May be I’m bit late to comment on the latest development in Sri Lankan politics scene; “Battle of the Wansas”. But, I anyway thought of punching in few of my thoughts about the incidents.
It was exactly an year ago that Mangala Samaraweera “UN EXPECTEDLY” kicked out of the SLFP, without any warning. It took Sri Lankan politics by stun. “What? SLFP without Mangy?” was the exclamation in many people, when they heard it for the first time.
Now, exactly one year after, we see a similar fate to the JVP strongman Wimal Weerawansa. He is no more in JVP. Who would have thought about a JVP without Wimal? But now it is.
I see a clear pattern and a connection in these two incidents. What are in common about Mangala and Wimal?
These two people together, contributed more than 70% of the success of Mahinda Rajapakshe’s victory in 2005 presidential election. It was Mangala who took it to the front line, at a time the SLFP’s top ranked leaders like CBK and Anura explicitly worked against a Rajapakshe victory. And it was Wimal Weerawansa, who gathered the JVP voter base around MR, with his powerful speeches on stage. Mahinda Chinthanaya was written, and edited with direct supervision of these two people. And as a result of the efforts of these two people, Mahinda became the president of this country.
Mahinda’s victory is only a one side of the coin. The other side of the coin is defeat to another person! So, in other words we ca conclude “It was Mangala and Wimal, who brought defeat to Ranil”. It was Mangala and Wimal, who shattered the dreams of anti-national activists, and pro-LTTE camp, to create a president who could use as a dummy or a puppet of their ant-national intentions. The day Mahinda won that election, these people knew that, if they don’t get rid of the top contributors to Mahinda’s victory soon, they would never be able to bring Ranil or a similar puppet to power again.
Three years after the election, now they have managed to get rid of them. In fact, they have bought Mangy into their camp. They have kicked Wimal out from JVP, with the promise to Somawansa, that the his sister’s brothel house matter will not be taken up in pro-UNP media once again. Somawansa decided to betray Weerawansa, and safeguard himself and his sister.
Now, these anti-nationalists have cleared the way for their favorite leader, to stand for the presidential election for a third time. And in this third time, there won’t be a CBK competing with a fresh injury (to one eye) in an assassination attempt. And there won’t be Mangala, Sripathi, Jeyaraj or Wimal, to speak for Mahinda who’s not a fluent speaker on stage. Now the road is all cleared for Ranil! All the obstacles have been removed.
When I think of this, I tend to remember the strange things happened to some UNP leaders, after 1977. A chap called Ranil Wickramasinghe who is a heir of Wijewardena family tree (who owned most of the big a businesses in SL since late 1800’s) the parliament in 1977 election. JRJ (who also have connection to the same family tree) appoints this guy as his next torch bearer, and kept the guy closest to him as much as possible. After couple of years, Upali Wijewardene; the other heir of Wijewardena family tree (who was an upcoming politician during 70’s) went “mysteriously missing” in an aircraft. Lalith & Gamini was pushed towards a riot within the party, and later they were betrayed and expelled from the party. When they formed into another party, and when Lalith started to gain popularity, he was shot to death by a terrorist gunman who was carrying his national ID in front pocket. Blame was put on Premadasa, and Preamadasa vouch his innocence in a public meeting (“if you want to kill me, do it. But don’t kill my character) and go say “I will expose the murderers of Lalith to the nation, on next week’s May rally”. Ironically, he was killed in the same may day rally, just about half an hour before he was suppose to address the public.
DB Wijetunga sworn in as the president according to the constitution, and surprisingly some one called “Ranil Wickramasinghe” becomes the prime minister, while there were number of other senior UNP MP’s qualified enough to hold that position. In later developments, Gamini Disanayake joined the UNP again, and the party decide to appoint him as the presidential candidate for 1995 PE. President Wijetunga voluntarily said he won’t compete, and therefore the one who had to dismiss his dream of contesting for the presidential election was the then prime minister. How ever in Gamini’s presidential campaign, he got a very little media support from almost all the private media institutions those days. Every one was flocking around CBK. Specially, a TV station named TNL which was owned by Shan Wickramasinghe, another branch of the Wijewardenea “media” family tree, and the brother of then prime minister.
Surprisingly, the LTTE at this time decide to break the negotiations with CBK government, by assassinating Gamini Disanayake, in a suicide attack. With the popularity CBK gained those days, it was very clear that CBK was the hope of majority of Sri Lankans. It was puzzling, why LTTE decided to kill the weaker candidate in that election. How ever, later CBK become the president, and Ranil became the opposition leader. Suddenly
The private media started to act completely the other way around. TNL decided to fire hand full of it’s employees, who were running the political comedy “Always Breakdown” which was a program indirectly supported CBK, as against to Ranil. All the private media, who supported CBK to fight against Gamini and (later) Srima Disanayake, suddenly appeared to be acting against her.
By this time, most of the young leaders in UNP like Sajith and Naveen, who were capeable of winning public hearts, were cornered away to far villages in Hambantotal and Nuwara Eliya. Karu Jayasuriya, who won the hearts of many UNP voters in Colombo district, was moved to Gampaha district, and Ranil decide to give up his Biyagama seat (Gampaha District), and move to Colombo (where the voter base is larger, so that you can easily emerge as the highest preferential vote earner of the party).
Slowly but steadily, some one was clearing his way towards a long political journey. He became closest to it, in 2005 presidential election. But, Mangala and Wimal blocked his road, un expectedly. Nowm both of them are moved away. The road is clear!
What’s the next move? Let’s wait and watch.
(I typed this in a hurry, while doing so many other work. There are lots of spelling mistakes and grammar errors, which I didn’t double checked. I apologies for the inconvenience caused by such mistakes)
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