The greatest betrayal: Part four:

Day-dreams of emulating Mahathma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela:

The traitor enters Fonny’s Disneyland

by K.M.H.C.B. Kulatunga

Remember the 45 days in the lead up to the 2010 Presidential election during which the New Democratic Front (NDF) candidate Sarath Fonseka was in his own Disneyland? Similarly, another DNF candidate contesting under the same Swan symbol has begun daydreaming.

Exactly five years after Fonseka came out of ‘Disneyland’, another DNF candidate has just entered that dream land. Maithripala Sirisena, contesting next month’s Presidential election under the same party (NDF) and symbol (swan), is in the identical political fantasy as Fonseka.

Fonseka, during his unsuccessful run at the 2010 Presidential election, was in a dream world of his own, going by what the leaders of his so-called joint Opposition says – especially media gilmart specialist Mangala Samaraweera.

Fonseka went by the numbers present at his rallies on the figures given by Mangala. But when Fonseka suffered a humiliating defeat, he was furious. An irate Fonseka severly reprimanded Mangala before chasing him away.

Crystal clear

Similarly, Maithripala is now under a delusion, assuming that he could emerge victorious. But the masses are far more intelligent and would not fall prey to traitors who had betrayed their leaders and people. Hence, the fate of Maithripala is crystal clear.

Maithripala is even better in daydreaming than Fonseka who never attempted to compare himself with renowned world leaders. But Maithripala not only copied the customary jacket of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also thinks that he could emulate exemplary world leaders such as Mahathma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

A newspaper advertising campaign by Maithripala under the university lecturers trade union FUTA, portray the NDF candidate as another Gandhi or Mandela.

How could a puppet who dances to the tune of INGO agent Chandrika come anywhere near that great Indian leader Mahathma Gandhi or celebrated South African leader Mandela. It was an insult to those great world leaders to compare them with a traitor who is greedy for power.

Hidden agendas

But Maithripala is now blind to see these stark facts as his eyes are bubbling with lust for power.

Holding a powerful ministerial portfolio and using that immense power for his brothers to thrive with various businesses is not enough for Maithripala. He needs more power! He even couldn’t wait until his turn comes to become the Prime Minister. When his lust for power had reached the climax, the Opposition tapped him to play the role of a traitor.

He did not have any second thoughts in grabbing the opportunity. Maithripala thought that it is the best short cut to fulfill his dream of reaching the pinnacle in politics.

But will Chandrika, Ranil and Fonseka allow Maithipala to act in his own way even if he becomes the President by accident? All three have hidden agendas though poor Maithipala thinks that the trio is sincerely helping him. Even if Ranil gets some control, it could easily be robbed by either Mangala or Sajith. Hence, voting for Maithripala is definitely a vote for uncertainty.

Only Maithripala would know how many agreements, pacts and MoUs he has already signed, both disclosed and not.

Maithipala’s election campaign has leaders with different political motives, ranging from a separate state to an undevided Sri Lanka, return of former Presidents to regaining Sri Lanka policy of two-time Prime Minister and LTTE symperthisers to those who had commanded the battle against terrorism. Hence, it is like a fruit salad with different ingredients.

Crocodile tears

Maithripala could never be called the common Opposition candidate. He does not represent the entire Opposition. He does not contest independently or a common symbol acceptable to all parties in the Opposition. Two of the main parties in the Opposition – the JVP and the TNA do not openly support Maithripala though the Tiger-proxy party has a hidden deal with the candidate.

Maithripala is contesting from a recognized political party – New Democratic Front under its own symbol of swan. This was the part in which Fonseka contested the last Presidential election. Then how come one calls Maithripala a common candidate?

He now comes out with different stories as if he had never been in power. Having held a powerful ministerial position for many years, Maithripala has realised most of the things only now.

He had been the Minister of Health until his cross over. If he had really wanted to help the kidney patients in his North Central Province, he could have well done it by now. But after turning traitor and handing over nominations to contest the Presidential election, he now sheds crocodile tears on the plight of kidney patients and promises to form a fund.

Maithripala could have done this may moons ago as his brothers have accumulated an undisclosed volume of money, using his political powers.

Although Maithripala bosted that he would refrain from using polythine and erecting hoardings during the campaign and use those money to form a fund to assist kidney patients.

That looks an attractive theme for a candidate contesting a Presidential election. Unfortunately he has not done so todate and even erected huge hoardings, making it a yet another broken promise.

Kick starting the campaign in Kandy, Maithripala pledged to appoint a special commission to look into corruption, if he is elected. He said he would bring to book all who are guilty.

Does that mean he himself too would go to jail? Perhaps, he would have said so that presidential immunity would prevent anybody taking him to courts!

