Presidency: All the Mahinda’s men

Country needs a new face with a new team – keeping to the developing trends internationally

Discontent is a word weak in intensity to describe a Government fast losing support it held in 2015. The climate is not conducive for holding any election - fear of exposing an eroding vote base for the Government. 

Many of the present coalitions enlightened voters may refuse to show face at polling booths at a Local Government elections - to teach a lesson to the ruling regime not to trifle with promised standards.
The Government has to bluff in not holding the Local Government elections: results can be overwhelmingly favorable for the Joint Opposition [JO] - not on merits but due to lack of another option to vote for – showing more support than it holds at ground level. 

• Discontent is a word too weak in intensity to describe a Government fast losing support held in 2015. 
• If Gotha does not contest, the Presidential election will be held first and that result is too early to determine. 

Senior voters are content with Mahinda Rajapaksa but not the TV watching, radio hearing, Facebook searching under 45-year generation - the majority clan: makes a difference on numbers they hold in 
electoral lists. 

Old order will continue to reign for sure; feeble Wickremesinghe will contest a floppy Rajapaksa -ludicrous twins are at work in tandem. New generation does not plumb for dotage.

Results give a still more ominous message. Public Servants - opportunistic careerists - will begin to switch sides in hordes, which means inside information will be passed to key persons in the Opposition as they did previously to the then Government in 2015, after losing the Uva Provincial Council. Mahinda Rajapaksa [MR] has placed the correct combination for the assignment in setting up a ‘collection  centre’ for picking the disenchanted, manned by brilliant Basil Rajapaksa and genial G.L. Peiris [GL] - leaders of the new party.

Where is Gotha? Why not Gotha? – The heartthrob of the masses. MR thinks brother Gothabaya [True: is naïve like in the selection of the leaders of his think tank] is unfit for politics; took Gotha (He went voluntarily) & GL to meet Modi and failed to raise objections to Indian domination instead scrounged a free holiday in India. Gotha walked into a trap with his eyes opened.

MR has decreed that none of the Rajapaksa brothers were eligible candidates at the next President elections. 

Down with nepotism but Two Up for Namal Baby, if it disqualifies Uncles Basil & Gothabaya [Gotha] in a single sentence. Code of the Rajapaksa’ do not permit head chops in family affairs though it is fair game in politics.

The Local Government election results can make President Sirisena a dead duck in the SLFP as his winnable candidates will gravitate to the JO and the UNP on results released, seeking a return 
to Parliament

Who then is the JO’s candidate for Presidency? MR deems himself the easy winner at prime ministerial stakes – presently a fair assumption against Ranil. MR is looking for a loser at the Presidential election. Much can happen from now to the election time with an over taxed over aged crew at play more than at work. Why on earth suffer a defeat? Gotha might make the second term. Make the run easier for Namal in 2020.

Take a deep breath and hold some salt in your fist in fear of fainting? He is MR’s singular choice, his unofficial ADC and a gentleman-presently-in- waiting. Take the good Professor of Law to the dais.
Don’t underestimate him as an aged joker- he is a wily operator worthy of consideration - stronger than Basil as he is degrees more honest on a forensic audit due to a better upbringing. Crossed parties twice over, picked more exalted positions at every turnover. 

Who then is the JO’s candidate for Presidency? MR deems himself the easy winner at prime ministerial stakes – presently a fair assumption against Ranil. 

A pro-package originator with Neelan Thiruchelvam; a pro-federal agitator with Dr. Balasingham; took a pro-CFA stand with the Norwegians, a pro-Equal Opportunities Bill supporter of Chandrika: watched the 2000 Bill go in flames with his ghost writer Sarath. N. Silva. These are factors that will attract minority votes more than any other from the MR stables. Now waves the Sinhala Buddhist flag. A dream candidate!

