, including Mangala Samaraweera, Karu Jayasuriya and Ravi Karunanayake met with some influential foreign diplomats accredited to Colombo on Tuesday (Nov 4), and discussed matters related to the party’s strategy to win the presidential election”.
This Nov 6 dispatch did not name who these influential foreign diplomats were but with some sections of the media walking the extra mile to remind you that former President Kumaratunga is associated with the US-based Clinton Foundation, it is not difficult to “recognise” the foreign hand that has become a part of the Sri Lankan lexicon against the backdrop of human rights imbroglio. Britain and India also are placed on the pedestal reserved for the US.
While there is patently nothing can be dubbed as disturbing in these allegations, it only shows that sections of Lankan media and politicos are still steeped in the past and, therefore, are unable to see, in fact, unwilling to acknowledge that there are enough indigenous grounds for any leader or leaders to team up and stand against the Executive President.
Harping on a foreign hand is an insult to the collective wisdom of the people who are being asked to exercise their franchise without fear or favour. As Fisheries Minister, Rajitha Senaratne, who has closed ranks with Sirisena remarked, “Shouting crudely against the international community or using strong epithets is not patriotism”.
Only in a feudal set-up or a regime wedded will have no place for opposition. In a democracy, opposition takes delight at snipping at the powers. It works overtime to make the leadership in the driver’s seat to run for cover with or without reason. The point is opposition cannot be wished away in a democracy, which Sri Lanka is.
