Ranil steers Maithri's victory

By Jaliya Wijeyekoon

The people with analytical political knowledge and those who believe in democracy and voting patterns perceived that the common candidate of the joint Opposition would emerge victorious at the 2015 presidential election.

It was a foregone conclusion for them. The unique combination of progressive forces headed by charismatic leaders such as Ranil Wickremesinghe, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Sarath Fonseka, Dr. Rajitha Senarathne and indirectly supported by the JVP with the blessings of Maha Sanga was a formidable front to be reckoned with under any circumstances.

They set aside their party political ideologies and personal agendas to save the country from an imminent disaster in the event of a re election by the worst corrupt regime since post independence. The main purpose of this coalition was to drive away this regime and establish good governance. Mahinda Rajapaksa contested for the third term amidst objections from various political groups as he obtained the judicial green light, the main Opposition and other parties only challenged him politically.

Mud slinging

The run up to the election was full of misdeeds, corruption and violation of election laws by the UPFA regime. The UPFA resorted to all sorts of election violence.

President Maithripala Sirisena

Mahinda Rajapaksa's election campaign was spearheaded by people such as Wimal Weerawansa, Rohitha Abeygunawardene, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Vijith Vijayamuni Soyza and some garrulous political discards who cannot be considered as genuine politicians. They were adept only in mud slinging and character assassination of political opponents.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

They had no political ideology, policies or principles they could only tarnish the image of their opponents by their uncouth oratory, scurrilous language and unfounded allegations.

They did it to the maximum possible level against the Joint Opposition candidate Maithreepala Sirisena with the connivance of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Mahinda Rajapaksa would have thought that these cheap political tactics would work positively for his campaign. But with the results of the election, it has proved beyond doubt that those dirty tactics did not bear any fruit.

Money

Mahinda Rajapaksa had been a progressive politician during his parliamentary career and he won the support and admiration of his party men which reluctantly compelled Chandrika Kumaratunga to nominate Mahinda as the UPFA presidential candidate in 2005 after completing her second term as against her brother Anura Bandaranaike who was also eying for the Presidential candidature.

Mahinda Rajapaksa managed to scrape through with a wafer-thing majority in 2005 as the LTTE didn't allow the Northern people to cast their vote at the election.

It was later revealed by the slain former Minister Sripathi Sooriaarachchi that a huge amount of money was given to the LTTE by some politicians of the UPFA to prevent the Northern people from voting at the election.

Minister Champika Ranawaka	Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne

Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera	Minister Arjuna Ranatunga

After becoming the Executive President Mahinda became a different man altogether. His first priority was to consolidate his position in the party by ousting the incumbent president of the SLFP Chandrika Kumaratunga.

Some party seniors say that he had a Chandrika phobia. However as the new President in 2005 he commanded the respect and support of all his former colleagues and new parliamentarians.

By this time the LTTE movement had been weakened with the Ceasefire Agreement of Ranil Wickremesinghe resulting in two of their top military leaders breaking away from the guerilla movement. Rajapaksa 2005 election manifesto never mentioned anything about militarily crusting the LTTE tigers.

When the tigers closed down the sluice gates to Mavil Aru tank, it was the Jathika Hela Urumaya who persuaded Rajapaksa regime to venture into full scale war. Finally the war was won by our valiant security forces guided by General Sarath Fonseka and a large number of military experts in 2009.

Cakewalk

Minister M. K. D. S. Gunawardene	State Minister Rajiva Wijesinha

Minister Duminda Dissanayake	Deputy Minister Wasantha Senanayake

The 2010 Presidential election was a cakewalk for President Mahinda Rajapaksa as most people voted for him irrespective of party politics for eliminating the fear psychosis among the public which plagued the nation for nearly three decades.

As the people rallied around him where he went after the war victory, Rajapaksa thought that people would be with him for ever under any circumstances.

He introduced the 18th amendment to the constitution which nullified the 17th amendment which was passed by the legislature by a two thirds majority with the people whom he bought over from the main opposition.

It is ironical to see that the Jathika Hela Urumaya made a public apology to the nation recently for having supported the 18th amendment.

Rajapaksa brought down all his cronies who were languishing in the USA and other countries and got them involved in politics and in decision-making bodies with the sole intention of consolidating his position and power further.

Internal problems

The main Opposition headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe stood firm against the 18th Amendment as he was fully aware that the country would be heading for a tyrannical State with the enactment of 18th Amendment.

