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| Sunday, 3 October 2004 |
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The Waldorf hysteria Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake Looking for ammo to attack the Government with, the publicity strategists of the UNP thought they had a good weapon when President Kumaratunga stayed at New York's famed Waldorf Astoria during her recent visit to address the UN General Assembly as Head of State and Government of Sri Lanka. But the media pundits, who ousted the great Irwin who once helped the UNP make a Phoenix-like revival, and assured its ignominious defeat in April this year, little realised that in harping on the President's choice of the Waldorf Astoria for her stay in New York, they were in fact using a deadly publicity boomerang for the party and its pro-chewing gum leader. "Shame on her; does she not think of the cost to the country", said Jayalath Alipaara. "She must know how much the people are suffering due to the rise in oil prices and the cost of living" said Ravi Alikeliya. The attack seemed to be well orchestrated, and they believed it would strike a chord in the hearts and minds of the people against the President's extravagance. Yet, it did not take long for the world to know that Ranil Wickremesinghe too as Prime Minister, when he visited New York to address the UN, by means of an ugly undiplomatic wangling of an invitation, had in fact lodged at the same Waldorf Astoria and not in any distant annex of the famous hotel. He too paid bills similar to what the President paid. It's possible that those who thought of the Waldorf Astoria as a good political weapon against the President, did not know where Wickremesinghe in fact lodged or believed that he stayed in what must have been a "Waldorf Mysteria", that is unknown to any others. A dirty fraud "By the way what business had Ranil to be in New York, lodge and feast at the Waldorf, and address the UN General Assembly?" asked Mangala Bulathhurulla. "But it is so close to the UN headquarters, so it was only sensible that he should have stayed there" said Tissa Aliperaliya, in a tone of excuse. "But what must not be forgotten about the whole of Ranil's visit to New York to address the UN General Assembly was a cheap trick carried out through the ugly wangling of an invitation via Sri Lanka's UN Ambassador there at the time," said Vimal Bulathheppuva. "Why do you say that, after all he was Prime Minister? Even the late Mr. and Mrs. Bandaranaike addressed the UN sessions as Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka, so why not him?' asked Mahinda Alirekiyaava. "Well if you do want to know, I'll explain it," said Lakshman Videsbulath. "The UN General Assembly sessions are addressed by the Head of State or Head of Government of a country. In their absence it is addressed by the Foreign Minister or the country's Ambassador to the UN, when specially assigned to do so. Both the late Mr. Bandaranaike and Mrs. Bandaranaike were Prime Ministers who were also Heads of Government. The truth is that Ranil Wickremesinghe, although he wangled an invitation to address the UN Sessions through highly questionable means, had in fact no right to be there at all. At the time in question both positions of Head of State and Head of Government were held by President Kumaratunga. Ranil was only Prime Minister. He had no right to be there unless approved by the President." "It is now not just a matter of Ranil too having stayed at any Waldorf Astoria or Mysteria, and the UNP's hysteria about the President staying there. The situation is that Ranil stayed there at the cost to the public of Sri Lanka, when he had no right to address the UN General Assembly. It was a dirty fraud on the people, for self glory" said Vimal Bulathheppuva. "What he did was downright robbery", he added. Those at the Ethgaala were obviously disturbed when the leader of the herd was being accused of being a downright cheat, when they were trying hard to project him as a Mr. Clean, whose only known addiction was a taste for chewing gum, and a desire to get paddy cultivators to wear designer jeans. "There are some more questions to ask" said Mangala Bulathhurulla, much to the embarrassment of the Green Elephants, rubbing their trunks in near desperation. "Where the hell did he stay and how much did it cost the country when he went to Washington for that 10-minute photo-op with President Bush? What was the cost of that hotel bill? "Is it true that the cost of telephone calls of Ranil and his team at the UN was over Rs. 500 million, and who has to answer for that?" asked Anura Kumara Bulathwewage. "Isn't it strange that these Green Elephants, hysterical about the cost of the President's stay at the Waldorf Astoria as Head of State, are the same people who gave tax and duty amnesties to their cronies, catchers and hangers-on, which cost the country over Rs. 200 billion? And will they admit that the whole amnesty fraud brought in less than 300 new tax files, although they claimed it brought over 2,000 new taxpayers?" asked Dew Hapeyvyvasthava. "There is more to this whole fraud" said Vimal Bulathheppuva. "Having cheated the people to address the UN, Ranil supported the US-UK led invasion of Iraq, endorsing the wholly unacceptable principle of regime change that has now led to a world economic crisis due to the cost of fuel. He downgraded the UN saying the US action was due to UN delays. He also saw the need for a world policeman, with the possibility of the US filing this role. As all this was done with no previous consultation with the people and at the unauthorised and unwarranted cost to the Treasury, I think he should be surcharged the cost of his stay at the Waldorf Astoria or Mysteria". |
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