Sajith Premadasa's lack of maturity in politics and his impatience is a severe handicap for high office

President Mahinda Rajapkse as we all know took an amazing amount of harsh criticism from Chandrika Kumaratunge, when she was President. He did not retaliate at that time, but bit his tongue and waited patiently for his time. Now he is President he does not mince words when he needs to, about the faults or made up faults of his predecessor. He can criticize her for every failing during her term and even for her successes!! That is what comes with the power of Presidency in SL.

So for Sajith Premadasa to subtly attack his current leader for all sorts of transgressions whilst being the Deputy Leader and effective second in command, shows an extreme lack of maturity. Does he remember how his father was treated like a pickpocket when he was Prime Minister and JR was President? JR would have Ranasinghe Premadasa waiting for hours at his doorstep, when he was entertaining guests and having a jolly good time with his whiskey and gin and tonic drinking friends. He did not bother coming out to meet the PM and handle the one of two minutes it took to resolve the problem.

RP had to undergo all this and bid his time until it was his turn. He then exploited his position to maximum advantage during his Presidency. I remember Sajith as an imp when I dined with the Premadasas. He had no relationship with Sajith at all. So I see the irony of his proclamations of the ‘yalith Premadasa yugayak bihikaranawa’ Kathawa. Poor RP would be shuddering at the words his young buck is saying. There are enough people amongst the living who saw RP being livid when Mrs Premadasa tried to introduce young Sajith to politics, when he returned from the UK after graduation from University, and had a frightful English accent from his few years at the Mill Hill Public School.

I know Premadasa had different designs for Sajith. He wanted a higher level of education before politics. Owing to the untimely demise of RP it was not to be. So it was then, and so it is now, that his mother has an undue influence on his political future. RP would never have allowed Sajith to go to Hambantota, but instead have bequeathed Colombo Central with 80,000 permanent votes(not preferences) just for him. Something Sajith never has and still does not understand.  

I need not refer to the litany of woes that young Sajith has been mired in, all of which show his immature nature and his lack of vision, forethought, and political cunning to rise to the challenge of leadership in the UNP. I always thought he had talent, however his lack of judgment in his political career, mainly influenced NOT by his gut instincts but by his wife and mother will forever consign him to nihilism