GL is a kissing cousin to Mangala Samaraweera, but a slick operator in artfully winning over a part of the unheralded Sinhala Buddhist lobby over a few vegetarian snacks; Attracts friends of the business lobby with his food festivals at home, acceptable to the UNP being born to it; his forte -speaks and writes English in the heavy style of the locals at the Galle Literary Festival yet manages to throw a few canisters of nerve gas at political rallies with his learned lectures to drive crowds away to the exits.

His valued prime asset is his squeaky- clean, lily - white financial record amongst a pack of scoundrels – excluding his weighted foreign travel claims. 

The stage is set to oust the present administration by the former regime. For all the past sins of several regimes, the next government is likely to be lynched for undoing the country as patience of the people is at a waning point. 

Vote they will, for any scarecrow; but if no results are shown by the triumphed, have pity on them.
SLFP sources appear displeased that Udaya Gammanpila is likely to emerge as the Grand Designer of GL’s attic cabinet; but astute GL, will make good use of him and place him elegantly in his 
rightful place. 

Tell of another in the SLFP circles that can over shadow GL’s credentials - forget his renowned unpopularity for a moment? Forget that he will don a green shirt (as he once did) again, if UNP is returned to power. 

Who else will carry sticky instructions of MR till old boy holds the whip hand? He is his master’s choice therefore the suckers will swallow it and vote to please the master.

Gothabaya is a sure winner on a popularity parade: prime ground for his disqualification is the structuring of Namal baby for a future slot by his father. But best of plans can go awry if the SLFP supporters stand firm in telling MR they will not vote for his selfish vanity. 

They are too weak to tell the obvious. For MR, winner or loser at the presidential election matters little in his domestic scuffles: if G.L. Peiris wins MR has a servile sycophant on a lead, if he loses – GL will be impatient to be nominated MP to represent the Kanatte ward. Who knows if Sirisena wins MR will be another parliamentarian; as presently. On whom will the wrath toll for the machinations?

Undoubtedly MR has a candidate more sellable than G.L. Peiris but is a potential danger to the Baby of the Nation. Dinesh Gunawardane is a true nationalist. In his hour of glory during the Kobbekaduwa campaign emerged ahead of MR but lost ground for the want of doing sweet nothing thereupon. Belong to a generation of fossil politicians, with missed opportunities, still is preferred to GL in the public mind. Has a chequred family history carrying romantic memories of Philip and Robert that will roll forth to minimise a forgotten restructured D.A. Rajapaksa from Beliatta.

Dinesh is no lame puppy that will wag tail to the master’s cane: his undoing. MEP is a minor party and its leader has not shown thrust to be Sri Lanka’s No. One.

Tier II of the UPFA hierarchy of equals will not like one of their gentry getting ahead. The carving knives will down Dinesh on Master’s orders. GL is everybody’s sugar coated grandpa, crafty on his own with no political background to boast of, instead holds a permanent ‘dansala’ of food and drink at home that attracts hungry and thirsty politicians which Dinesh cannot afford.

MR can plant smarter Sachins’ in GL’s Ministry without a howl and is tutoring furiously to bring GL to the standards of a presidential candidate who need not win but file papers to contest. GL is happy to lose provided he gains sufficient publicity. 

Dinesh is no lame puppy that will wag tail to the master’s cane: his undoing. MEP is a minor party and its leader has not shown thrust to be Sri Lanka’s No One.

He is financially straight to the extent of being blind to financial skullduggery of compatriots and his records show that he will not keep a check except by the characteristic curled lip service- makes him a leader, much cherished by Parliamentarians, for closing eyes, provided they keep him in good cheer in a box seat. Country will go down the drain for sure.

If Gotha does not contest, the Presidential election will be held first and that result is too early to determine. This result will tell the outcome of the general elections. Whatever the outcome, Mahinda Rajapaksa, if he wins or loses or remains a Parliamentarian will carry a life-long stink of not-running the winnable candidate; Minimising his greatness in overcoming terrorism. 

Gotha is a political novice and is naïve but is a doer. Country needs a new face with a new team – keeping to the developing trends internationally.