Maithripala had said that changing the Constitution alone is insufficient, adding that it is also necessary to bring to book all who are guilty of robbing the public. He had said that he would enable the judiciary to be totally independent.

Has he forgotten how he had acted in his son Daham Wimalasena’s case? Is he going to investigate how his own brothers had turned millionaires in such a short time? Who abused the law to build hotels damaging the bunt of Parakrama Samudraya? People have not forgotten those, although Maithripala makes a desperate attempt to prove he is a innocent man.

How Maithripala was bought

The Harvard Health Leadership Award being given to Maithripala Sirisena was a forerunner of the US government’s design for him to contest the Presidency in the context of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s close ties with China and its aggressive “pivot to Asia” against China.

The Harvard Health Leadership Award-2013 was presented to then Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena at the annual leadership conference of the Public Health Research Institute of Harvard University in June 2013.

This is the first occasion at which a Sri Lankan won the award, further supporting the claim by many observers that the US wanted Sirisena at the helm to further its geopolitical designs.The award has been handed over, it was stated, for the contributions made by Sirisena for minimising the public consumption of alcohol, and smoking and adopting a National Drug Policy.The USAID Washington is one of the major fund providers of the Harvard Public Health Education Institute of the Harvard University.

It is observably a part of the plan for the two offices, USAID and US Embassy - to jointly nominate Sirisena as a recipient of the prestigious Harvard Award, and Washington to give its approval, despite the fact that the National Drug Policy was not fully successful, which speaks volumes of American manoeuvring in a host country to go well beyond the ‘tobacco and drug policy’ to manipulate the internal political environment to further US foreign policy objectives.

“Maitripala Sirisena seems to have fallen into the trap in the middle of this manoeuvring of the ‘external forces’ that endeavour to impose a different trajectory upon our motherland, Sri Lanka,” these observers said.

Around 36 political parties and groups signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sirisena on Monday. The joint platform for the Sri Lankan presidential election, scheduled for January 8, is a cynical exercise aimed at duping voters into believing that Sirisena will end the onslaught on living standards and democratic rights.

This alliance, based on “A Common People’s Agenda for Just, Democratic and People-friendly Governance, though committed to people friendly Governance, reduce the “oppressive burden of the Cost of Living” will no doubt implement the ruthlesess austerity measures that characterised the 70 -77 Sirima Bandaranaike government to whose party the SLFP, Sirisena belongs to.

Conspiracy

Those signing the MoU included the right-wing United National Party (UNP) and the Democratic Party of Sarath Fonseka, who stood as the common opposition candidate against President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the 2010 election.

Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who is a leading figure in the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and took the initiative to organise the alliance, also signed up.

In a political conspiracy instigated by Kumaratunga, assisted by UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sirisena quit as health minister on November 21, along with several ministers and parliamentarians, and announced he would stand as the common opposition candidate against President Rajapaksa.

The US, which is hostile to President Rajapaksa’s ties with China, certainly knew of and approved the intrigue to install a new president.

Sirisena promised to “implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

By declaring that he will carry out the recommendations, Sirisena signalled a shift in foreign policy toward Washington, plus an appeal to the country’s Tamil elite. One of the LLRC’s proposals is for a “political solution” that would involve a power-sharing arrangement with the representatives of the Tamil bourgeoisie.

How ‘clean’ is Maithripala?

Maithripala Sirisena the so called common opposition candidate is attempting to portray himself as squeaky clean, but people need to jog their memories, said H.L.D Mahindapala, former Editor-in-Chief of the Sunday Observer.

Speaking to Rajpal Abeynayake’ s People's Power program on SLBC last week, Mahindapala said that when Maithripala’s son Daham assaulted a DIG's son near the Maalu-Maalu resort on the East coast, he apologised at first but then recanted. He used all his powers to prevent any action being taken against the son and finally there was no inquiry, or any legal remedy available to the victim.

He also said that though Sirisena has said he is a wele, elle, pele (rustic man of the earth) type, his brother has made billions through a rice monopoly.

“Nobody can make three billion without exploiting the people of Polonnaruwa and so much for the ele, wele, pele credentials of Sirisena,” he said.

He said Sirisena should know this having been initiated into politics in the Marxist tradition, having had close ties with the Peking Wing of the Communist Party.

Mahindapala also said it is laughable - hilarious really - that Sirisena says he is squeaky clean when he is in tow with Chandrika Kumaratunge who was called the most corrupt politician ever in Sri Lankan politics, in Victor Ivan's book Queen of Deceit. He had written that there was Rs. 3 billion stashed away in the Suduwella Branch of the Hatton National Bank in the name of Sunethra Bandaranaike, Kumaratunge's sister. This was revealed by Anurudda Ratwatte when he was interrogated by the CID, Ivan wrote.

