The case for rejection of all-party wedlock with ‘Ranil Rajapaksa’

When the majority of the country is struggling to eat a single meal, when millions of people are without a roof to live, when patients are dying without medicine, despite those circumstances, the MPs participated in the questionable Parliamentary Poll

The struggle that is being “punished” by Ranil Rajapaksa was not started by the youth. It was first started in villages (farmers, fishermen), town by town, city by city by the people of the villages of those cities. It is due to the extremely severe economic problems they faced. But like the Rajapaksa regime, the obtuse and insensitive Parliamentarians neither felt the pain nor heard their voice

By Robin Hood

Ranil Rajapaksa is a name the majority of people in the country adopted following an election. This Executive President is also always afraid of losing his power. He anticipates: “If the people can chase Gota, who took 6.9 million votes and two-third majority, won’t I be kicked out by the people too?” It is clear that he is very afraid because of this. Due to this fear, he invites Opposition political parties to join hands. He says “Come. Let’s rule the country together”. 

He also speaks of a beautiful dream of 2048 to the people. At the same time, he gives orders to the Police to attack the young people in an inhuman manner. Even if he smiles and talks about “people” like Grusha, Bandara, Eheliyagoda, Ranil Rajapaksa’s double standard actions are clear in these two months.

Therefore, apart from the 134 opportunist MPs who voted for Ranil Rajapaksa in the Parliament, there are MPs and political parties who really love the country, who love the youth who are our next generation who have a real desire to create a better tomorrow. If there are still few representatives and political party leaders who prefer intelligence and conscience more than positions and millions of rupees as bribes, then this address is for you. 

It is true that there are positive features in the revised budget proposals presented by Ranil Rajapaksa as a foundation to lift the country out of the dark abyss that the Rajapaksa family company tycoons have pushed Sri Lanka into. It is true that it has the basic features needed to make Sri Lanka a developed country. It is also true that the country and we are ready to make a commitment for that. 

But if Ranil Rajapaksa is going to achieve this goal by crushing the youth of the country, crushing their dreams for a better country, and freeing all those who brought the country to this state including the Rajapaksa clan, then such a vile leader’s motives need to be questioned. He is an insensitive leader who does not feel the tears of the people, who does not understand the struggle of the youth.

Why should Ranil’s hypocritical invitation be rejected?

Politicians who sincerely love Sri Lanka or wish to create a better country must flatly reject the hypocritical invitation of the Ranil Rajapaksa to set up a death trap in the name of an all-party coalition to strengthen the hands of his undemocratic rule and suppression of people under the guise of building a better country. Why should it be done? The following are some logical facts that prove that rejection is a justified action.

Treacherous march against populism

1. Ranil Rajapaksa is not a popularly elected President who has had a genuine mandate from the people. He is not the people’s President. He has no real people power. He has no political mandate, or right to invite people to rally around his leadership to build the country with his presidency. Ranil’s journey to reach this position is itself a travesty.

Ranil Wickremesinghe and his party were expelled by the people from the 2020 general election. He is not even worthy of the only national seat MP position the party got. 

UNP’s policy was not to nominate defeated candidates from the National List. It was not valid for Ranil. As a result of a cunning conspiracy by the then ruling Rajapaksa family, Ranil came to Parliament. Although he sat in the Parliament, he often acted like a member of the Rajapaksas.

Ranil Wickremesinghe got the prime ministership without any conditions by doing the most deceiving act in recent Sri Lankan history, while the Rajapaksas were leaning against the wall.

The Rajapaksas thereafter gradually stood up straight following the betrayal. The struggle experienced a slight setback, but with the strong determination and organisational strength of children and grandchildren of the 21st century generation who were in the struggle, the youth were able to chase Gotabaya Rajapaksa from the throne. However, Ranil Wickremesinghe coming to the ‘throne’ under the name of ‘Ranil Rajapaksa’ was not the aim of the struggle.

Ranil Wickremesinghe won the presidential succession by his usual inducement of buying the legislators for the Rajapaksas.

Legislative members who care about the country must remember Ranil did not get the mandate from the people. He assured that he will not only give perks to the MPs who vote for him but also protect Rajapaksas who were driven out by the people.

When the majority of the country struggling to eat a single meal, when millions of people are without a roof to live, when patients are dying without medicine, despite those circumstances, the MPs participated in the questionable Parliamentary Poll. 

Additionally, MPs whose houses were burnt on 9 May were assured of millions of rupees as compensation. That’s how he approved the Cabinet papers as soon as he became the President. That is why Mahinda Rajapaksa was offered a housing renovation grant of Rs. 400 million, which even Gota had refused previously.

Thus, the appointment of Ranil Rajapaksa as President is corrupt, fraudulent and unethical even if it conforms to the constitutional provisions. It was an appointment made with the aim of protecting and reviving Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the entire “Rajapaksa Company” who were ousted from office by a people’s struggle. 

