It is clear that the Jathika Pawra is headed into the Democratic Party

The charade put on by the ex-members of the UNP Maithri Guneratne and Shiral Laktilleke to gather troops at Devundera and march to Colombo was an abject failure on the part of the publicity given it by Mawbima and Sirasa, as barely 150 turned up. However Mangala Samaraweera got caught in the web of intrigue with disastrous consequences for the UNP.

It was clearly an act further denigrating the UNP that the aforesaid individuals and their henchmen are engaged in, as they know very well that they will never get nominations from that party. So why did they engage in it.

It is clear that in their act of denigrating the leader of the UNP, the knock on benefit will accrue to Sarath Fonseka’s Democratic Party from which they will inevitably have to seek their candidacy and of course be elected.

Whilst it is very wrong of Sirasa to give a person the mike, as they continue to give Maithri and his cohorts daily, as all they are engaged in doing is making accusations against dedicated UNPers who are committed to overthrowing the Govt. and wish to see a better Sri Lanka. In the guise of trying to rid the UNP of its leader, they are actually doing nothing for the credibility of Ranil, but everything to further damage the UNP.

Whilst it is definitely the Government that is benefiting from all the actions of both Maithri and Sirasa, it is not incorrect if we assume they are on a Govt. contract except for the unholy alliance of Maharajah Group and Ceylon Newspapers pursuing a dual agenda, by helping both the Govt. and the Democratic Party to completely destroy the UNP merely out of a grudgefest and not out of any love for the country.

The fact that Mangala and by extension Ranil fell for this trap last weekend is very sad, as they should have ignored this threat and it would have gone away.

Mangala making silly accusations that Maithri’s father was a Presidential Advisor further helped Maithri’s and Herman Guneratne’s cause more than the UNP. The ill advised campaign of getting UNP members to come to Matara backfired terribly, as Maithri is using his chance to name and shame everyone who came to Matara, all staunch party men to protect the party, but have no way of defending themselves from Sirasa and Mawbima accusations that border on the libelous but in fact is difficult in a court of law to get to stick.

In a country where the electorate is fooled by the people who are allowed TV time, as people are now lazy even to read an analytical paper, showing both sides of the debate and leaving it to the reader to make up his or her mind, the perception is more important that reality. The damage that the perception does is irreversible.

The influence of the electronic, and mainly TV in Sri Lanka today, means that both the State channels constantly blaring propaganda and misinformation, and now Sirasa doing the same, is making it even more difficult for the principle opposition to raise its head and show they mean business.

The people within the UNP appear to put themselves over party and have created a public perception that there is NO ONE who has the country’s interests at heart. We know that the Govt. does not, only in rhetoric. We believe that the JVP make the most sense, but have lost all electoral credibility as they continue to pursue a wholly impractical agenda, that has distanced the electorate giving Sarath Fonseka and his party the middle ground despite their lack of a plan policy or purpose.

The level of personal attack permitted by Sirasa and seized by Maithri Guneratne is beyond the pale. However there are no media ethics in Sri Lanka and people do not appear to be able to judge between believing fair and balanced coverage from overtly biased, leaving it to the mudslingers to rule the day.

In any country where justice prevails Maithri Guneratne would be jailed and everything he owns taken from him, as he is allowed to crucify people without impunity. A Nobody trying to be somebody has been allowed to get away with murder. It is the system stupid that is rotten to the core for allowing such. It has nothing to do with free speech, or independence of the Media, it is simply a gunfight at the OK corral with no law to enforce.

As with all things, what goes around comes around and the perpetrators of this dastardly act will one day pay for their sins, but until that time, the people of Sri Lanka are held hostage by the egos of a few traitors and their ambition.

All those who care about Sri Lanka owe it to their fellow citizens to point out what is wrong in our daily lives, and try to correct the wrongs. The people of Sri Lanka must attempt to decipher truth from fiction, instead of being lead like cows to slaughter, as after they have been slaughtered there is no point finding blame. Let us blame and shame those who continue to work for their personal gratification, and point out what policies are required to get our country back to a firmer foundation where all who live in it can share in the wealth of the nation.