Yahapalanaya and hara kiri

When Mahinda Rajapaksa ruled, other than his family excesses and lack of freedom, nothing much was wrong. There was no chaos. Things were in control. But given the rape of the country that was in store, the public took on the Rajapaksas and sent them home. 

Ranil and Sirisena promised the earth and the moon. We all believed the story. Ranil was not corrupt and he was known as Mr. Clean. It all started with the bond issue. But see what has happened? Very pathetic. 

The first to go was Ravi Karunanayake. Second was Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. He showed determination to follow through on his promise to his namesakes. He intervened in the Avant-Garde investigation, letting off the hook those who sought to establish an extremely well- and sophisticatedly-armed floating paramilitary force off the shores of Sri Lanka under the guise of preventing maritime terrorism in West Asian waters. 

The other man providing the icing on the Avant-Garde flotilla scandal was none other than Tilak Marapana who, at least, displayed some decency in resigning from Cabinet at the time. However, that retreat from the political limelight and power has proved to be short-lived because he is now back in Cabinet stronger than ever before. 

Even in the annals of unprincipled political conduct in this country it would be difficult to find an act as bizarre and insulting to the collective intelligence of the electorate as Marapana’s restoration to a position of power and prestige as Foreign Minister. 

The other man is Ranil Wickremesinghe’s friend Malik Samarawickrama. He is unfazed with the criticism and continues with his deals.

Given what is going on, it might be appropriate to ask whether this Government has adopted the ancient Japanese cultural practice of hara kiri. I congratulate the FT for calling a spade a spade. Please keep it up, sir.

Davinda