When C.A. Chandraprema wrote
'Kola Paata Samaajaya' (The Green Society) a couple of decades ago, it
is unlikely that he would have imagined the kind of greening we see
today. President Mahinda Rajapaksa and a few others aside, the key
ministerial posts are held by ex-Jumbos. Not too long ago, during the
Wayamba PC polls we had ex-UNP firebrand vying for the Chief Minister's
post with the son of another ex-UNP firebrand, that's Johnston
Fernando's son Johan. Now we hear rumors of Sujeewa Senasinghe planning
to jump ship. The man, it is said, would be the UPFA's candidate for
the post of Chief Minister, Western Province. So it's all home-n-home,
except that the 'home' is Sirikotha!
Common Candidate Time
It is about
time. It was bound to happen of course. Ranil Wickremesinghe managed to
salvage something by persuading Sarath Fonseka to enter the fray. It
was Fonseka who was defeated, not Ranil. Now, with no sign of the
President's popularity waning, it looks like Ranil is planning to 'pass'
next time as well. He needs a 'Common Candidate'. Karu has already
said 'no'. Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero has said 'no'. Sajith is too
uncommon to be 'common'. Fonseka? Sarath Silva? Wigneswaran? Cameron?
Obama's Mandela Moment
Barack Obama
has already made his 'Mandela Speech'. It was eloquent, as expected.
He said of Mandela, 'He (Mandela) freed not only prisoner but the
gaoler as well'. The world's biggest gaoler, Obama that is, looks quite
the prisoner of circumstances or even choice. When and what will free
him?
Cameron's Mandela Non-Moment
David
Cameron will not say this, but he could have. He was a top member of the
British Federation of Conservative Students who in 1985 came up with a
poster with Nelson Mandela's picture. Here's the caption: 'HANG NELSON
MANDELA!' Times have changed. Hypocrisy continues to prosper though!
The budget dominoes
The President
is secure. The parliamentary majority is secure. What is happening at
the grassroots though? Several budgets in local government authorities
run by the ruling party have been defeated. Some of this can be
explained by intra-party rivalry -- two defeats and the Chairperson has
to quit. No 2 has a stake then in siding with the Opposition. But is
it all about that and nothing else? Hmmm.....
1 comments:
Times change and people change-sometimes for the better.
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