Therefore, strengthening the oppressive hands of a leader, who was not elected by popular opinion or mandate, is against populism.

2. The appointment of Ranil Rajapaksa as President was not an expectation of the struggle, but it happened as a natural result of a turning point in the struggle. That is, to fill the vacancy of the President, who caused the crisis, because he was driven out of office by this struggle. 

Due to this, Ranil should be loyal to the people’s struggle for his presidency. He is also responsible for the people’s struggle. He has to fulfil the expectations of the people’s struggle. It is the people’s strugglers that he has to protect, which is not happening.

Instead of protecting the people’s activists who mobilised on the streets out of true love for the country, Wickremesinghe abused the Public Safety Acts and the Anti-Terrorism Act and attacked the activists in a persecutory manner. He called these wonderful protesters as “terrorists” who did not even throw a stone. 

Otherwise, they call themselves “fascists” to cover up their fascist tendencies. Oppressive Police are sent to homes, streets, offices, like arresting a terrorist or a heinous criminal and kidnap those lovely protesters. Non-terrorist protestors are imprisoned under the internationally disgusting Anti-Terrorism Act (PTA) Otherwise, without any basis, they are prosecuted on a host of charges they are not involved.

In contrast, Ranil Rajapaksa is using his Executive Presidential powers to protect those responsible for the country’s current economic, political and social abyss. He defends the suspects and the accused who were even named in the Presidential Commissions regarding the Easter Sunday crime which was used as a vehicle for the ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to come to power. 

His honours and bounties are for the enemies of democracy who have publicly admitted paying millions of rupees to LTTE terrorists to sway public opinion in 2005. 

Even though Ranil Rajapaksa through his Police and Attorney General has charged the activists under the Public Property Act, the politicians and businessmen who have looted the country’s national wealth and national properties in broad daylight for the past few decades are in his unholy alliance. Ranil is protected by notorious Police bosses who have kidnapped and killed civic activists, journalists and activists over the past few decades. 

Ranil Rajapaksa misusing all laws to secure the future of the country’s real traitors, thieves and terrorists. He should not be strengthened by the blood of those struggling for real positive change in the country. Indeed, due to his actions, he becomes unfit to be the leader of an all-party Government. Instead, it is the responsibility of every sensible people’s representative to defeat him and give his full support to win the real goals of the struggle. 

The “terrorist padlock” that is going to be created must be defeated

3. It is very clear that his practice is to protect and strengthen the politicians of his class who have stolen State resources and state wealth for their own family and posterity through State terrorism and State terror.

The word “terror” means “fear”. A terrorist act can be called an act that causes fear. If the youth of the struggle has created any fear. That’s not been created in the two and a half million common people of the country. Those people love them. 

It is the Rajapaksa mafia who are in fear of the protestors. During their tenure of Government, public officials, sleazy businessmen, and few senior officials of the security forces who did so, were complicit in looting the country’s wealth and the masterminds of the Easter Sunday attack. 

If the struggle becomes successful, all the facts of the culprits will be revealed and there will be no way to acquire the power hanging on until now. It is due to this fear that a very violent repression against the protesters is unleashed. 

Why is this Rajapaksa mafia, which is operating under the leadership of Ranil Rajapaksa, protecting the political parties belonging to the Opposition party?

Therefore, all political parties who love the country should reject the “terrorist padlock” that Ranil Rajapaksa is going to create with the aim of developing state terrorism and terror.

The struggle that is being “punished” by Ranil Rajapaksa was not started by the youth. It was first started in villages (farmers, fishermen), town by town, city by city by the people of the villages of those cities. It is due to the extremely severe economic problems they faced. But like the Rajapaksa regime, the obtuse and insensitive Parliamentarians neither felt the pain nor heard their voice. 

Ranil should be loyal to the people’s struggle for his presidency. He has to fulfil the expectations of the people’s struggle. It is the people’s strugglers that he has to protect, which is not happening

People naturally flocked around the President’s house at Mirihana as a result. The arrogant Gotabaya regime called it an “Arab Spring” and tried to suppress it. Fortunately, it was averted by the courageous, patriot-loving legal community.

It was only after that that the young people - our future generation, who have made mother Lanka proud – came out to the Galle Face, ignoring Gota’s emergency and curfew laws. Ranil Rajapaksa calls these young children as terrorists and fascists who did not carry a single stone in their hands.

If Gotabaya Rajapaksa respected and accepted the people’s demand and resigned following the state terrorist incidents on 9 April, or in June, the unfortunate incidents of 9 July could have been averted. Therefore, it is not the struggle that is responsible for this entire crisis but the entire regime including Ranil Rajapaksa and it is the Rajapaksa mafia.

The all-party Government of Ranil Rajapaksa, is a premonition of another repressive regime. Therefore, the invitation should be rejected outright. If any MP joins Ranil’s all-party bandit Government, he or she is doing a disservice to the youth and would drag Sri Lanka further into the miserable political, economic and social abyss.