The swearing-in of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the new Prime Minister may have taken many by surprise, but it was the inevitable result of a sequence of events that led President Maithripala Sirisena to take drastic action. Keen political observers knew that this was the only course of action available to the President that could literally save the nation from the economic and other calamities precipitated by the UNP.
It has since been argued by the outgoing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and others that his sacking and the appointment of former President Rajapaksa in his place was unconstitutional. However, the same process was followed in January 2015 when Wickremesinghe was appointed as the Prime Minister, virtually from the “back door”. On that occasion, the incumbent Premier D.M. Jayaratne was removed and Wickremesinghe was appointed overnight. No one protested. In this instance, the entire Cabinet which is headed by the Premier was sacked and the Premier automatically lost his position. The entire move has been done in accordance with the Constitution, on the advice of legal and constitutional experts, most of whom have no political affiliations.
However, the President and the new Prime Minister have both indicated that they are prepared to go before the people (The People’s Court) to reaffirm this decision and seek an even bigger mandate. Judging by the performance of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) under the guidance of President Rajapaksa at the February 10 Local Polls, this could turn out to be an even bigger victory, with the combined strength of the SLFP and the Joint Opposition. This is the one option available to Wickremesinghe to prove his popularity, having shied away from contesting both the 2010 and 2015 Presidential Elections. Moreover, a Presidential Election is due in 2020 and Wickremesinghe can try his luck then perhaps without hiding behind another candidate.
The National Unity Government formed by the UNP and the SLFP was a fine idea on paper, but in practice it proved to be a very difficult marriage as the two parties had fundamentally different views on most issues. Being the honest politician that he is, President Sirisena trusted the UNP with some of the most crucial ministries including Finance, despite the misgivings of some of his closest advisers. This was to prove disastrous for the nation, for the UNP masterminded one of the biggest scams in recent memory through the Central Bank bond issue barely a month into the term of the new Government. This was a huge loss for the economy, which went downhill from there. Although one Minister was sacrificed for this crime, the real architects are hiding in foreign lands with the apparent support of Wickremesinghe.
The UNP’s imprudent economic policies also led to the free fall of the Rupee, which has stumbled to nearly 172 against the US Dollar. This has been a disaster for our import-driven economy, with the prices of many essential items going up uncontrollably with an immense impact on the Cost of Living. Fuel prices have become unbearable, hitting especially, the three wheeler drivers, motorcyclists and transport operators hard. Wickremesinghe’s economic philosophy mostly centered on selling the family silver, a fact recently alluded to by a Malaysian Minister. Fortunately, his last proposal to sell the East Container Terminal of the Colombo Port was shot down by the President. The sale of the country’s prized economic assets to foreign entities cannot be condoned under any circumstance.
Then there were the obvious lies, which initially many believed. One UNP Minister boasted that the Rajapaksas had pilfered as much as US$ 18 billion out of the country. Having even dug up swimming pools in various houses, not even one cent of this much talked-about money had materialized. They talked about Lamborghinis, but found only a legally purchased Ford Mustang which has since been handed over to the registered owner. It was obvious that the people did not believe any of these lies, as they handed over one of the biggest electoral victories to the SLPP back in February.
Another factor which angered many patriotic citizens was the Government’s capitulation before sections of the International Community on Human Rights and Accountability issues arising from the final days of the conflict in 2009. It went so far as to co-sponsor a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council which was critical of Sri Lanka. The UNP leaders did not give much thought to protecting our war heroes and began a witch hunt against them on various pretexts mainly to please sections of the Tamil Diaspora. Several war heroes are still languishing in jail and we hope the new Government will set this matter right. In the meantime, the security situation in the North turned worse with armed groups, nullifying the gains made in 2009.
Mahinda Rajapaksa is just what the doctor ordered for an ailing Sri Lanka. He brought peace to Sri Lanka in 2009 and he can take Sri Lanka to greater heights now that he is firmly at the helm of affairs. Brave and forthright, ever ready to act in the interest of all communities and religious groups in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has once again risen to the occasion. There is no doubt that along with President Sirisena, he will steer the country in a new direction. Engagement, not capitulation, will be his keyword as he deals with the international community and even the antagonistic sections of the local community.
Now the next step is to select a Cabinet that can deliver the goods and efface some of the damaging steps taken by the UNP leadership. It must necessarily be kept to 30 members or less, to lessen Government expenditure. We are glad that MPs from the UNP and several other mainstream parties have already pledged their support to the President and the new Prime Minister for this new political journey. Sri Lanka is indeed on the cusp of turning a new chapter in its history.