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.
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