The General was much more at home with the JVP than the UNP
Anatomy of an election – II
By Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha
Perhaps the saddest aspect of the campaign for General Fonseka was the complete absence of principle evinced by the vast majority of thinking persons who ended up supporting him. I was for instance astonished to find quondam intellectuals such as Dr Saravanamuttu and Jehan Perera pontificating in a manner that suggested they thought General Fonseka a potentially productive President. With regard to the former I was particularly disappointed because he had initially expressed some surprise at the idea of such a common candidate, and claimed that it was all Ranil Wickremesinghe’s fault for being so weak.
That was just before Christmas. But in the new year it became apparent that what might be termed the foreign funded wailing establishment had decided to put all its eggs into the Fonseka basket. This was the more bizarre, in that he had clearly shown that he was not going to follow the UNP line on issues on which the resignation letter originally drafted for him had tried to suggest a relatively enlightened approach, which the wailers might have claimed appealed to them. Instead of talking about Human Rights, as he had been told to, he stressed his own grievances, his disappointment that he was not permitted to expand the army inordinately and that the people in the Welfare Centres were being released prematurely, without sufficient security checking.
Some of the urban elite approach arose from what might be termed the lemming effect, their determination to rush headlong to destruction whenever the opportunity arises to turn their backs on the rest of the country. Thus they refused to ensure that Ranil Wickremesinghe compromised in 2004 with President Kumaratunga, when it was clear to everyone else that allowing him full authority was the surest way to ensure infiltration of the whole country by the LTTE. They then went along with his efforts to precipitate an early Presidential election, which enabled the poll to be held at a time when the country still remembered his mistakes and voted for a less indulgent policy towards terrorism.
Their voting for him in 2005 was more understandable than support in 2004, when he would have had to depend on LTTE surrogates for a parliamentary majority. A President after all has tremendous powers, and they would have hoped that he would – with his celebrated Western safety net, which he did not realize had been gnawed away by the Tiger elite abroad – be able to resist the division of the country.
This time round however they were willing, at his behest, to hand over power to someone whom they had excoriated the previous year as a racist and a thug. This may have been unfair on the General, but fairness has never mattered to lemmings, and so it was quite easy for them this time round to enthusiastically try to bestow massive powers on their erstwhile whipping post.
Even more ridiculously, they were quite happy to do this despite the evidence that the General was much more at home with the JVP than the UNP. Though the UNP tried later on to stamp its mark on the campaign, its ownership had been established early on by the JVP, and certainly the intense house to house campaigning that seemed to be making inroads into the President’s popularity was essentially a JVP effort.
One can understand that none of this mattered to the unthinking elite, who thought they had a chance to show their dislike of a government they felt did not give them the prominence they deserved. But it is bizarre that thinking people, the business community that needs stability, civil society that should care about pluralistic principles, should have fallen in with such a dangerous strategy.
Even worse, it looks like they also managed to take with them at least some elements in the international community that would otherwise, even if reluctantly, have accepted that, with terrorism vanquished, they should support the democratically elected government to promote resettlement and reconciliation, pluralism and prosperity. So the willingness to work with government in a positive spirit, which the United Nations has so hearteningly evinced recently, has been put on hold by some donors who still think that aid is a political tool to advance their own interests.
Of course one has to recognize that this is the purpose of all aid, and that one would be naïve to think that any country is altruistic. But generally countries realize that, to achieve their own interests, they have at least to be sensitive to the needs and desires of all those they are dealing with. Unfortunately, guided by their interlocutors in Colombo, those who should be advising their governments about how to promote mutual interests in cooperation have decided instead to engage in confrontation and efforts to undermine democracy.
We cannot forget the conviction that was being circulated in 2007 that regime change was imminent. We had tried to forget it, and for a year and more it seemed that, with new diplomats in Colombo who did not yearn for the Ghosts of Christmas Past, international interventionists had decided not to interfere too outrageously. But, when it comes to international relations, morality is only skin deep, and the last few months saw a resurgence of proconsular activity which was based on what seemed the scent of blood.
There are those who argue that this interference was in fact initiated abroad, and that it was not simply the effect of the chatter in the drawing rooms of Colombo. That is a theory that needs further exploration, especially in the context of the JVP involvement. But we cannot only blame foreigners, we need to consider too the role of our own alienated elite, who feed and are fed on fancies that can so easily translate into weapons of mass destruction.
17 Comments
Very well written; specially the attitude by the two self appointed intellectuals mentioned was true to form; they display their lack of intelligence and commonsense by hiding behind high flowing English words. Both those blokes are not comfortable in their skins and try to pontificate based on their own Christmas wish lists as to how this nation should run. The INTELLIGENT people know to change their goals if the data does not agree with their position; but the foolish intellects will insist that the data is wrong if the data does not fit their own view of the world. Sri Lanka needs more intelligent people and less of western educated overly important self-appointed experts who seem to revel in their open shirt machismo with the glasses of expensive Western Embassy funded liquor and their business class jaunts overseas and their overly generous western salaries paid in USD or NOK into their lovely expense accounts. Party on dude.
