Sri Lanka is plunging into a pit of snakes and darkness

President Maithripala Sirisena was elected as the common candidate to represent all political parties and all ethnic and religious groups that were battered with severe repression by the former regime, which took Sri Lanka to its knees in the eyes of the international community which was on the verge of sanctions. 

It was a period of history when all decency and human rights were buried, and a handful of people dictated the country’s future, which was no doubt taking the public of this country, towards the dark hells of bad governance.

On the other hand, the economy was plundering towards disaster, which prompted the then President to call elections two years ahead, when he was enjoying Executive power, Legislative powers, provisional powers and Local Government powers. If he did the correct thing, and the economy was flourishing there was no need for a 2015 election. This fact alone, is more than enough to answer the status of the country in 2015.

Weak presidential leadership

It seems that President Sirisena has forgotten, that he was a common candidate and his job was to save the country and not his party that he served as Secretary General. His inability to control the Rajapaksas and the SLFPers in JOshows his weakness as a leader, while the UNP has been the victim of his weak presidential leadership.

His first mistake was to appoint his brother to Sri Lanka Telecom, which led to the collapse of meritocracy, and people like Arjuna Ranatunga followed him. Secondly, he did not take disciplinary action on his SLFP Ministers but took initiative to remove the then Bribery Commissioner, Dilrukshi DiasWickramasinghe. When his Prime Minister and the Cabinet are mercilessly attacked by the private electronic media with personal vengeance, the Head of State still with Executive powers did not defend when it mattered. 

Indeed RanilWickremesinghe and the UNP too were weak in responding to the media and thought ‘five-star’ democracy without proper communication and disciplinewould service their needs without understanding the fact that a good 40% of the voter base, although they can read and write (literacy rate myth), donot understand what’s really going on and to see things with an intelligent mind.

Indeed the President saw the bond scam as the only sin of this country, which is calculated at less than $ 80 million. On the contrary, a single Rajapaksa is supposed to have $ 600 million in a foreign account in a safe haven. That is just one example of the corrupt regime that ridiculed this nation and robbed it left right and centre. 

The media of this country, especially the electronic, have failed to be the fourth pillar of democracy and is dragging this country to be once again handed over to a pit of snakes (marpilas). It is no doubt, the current direction of this country is being dragged into uncertainty and darkness. 

The President’s agenda 

The President’s agenda is now clear, that he is trying to continue his political life by connecting with the dark forces once again as he sees no future for himself in the 2020 elections. His ungrateful rhetoric during the Local Government elections against the Prime Minister and the UNP has led the country to fall into this status. He promised a national political committee and ended up resurrecting a SLFP where Rajapaksa is still calling the shots.

Mr. President, you have buried Ven. MaduluwaweSobitha Thero’s “just society”. You are burying Parliamentary democracy, you have bitten the hand of the man who gave you the hand to become the president, you are surrounded by wrong advisors just as the previous regime’s ruler. 

It is clear that your silence on the No-Confidence motion, whichis not only on the Prime Minister but the Government as well, is a clear sign that you are watching the country being pulled down to a pit of snakesand if not rescued now, this iswhat you will be remembered for in history.

Prime Minister and the UNP

Mr. Prime Minister and the UNP, your inability to lead and talk to the people of this country led to the result of the 10 February elections. When a sea of thieves was around you to be caught from the previous regime, you shot yourself in the foot. Your MPs and Ministers paid the price. 

This is not what the PM would have been taught by JRJ, Ranasinghe Premadasa, Lalith Athulathmudali or Gamini Dissanayake. It is said in a famous Kenny Rogers’ songthat “sometimes you got to fight to be a man”. It is with sadnessthat I write as a voter of the 62 lakhs you have taken on this path and on the verge of suicide. Despite all the good work done from constitutional reforms, independent commission reforms, removing fisheries ban, getting GSP+,working on FTAs, getting respect from the international community, giving 7* media freedom, reducing prices of energy, reducing prices of medicines and bringing in SenakaBibile’s reforms, introducing the free ambulance services, Right to Information Act, accountable Finance Minister to Parliament, education reforms which includes 13 years of compulsory educationfor all, export-driven economic growth, business-driven solutions for Rajapaksa’s white elephants and many, many more, which people cannot recall, which were never marketed,now it seems that the new country that you were going to hand over after 60 months as you promised in your manifesto is going to be in the hands of a man with ignorance and venom who is entangling the whole country into a pit of snakes and we will be in the same position as in 2014by 2025 instead of Vision 2025.

In closing, in 2001, the Prime Minister corrected a negative economy and handed the nation over to a bunch of fools who brought it to a death trap nation by 2014. Now the educated few know the fundamentals are put in theright direction except for the bond scam and by 2020, you will put the debt to a manageable scale. However, you will put it on a platter and hand it over to the pit of snakes as things are moving now.

CBK, you created this mess way back in 2004 and you too will be remembered for this if the country plunges into darkness once again, so revive the 2014 moment now and stand at Galle Face until the real rogues are taken care of and respect brought back to SWRD.

– An Activist of the 2015 social media group