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| Sunday,13 November 2005 |
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Ranil waves a flag of convenience Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake The talk at the Green Elephant was all about the situation of the Lead Jumbo when the race in the Presidential Stakes has come to the final straight. Campaign "Why is he suddenly seen carrying a national flag everywhere he goes?" asked Ravi Horagajaya, with surprise. "He has realised somewhat late that he must be seen as a nationalist, a true Sri Lankan, the defender of the flag and the country, and not an alien", said Gajamini Athagala, the veteran in the jumbo herd sidelined by the leader in favour of Johnston Alikolama. "But I thought he would be carrying the SLFP's blue flag, by this time, with all his statements of how he would save the SLFP and hand it back to the Bandaranaike's,' said Gamini Aligedera, from the jumbo stable at Kesbewa. "The blue flag bearers are now gathering in increasing numbers around the Betel seller, for fear that we would make a complete invasion of their turf, or that some leading blues may desert them to support our Lead Jumbo, and perpetuate the clan of their former chieftain in politics," said Navin Alipodda from the hill country. "Anyway, don't you think our leader exposes himself to charges of being a hypocrite, when he thinks of waving the national flag at this late stage of the campaign? What about all the assurances that those waving the Tiger stripes will ensure his victory, with the strategies available to them," asked a confused Ravi Horagajaya. "That is exactly the problem. Those of the tiger stripes have said they don't take him seriously anymore. They have discovered our hypocrisy. In fact they have openly announced that he has betrayed the trust they placed in him, so they are not bothered as to who wins the race," said a worried Tissa Alihoraneva. Worries "Why don't you admit that we are in deep trouble, due to the repeated political gaffes of the Lead Jumbo? He has tripped up everywhere. From the world's largest dagaba; the centre of Theravada Buddhism; the New Perakum Era; the Sanghayanas held at Lumbini; Trincomalee being the world's largest harbour; to his most recently statement that he did not go to Daham Pasal, because at the time of the D. S. Senanayake government when he went to school, there were no Daham Pasal at Buddhist temples," said Milinda Alivanguva, giving everybody a shock. Navin Alipodda took over from there. "It is our realisation of the desperate need to make the people forget or ignore all the dancing on the stage that has become the hallmark of the Lead Jumbo's campaign, that we got him to carry the National Flag. We have to show our extremely strong nationalist feelings, too," he said. Strategy "But won't that put the Catholic Bishops and Christians against us. Having wooed them for so long saying the Betel sellers were extreme nationalists, to beware of, can we now put ourselves into the same camp?" asked Gajamini Athagala. "That can't be helped. Surely all of us, except the Catholic Bishops know we were only trying to grab the votes of Christians, but would not stand by them in any crisis. That's why we had to move on to this new strategy of saying "go to hell" to the minorities, especially the Tamils who may not even vote in sufficient numbers, and win over the Sinhalese to our side," said Malik Gajanayake, who holds the goad that keeps the Lead Elephant in check, wherever possible. "You mean it is to win over the Sinhalese votes that you said we were behind manipulating the breakaway of the Karuna faction?" asked Tissa Alihoraneva. "Not only that we had to boast about how many Tiger ships with arms we had sunk, and the so-called safety net we had against the Tigers with the help of India and the USA. Anyone who reads the Tiger websites and publications of the Diaspora will realise we cannot depend on them anymore. Making things worse, even the Elections Commissioner will be forced to be tougher with them if they try the tactics that helped us in April 2004" said Milinda Alivanguva. "It is now a race to get the majority Sinhala voters. The Christian churches can't deliver that. Therefore, the necessity for our Lead Jumbo to wrap himself up in a National Flag", he added. Polls say ... I can't believe I'm hearing all this," said Ravi Horagajaya. "Surely we have been the winners in the Sirasa SMS polls. What's more proof than that about who the winner is? "If we go by that our Leader will be the SMS president while the Betel seller will be the country's president, as Wimal Rathukamisa said the other day," said a not so worried Sajith Alikulappuva. "But what about our prize slogan "Badaginnata Ranil" about Ranil being the answer to hunger? Has it not had any effect?" asked Johnston Alikolama. "Well the prize response we have is people asking whether Ranil can be had "Kirata, Mirisata or Bedumata?" said Milinda Alivanguva. "Don't you think that in a debate between the two runners, our Lead Jumbo can steal the show and have a runaway victory?' asked Ravi Horagajaya. "That's not as easy as stealing all of the CWE. Our leader can debate only in a cubicle or on closed circuit TV. If he goes before an audience it will be the other side that will steal the thunder," said Navin Alipodda. |
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