RANIL WICKREMASINGHE'S ELECTION AS THE PRESIDENT OF SRI LANKA
On the 20th of July 2022 for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka, the Parliament elected by ballot a new President – Ranil Wickremasinghe. In 1993 at the death of President R. Premadasa, President D.B. Wijetunge was unanimously elected by the Parliament without a ballot being taken. The Ballot results of electing Ranil Wickremasinghe as the 8th President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka are as follows:
Ranil Wickremasinghe - 134 votes
Dallas Allahapperuma - 82 votes
Anura Kumara Dissanayake - 3 votes
Is it an election victory to protect the Rajapakshas?
This is the talking point today. Ranil Wickremasinghe is
accused of being the person who protects the Rajapakshas who have robbed this
country and brought it to an economical crisis. People have indicted Ranil of
soft-peddling the litigation that was to be framed against the corrupt
activities of Rajapakshas committed before Yahapalanaya came into power in
2015.
Rajapakshas are known for tactical withdrawals at the loss
of power intending to come back again. This is because they have much to
protect themselves and their amassed wealth. After the presidential election
defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksha in 2015, it was Wimal Weerawansa who stirred the
“Mahinda Sulanga” which inspired the Rajapaksha to contemplate the re-capturing
of power. The 52-day unconstitutional government in 2018 is proof of their
capabilities.
The appointment of Ranil Wickremasinghe as Prime
Minister by Gotabaya Rajapaksha made the general public smell a rat! At the
time of the fall of Gotabaya Rajapaksha’s regime, there was an equal cry for
Ranil to “go home”. Why? It is because of people’s legitimate fear that he
would jeopardize any moves to bring to book the Rajapakshas for their various
reprehensible activities.
Ranil Wickremasinghe should not forget that it was the
Rajapakshas who hijacked his Premiership in October 2018 despite his soft
corner for the Rajapakshas during the Yahapalanaya government. It is an
unnecessary risk he has taken to come into a seat of power with the support of
a party that was established by Rajapakshas to defeat the Yahapalanaya
government of which Ranil Wickremasinghe was the Prime Minister.
Ranil Wickremasinghe and the Sri Lanka Podujana
Peramuna
When it came to nominating a candidate for the Presidency
the Secretary of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party thought only about Ranil
Wickremasinghe. However, the Chairman of the same party Prof. G.L. Peiris
decided to dissent and promote Dallas Allahaperuma, the Treasurer of the SLPP.
Is the party having a hidden agenda behind the split that appears to? How
funny!
Did the 9th July debacle of Gotabaya Rajapaksha do sizable
damage to the image of the party? Was there no other frontline bastion groomed
up other than Dallas Allahaperuma to be the Candidate?. I think that the party
is unable to face the nation with confidence in bringing forward another
Rajapaksha for leadership. However, they used the best candidate who was all
alone in the parliament from the UNP, Ranil Wickremasinghe. Who is the
mastermind behind this move? Professor Ranjith Bandara M.P. has placed a post
on his FaceBook mentioning “…the mission was carried out under the stewardship
of Basil Rajapaksha and him alone.”
The SLPP wants to be in power because they want to shield
the Rajapakshas and themselves as they have so much to smokescreen which would
not be possible if they are not in power. To be in power is their permanent
interest. They always believe and practice “There are
no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only
permanent interests.”
Ranil Wickremasinghe and Aragalaya
It is a fact that Ranil Wickremasinghe would not be the
President of Sri Lanka if not for the Aragalaya that hurtled away Gotabaya
Rajapaksha. However, both Aragalaya and Ranil Wickremasinghe make no public
claim about it.
Aragalaya sees Ranil Wickremasinghe as a defender of
Rajapaksa’s. They have very negative vibes about him and even at present they
publicly denounce him. The labelling of some of the Aragalaya groups as
Fascists by Ranil Wickremasinghe has angered those who have struggled
nonviolently. They suspected that he will use military power to dismantle and
crush the Aragalaya.
Very unfortunately on July 20th at midnight, a brutal attack
by the military was carried out on the Galle Face Aragalaya the very night
after Ranil Wickremasinghe took his oaths as the President of Sri Lanka. It
took place a few hours after the Leaders of the Aragalaya publicly intimated
that they were planning to withdraw from the President’s Secretariat on the
21st afternoon. They were willing to give some time for Ranil Wickremasinghe to
prove his capabilities. The TV News flashed the Aragalaya Youth taking down
their huge banners which were hanging on the pillars of the secretariate. The
question is who is the authority that became so impatient to wait those few
hours until the Aragalaya people moved out? Did someone’s ego play up to claim
“They (the Aragalaya people) did not go but we sent them away”?
Conclusion
The election of Ranil Wickremasinghe as the President of Sri
Lanka can either make or break the entire nation that has been plunged into
bankruptcy. The country is at a point of negotiating with the International
Monetary Fund for funding assistance to salvage our economy. Political
Stability is a key factor for further negotiations as demanded by the IMF. The
United Nations, European Union and the USA have already issued statements
expressing their disapproval of the attack on Aragalaya. The onus is on Ranil
Wickremasinghe to prove to the nation and the international communities that he
is capable of delivering goods without allowing the Rajapakshas to call the
shots. He has a lot of homework to be done to prove that he is genuinely
interested in running his government to meet the demands of the Aragalaya which
he has been very appreciative of before he became the Prime Minister and the
President.
Rev. Asiri P. Perera
Retired President Bishop
July 23, 2022
Comments
Post a Comment