“Will Sirisena who says he will appoint a commission to deal with corruption investigate these corrupt acts of leaders of the past, he asked?

He also said that Sirisena could not lay claim to the SLFP's Bandaranaike legacy when he is in cahoots with all the traitors who stood for everything the late Bandaranaike stood against. He is now in tow with Tamil racist elements on his platform, and those who openly condoned or campaigned for the bifurcation of the country.

Traitors will never be forgiven - Basil

The current and future generations will never forgive traitors who betrayed the freedom of the country, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said.

Participating at the Minuwangoda SLFP Women’s Summit at the Minuwangoda SLFP Office, Minister Rajapaksa said traitors who betrayed the country’s freedom are also being hostile to their children and the country.

“We had to face various difficulties during the three decades of terrorism. war. There was no religion, race, class or caste spared by it. All Sri Lankans suffered equally. When President Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected President, he tried to end it in a peaceful manner. He had discussions with the LTTE for nearly one year. The LTTE did not understand that language. We then launched a humanitarian mission from Mavilaru. International forces forced us not to start a battle against terrorism,” the minister said.He said following the Ranil-Prabha Agreement, these international forces claimed that Mavilaru was in an area controlled by the LTTE.

“They also threatened that they would bring the President before the Human Rights Council or the International War Crimes Tribunal if he launches the humanitarian operation. President Rajapaksa was firm in his resolve to start the humanitarian war against the LTTE even if they took him to the electric chair. We knew that they will bring the President to the International Court War Crimes Tribunal even if he won the battle,” the minister said.

Voting rights for LTTE activists?

The so-called Common Opposition has agreed to extend voting rights to the pro-LTTE diaspora, Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said. This has been one of the main demands of the pro-LTTE diaspora for a long time. Some NGOs are also with the pro-LTTE diaspora to meet this requirement.

“This is a very crucial phase in Sri Lanka’s politics. “If allowed, this move could promote LTTE fanaticism,” the minister said.

Minister Alahapperuma addressing the UPFA press conference at the SLFP Headquarters, Colombo last week, said SLFP Central Committee members, including the former SLFP General Secretary.

Maithripala Sirisena endorsed the President to run for a third term. “This was in turn ratified by UPFA Executive Committee members. The first term of the Presidency of President Mahinda Rajapaksa eradicated terrorism. He achieved the target of eliminating separatism and is a leader who fulfilled the aspirations of the public. Therefore, SLFP Central Committee members decided to endorse his candidature for a third term,” he said.

“It was the same with American President T. Roosevelt who was returned by the public after the victory in the Second World War. Therefore, we request the public to consider national security, political stability and economic development of the country when voting,” Alahapperuma said.

Senior Minister Prof. Tissa Vitharana said the majority members of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party are with President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

A coalition of strange bedfellows

Former United National Party (UNP) General Secretary and national list parliamentarian Tissa Attanayaka last week maintained that he was still an UNPer and had decided to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa to save the UNP from those who had hijacked the party.

Flanked by some eight ministers, he told a packed news conference at the ‘Apegama’ theme park in Battaramulla that the common opposition had signed different MOUs with different political entities with the aim of winning the presidential election and forming a national government but no one knew the contents of the MoUs.

“None of our objectives that existed at the beginning of this campaign have been met by the common opposition. I am totally against the opposition’s decision to field Maithripala Sirisena. The efforts to secure the crossover of 20 government members to the opposition had also failed. I have serious doubts about the MoUs signed with different extremist groups such as the TNA, JHU and the JVP. The common opposition will be obliged to satisfy the extremist Tamil groups and the Tamil Diaspora. These pledges are extremely dangerous for national security and the sovereignty of the country. We do not know what the opposition has promised but we have a right to know,” Attanayake said.

Protest

“The opposition was a coalition of strange bedfellows who profess different extremist policies. I do not understand how the JHU, TNA and the JVP can campaign to achieve a common objective.”

Attanayaka said he fought right throughout to protect the party and vehemently opposed the fielding of Sirisena with the backing of the UNP.

“I expressed my protest openly at the party’s Working Committee meetings in the presence of UNP National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa. I said the UNP must field a candidate under the elephant symbol and if Wickremesinghe was not agreeable to that suggestion then Sajith Premadasa must be fielded against President Rajapaksa. No one listened to me.

I then decided to leave the UNP if I could not protect the party,” he said.

“Why should we bring an outsider to the presidency on our shoulders? Why should UNPers vote for an outsider if he plans to form a new political party if elected to office as revealed in the media?

The country will no doubt become insecure and unsettled if President Rajapaksa is defeated in the Presidential race and that is why I decided to support him.”

Attanayaka said he was kept in the dark about all the discussions and agreements entered into by the UNP.