This is a true and a frightning assesment and thank God General did not win the Election. Another diamension would have been a Military type of a Govt taking into consideration of General's background and utterences in the Army Mess!!! Sri Lanka is so lucky to jump this ulteria coup hatched by the Western diplomats and UNP to gain back power and then another diamension from the JVP nad General to take the country towards a dictotorial government. The question is why was US Ambassidore to the Bangladesh was brought down to Sri Lanka ???..... Was there a design taken into consideration of what developed in a regime change in Bangladesh ??
Now Presidential election is over and Ranil Wickramasinghe might go back to his usual business. He thought that Mr. Fonseka may bring a Vishvasaneeya Venesak. But unfortunaely fonseka failed to fulfil Ranil's expectations. Not only that he brought only much lesser number of votes than Ranil would. Therefore what is the purpose of keeping him in front of Ranil. Otherwise, when general election comes Fonseka will be the leader of the coalition, if it so Fonseka automatically become either Prime Minister or the Leader of the opposition. Ranil knows if he runs for the general election at least he will become the leader of the opposition even he lose as long as if he wins his own seat. Who wants to sacrifice that opportunity and put someone else instead. According to the situation Fonseka better stick to JVP though the party has no value or recognition internationally. Fonseka can remain in political business.
An unprincipled political stooge pontificating on various conspiracies and denigrating the thinking of others. What price democracy and liberal thinking.
That is obius. we found out by the genaral elextion but, they have to organize there aproach to the people rubish speach must give up,now our sosayaty are inteligen than befor now donot have 'kapuwath enne kola lee'
Rajeev Wijesinghe you are a discrage to peace secratariat and a suck up. Stop tarnishing the good names of those who held the post before you and resign.
Ah, looks like Wijesinha has taken his head out of the sand again now that his boss has won. Why he's in public service is beyond me. Clearly the man should be writing the Great Sri Lankan Novel or something. He certainly has the imagination for it.
It is "astonishing" to note how Wijesinha contained his emotions until he was perfectly sure that victory for his master was assured. Only then has he crawled out of the woodwork to try and bamboozle us with his high flown English that I'm sure the voters who backed his master and the siblings who ensured victory are in no danger of ever understanding.
I notice this writer always has negative comments about his uncle Ranil Wickremesinghe......sometimes its valid most times it seems to be just "venting" just curious to know if it is personal or professional......is it that you were never validated or taken into the confidence of your uncle and always felt left out or is it objective?
Thank you Prof. for giving the facts crystal clear.We are really proud of you for many things.You made the channel 4 interviewer speechless when you represented SL during the fake video which was aired by Channel 4 with the help of LTTE supporters and the West.We wish you all the best.
Delighted to note that Wijesinha doesn't consider himself part of the "thinking people" of this country. I hope he has realised that he belongs to the "brown nosing" community as should be his preference based on his deviations !
Rajive, does your own conscience support this analysis? I am sure NO. People like you can write things. Some readers might feel that the article has a meaning because it is an analysis produced by a prof.
We can prove 1= 2 using simple algebra by neglecting some essential conditions. In chemistry, in physics most of early explanations were thrown away when truth revealed subsequently. So your attempt will be dropped in to the bin same way. However you can’t write reality now and live your life smoothly. So do some thing like this to live. Its all right.
Thanks God. Mahinda won. I prayed and Prayed. I did not even want to think about Fonseka for a second. I hope this swan will fly away with his "Hansa Vilapaya". Please take Somawansa too.
These are the "public servants" of the current regime.. and then there was the case of two dozen army officers (who mind you would have done wee bit more for the country than this boot liker Wijesinghe) are being expunged for taking sides in politics..talk of irony.. Rajiwa the great intellectual have you heard of a fools paradise?? you would indeed qualify for its court’s jester!!Maha Rajata jayawewa
It is interesting to read this article. Since I could not hear any articles from R wijesingha before the election, I did think that R wijesingha and atleast few of the governing party would not support MR following his corrupted and abused (of all forms) governance.However, being on the basis that the held pres. election was not at all free and fair, also considering many others´view, I am speechless today. We have not had an election of this sort in our entire history. This shared with my good friend, Mark, what he said was - even if I am surprised by the move of Rajiva - top dogs like to lick bosses´leftovers.
Hi Curious
Ranil is not Rajivas uncle. Both are first cousins. Rajivas mum and Ranils dad are siblings
There was a segment of the Sri Lanka society that wanted a "believable change". I do not think our villagers were in there or our elite was there. The middle class in Sri Lanka wanted to really reap the benefit of eliminating LTTE and leading a peaceful life. I do not think MR (how nicely it matches Mahinda Rajapaksa as well as Maha Rajaneni) was disliked but it was case of just neglecting the peace and not being really focused for making the best of the peace, for all of us. I hope MR will just do that, with discipline and prudent governance, in his second innings.
I wonder if Dr. Rajiv is really speaking his mind or trying to appease MR at the expense of SF. What MR cannot do, I believe SF would do. It will be today as well as tomorrow. And folks, do not write off SF so easily. SF is better off in the grass roots and the middle class will pitch in, at the right time. The elite could be disegarded because they really do not feel any pain - they never go on the rocks, even with a scotch in hand.