The UNP was riddled with internal problems in the past but Ranil Wickremesinghe with his far-sighted political vision, patience and with his ocean of knowledge in democracy reintegrated all factions and fully consolidated the party assuring a UNP-led government soon.

The last five years of the Rajapaksa regime was filled with corruption, mismanagement, nepotism and bandyism, Rajapaksa allowed his henchmen to get away with any crime, dustardly act or even a blue murder.

From the lowest level Pradesheeya Sabha member right upto some Cabinet ministers were involved in all sorts of nefarious deeds on which no action was taken by the president. Drug smuggling became a lucrative business of few UPFA parliamentarians who backed President in his organisational work 'Casinos' and 'Ethonol' became bywords associated with his government. The Higher Judiciary was reduced to abysmal levels with unsuitable people being appointed to key positions.

Since Independence all successive governments have been maintaining a good foreign service in the country. Rajapaksa paid scant respect to the noble foreign service and virtually made it a family service.

Huge loans

Public administration was completely politicised with personal friends and relatives being appointed as ministry secretaries who were clueless of administrative procedures. The police, the most vital department couldn't function as an independent body which safeguarded the law and order in the country.

Mega development projects were carried out in an haphazard manner with huge loans drawn from overseas financial institutions on high interest rates. These mega projects became mega deals with mega kick-backs.

The country's economy at a low ebb though the Central Bank Governor and treasury Secretary tried to demonstrate a different picture to the world. Media freedom was blatantly violated by the Rajapaksa regime.

State media institutions were used as their personal property while restrictions were imposed even on private media.

In state print media institutions even the terminology in reporting news was decided on by government henchmen who headed these institutions.

Corrupt

In mid 2014 Rajapaksa realised that it was difficult for him to continue as the progressive forces were getting together and the main opposition becoming strong shedding their differences and hence decided to go for a fresh mandate before the imminent collapse of the economy by end of 2015. Being a strong believer of astrology he sought the advice from his erstwhile astrologer who recommended him to go for an election before mid January.

Rajapaksa wouldn't have thought even in his wildest dreams that Maithripala Sirisena would be his contender. The run up to the 2015 Presidential election was the most corrupt since the Presidential system was introduced in the country.

The UPFA regime blatantly violated all election laws despite the repeated directions issued by the Elections Commissioner. It had been enumerated that well over 250 billion rupees had spent by Rajapaksa on his election campaign.

The common candidate Maithripala Sirisena's election campaign was admirable in respect of upholding election laws though it was backed by a number of different political parties. By this time the United National Party was fully geared to challenge the government as they had been well consolidated from the top brass upto the lowest grassroot level member.

The UNP leader was fully confident of forming the government. He had appointed capable senior leaders of the party to look after all districts. Colombo district was led by Ravi Karunanayake and Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, Kandy by Lakshman Kiriella, Gampaha by Joseph Micheal Perera and John Amaratunga, Kegalle by Kabeer Hashim, Ratnapura by Thalatha Athukorala, Moneragala by Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Puttalam by Range Bandara, Hambantota by Sajith Premadasa, Matara by Mangala Samaraweera, Galle by Gayantha Karunathilake and similarly Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed his able lieutenants to all districts and delegated powers to them to reorganise and consolidate the party in their areas.

Bold decision

Deep scrutiny and analyses of the election results clearly indicate that all of them had been able to achieve the desired results. The UNP has lost some districts but they had managed to increase the percentage of votes cast considerably in comparison to previous elections.

According to a conservative estimate, well over five million pro UNP votes have been cast for common candidate Maithripala Sirisena. It was none other than Ranil Wickremesinghe who single handedly took the bold decision to field Maithripala Sirisena as the common candidate.

People should be grateful to Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera for mooting this idea from the very outset, Dr. Rajitha Senarathne for taking a bold decision to step down from his ministerial portfolio, Patali Champaka Ranawake and Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera for their courageous step to join Maithripala Sirisena and other parliamentarians such as Arjuna Ranatunga, Prof. Rajiv Wijesinghe M.K.D.S. Gunawardene, Wasantha Senanayake, and Duminda Dissanayake. Besides the United National party they were the other front runners who supported the common candidate and saved the nation from imminent disaster.

Irrespective of party politics and and communal differences the people of the country hail Ranil Wickremesinghe as a true statesman who maneuvered the whole project of making Maithripala Sirisena the President and bringing in United National Party in to power and mooting the transition of power peacefully.

Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya's name will go down in golden letters in the annals of election history in Sri Lanka for the valiant effort he took to conduct a free and fair election against all odds and pressure exerted on him by all powerful Rajapaksa goons.