The people
have spoken. On Thursday, they elected Maithripala Sirisena as the new
Executive President of Sri Lanka. He took oaths yesterday at the Independence
Square, perhaps the most appropriate place for this momentous milestone in the
annals of Sri Lanka.
President
Maithripala Sirisena is a true son of the soil – a son of a humble farmer from
the rice bowl of the North Central Province. The overwhelming mandate he
received from all four corners of the island proves beyond any doubt that his
vision for the future, centred on a Maithri Palanaya (Compassionate Governance)
resonated broadly with the ordinary masses. The coalition which President
Maithripala heads has promised to build a new country in 100 days, which is the
fervent wish of all Sri Lankans. There is no doubt that he would be able to
achieve these goals with the active participation and guidance of the leaders
of the multi-party alliance, including former President Chandrika Bandaranaike
Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who are equally committed
to this cause.
When former
President Mahinda Rajapaksa called Presidential Elections two years early (his
term was to end only in 2016), he was banking on a fractured opposition,
especially a deeply divided United National Party, to gain a comfortable
victory. However, the defection and subsequent announcement by Maithripala
Sirisena that he was coming forward as the Common Candidate of the Joint
Opposition took President Rajapaksa by surprise.
The idea of
a Common Opposition Candidate was first mooted by Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera
of the National Movement for Social Justice, long before there was any
possibility of having a snap Presidential Election. The idea quickly gained
ground and the Opposition parties worked behind the scene to make it a reality.
The Jathika Hela Urumaya stalwarts led by Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thera, Ven.
Athuraliye Rathana Thera and former minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and the
Democratic Party led by General Sarath Fonseka were in the vanguard of this movement,
which was later joined by more ministers, deputy ministers provincial
councillors and MPs from various parties. The support of the Tamil National
Alliance and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress turned it into the broadest
political coalition in Sri Lanka to date, cutting across party, ethnic and
religious boundaries.
That kind of
political and ideological alliance should have been formed by former President
Mahinda Rajapaksa after the victory over the LTTE in May 2009 or at least after
he received another mandate from the people in January 2010. The end of the war
and his subsequent re-election presented a golden opportunity for him to
achieve reconciliation and become a statesman. Instead, he chose a path of
self-destruction, starting with the jailing on spurious charges of General
Fonseka, his rival at the Presidential Election. He showed his dictatorial
tendencies by getting the 18th Amendment (which removed presidential term
limits) passed and repealing all the Independent Commissions enacted through the
17th Amendment, perhaps the most progressive piece of legislation in our
post-independence history. He spent public funds and loans obtained on
commercial interest rates on totally useless projects such as the Mattala
Airport. While expressways are essential for a developing country, transport
experts have exposed a massive quantum of corruption in awarding contracts for
these projects. Law and order went down the drain under his watch and one could
literally get away with murder if close to the top. The Chief Justice was
impeached on flimsy grounds for giving a verdict against the Divineguma Bill.
Nepotism was rife with three of his brothers holding keys positions in
Government. He developed a total disregard for public opinion and even the
advice of the Maha Sangha - the holding of night races in the sacred city of
Kandy is a case in point. Media outlets and personnel were intimidated and
attacked if they did not toe the Government line. The very fact that the
election was held on the sixth anniversary of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha
Wickramatunga’s killing was not lost on voters.
But perhaps
his biggest policy failure was a total lack of focus on ethnic reconciliation
and plunging our foreign relations to the lowest possible depths through a
foreign service filled with cronies. Instead of seeking constructive engagement
with Western and other countries, he opted to engage in a war of words, which
further isolated our island internationally. Finally, in desperation, he
scraped the bottom of the racism barrel in order to win votes, a move which the
voters flatly rejected. These are just some of the mistakes that led to his
ouster.
With the
election of Maithripala Sirisena as President, we have a great opportunity to
rectify these colossal mistakes and steer the country on the correct path. His
100 day programme for a Maithri era is a blueprint for bringing the entire
country together on a journey of prosperity.
The election
that brought him to power is a triumph for democracy and with virtually no
post-poll violence, a sign of political maturity among the populace. All those
who made it possible including the Elections Commissioner, the Police, the
Security Forces and elections staff deserve our praise, but most of all the
voters must be thanked for reaffirming their faith in democracy and making
change possible. We commend the former President too for accepting the verdict
of the people and bowing out gracefully. To all those who voted for the former
President, remember that Maithripala Sirisena is your President too and he will
do his best to fulfill your aspirations. That is the true essence of democracy.
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