Sri Lanka needs to “Progress not Regress” –The Sajith Premadasa imbroglio!

Leadership must contain a level of patience and cunning, and a remarkable ability to accept character assassination with fortitude, without any of it rubbing off on one, be it for revenge at a later date or to enhance any character flaws one might have, especially when it is laid bare for all to see.

President Mahinda Rajapkse had the nerve to sit it out, especially putting up with the Bandaranayake insults, to finally overcome these hurdles and single mindedly take “fooling the public using the Media to another level”. This has enabled him to act with impunity consigning Sri Lanka into a lawless, Banana Republic, which I never imagined we would be reduced to. It will take a little time for the public to understand this, but by which time, the damage to the Country may become irreparable, and it is the duty of us patriotic citizens to abolish the rationale for the creation of the Frankenstein’s monster, without delay, by abolishing the Executive Presidency. This in the hands of the current incumbent, has reduced it to an absolute dictatorship, using and abusing the powers vested in the incumbent to further tighten the noose on the people, by the abolition of the 17^th Amendment and the installation of the 18^th in its place.

To this cataclysm, comes a clone of the incumbent, in the guise of Sajith Premadasa, but devoid of astute political skills, to further the tenure of the Rajapakses. Therein in lies the dichotomy of the same cell divided into two mutually exclusive parts, that help both survive, where one cannot be sustained without the other.

Sajith Premadasa is NO Mahinda Rajapakse and vice versa, as they are two halves of the same bush, though racial purists would be aghast at the comparison. To a rational observer it would seem that Premadasa is only doing the bidding of MR, whilst pretending to others that it is RW (Ranil) who is doing MR’s bidding.

There was an article in last Tuesday’s Lakbima, by a lawyer named Seneviratne, which exposed the likely basis of Sajith’s survival, and warned the astute observer on the game that he is playing to the detriment of the UNP and the longevity of the MR Presidency, in exposing the canard that his preference of RW as the common candidate is the way to go, really for the long life of MR as Sajith is bound to say one thing and do the complete opposite, like his mentor the current President.

Let us NOT be fooled as this is a game that holds Sri Lanka to ransom for the benefit of lesser mortals, like Sajith and Mahinda, and we MUST NOT allow it.

After the Lakbima article, it was apparent that Sajith is incapable of taking searing criticism. He had, with his sister Dulanjali, gone to Thilanga Sumithipala, and asked that the Editor of the Lakbima be removed! for this mudslinging. If this is so, how will he be able to face character assassination of an extreme kind, should he (god forbid) run as a Presidential candidate? In fact the circulation of Lakbima has gone up, with this tell it to the people, even if it hurts decision.

One thing MUST be exposed, namely, that MR is going to dish the dirt on Sajith, if he is the opponent in a Presidential campaign, that is truly going to sink poor Sajith before he is even able to start the engine, and he must be a fool if he does not know it by now. That must be the reason Seneviratne concludes that he is doing MR’s bidding. I fear Sajith will attempt to harm himself if he is unable to take it.

As if Ranasinghe Premadasa legacy was not enough, he began the downfall of the UNP, and they are still paying the price of that dictatorship. When the UNP tries to get the upper hand on the morality stakes, to permit a person, who is a loner, and completely devoid of inclusionary politics, to take over a party and destroy it further, is tantamount to giving his blessing to a Rajapakse dynasty. In that sense those who advocate Sajith for leadership, have a serious credibility issue of their own to come to terms with. Are they so blind? Or merely playing the same tune?

Let us face it, Sajith’s grass roots popularity is a product of the same MR media misconception, of saying one thing and doing something completely different. After all despite protestations to the contrary, it is Sajith who is continuing his father’s legacy in destroying the party. Seneviratne’s accusation that he is in bed with the devil who ensured that MR won the 2005 Presidential by again fooling the people, and Prabakaran with money, is hard to let slide, when one looks at the mouthpieces that are publicizing his agenda.

I need hardly go into Sajith’s past where artifact and trophy hunting, on top of the disappearance of valuable state property from the Residences during the Premadasa Presidency, will all be resurrected, with witnesses, facts, and incontrovertible evidence, in case Sajith decides to defy his master’s plan.

Stop destroying the UNP, take yourself out of leadership contention, and work together as one team, and not alone like now, to build the Grand Old Party back to its former glory. It is the only alternative to a just society, where the Rule of Law is pivotal, and remember that, only one not soiled by one’s past misdeeds can even attempt the top job, and be happy with lesser positions you can aspire to in a UNP administration, or just leave before you are unceremoniously fired.