UNP running out of slogans

by Wijitha NAKKAWITA

The political atmosphere at the present moment seemed to be reaching a stalemate with most vociferous critics of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, especially those who had deserted the government ranks, suddenly groping for plausible slogans as the older ones had become too worn out at least before the public consciousness.

Much had been said and written about the victories of the Armed Forces over the terrorist outfit and their direct or indirect apologists who too had now become redundant or have been exposed for what they really were.

For instance a number of NGO or INGO groups of do-gooders had been proved to have connived with the terrorist outfit doing their hush hush social service act behind the Palmyrah curtains until the curtain was torn down by the advancing troops.

Now among the political circles is this rumour and speculation going on as the President had emerged as the tall national leader of the present times and even at “Sirikotha” a few days back some of the high office bearers were trying to guess what his next move would be.

Like the LTTE caught with its guard down by the professional and disciplined Armed Forces during the past months reminiscent of the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong who called the enemies of the Red Army the “Imperialist running dogs” our own running Tigers seemed to have influenced the local political scenario to make the Opposition political parties dismayed.

It was heard down the grapevine that the top “Sirikotha” powers had discussed the possibility of the President going for a general election after the two Provincial Council elections since the government had already passed the budget and could go for an election with its popular standing.

The JVP too had discussed the possibility of a general election during the coming few months but it would be seen that both these parties would fight shy of facing such an eventuality.

The two parties separately had also discussed the possibility of President seeking a two thirds majority to go for a new constitution or amend some of its more controversial clauses and go for a change of the electoral system that had created petty rivalries for preference votes even among the ranks of the same political party creating a farce instead of democracy.

They had also noted, to their disadvantage, that the strong ties between India and Sri Lanka reiterated by the visiting Indian ministers during the last few days would not be an advantage to any opposition trying to win a forthcoming election.

Therefore the Opposition political parties, especially the UNP would have to start rethinking about more plausible political slogans as the public are tired of decades of terrorist violence. Most people have not forgotten that terrorist groups were given a strong lease of life by the UNP-led race riots of July 1983 and their continuing national and international blunders like alienating India.

Among the many skeletons in the cupboard of the UNP was President R. Premadasa’s infamous gift of arms, ammunition, vehicles, cement et al to Velupillai Prabhakaran that made the IPKF decimated terrorist outfit once again fit for battle.

Any general election would no doubt bring up these embarrassing but amateur political blunders on the political platforms. It would be a very interesting election several political sources as well as independent people observed.