Hope Megapolis is not another white elephant?

The Prime Minister’s Megapolis to many people is like a poor man dreaming of his castle and not doing much to realise his dream. The Megapolis, which was referred to as the big police, by a UNP Politician goes to the very core of the problem this Government is having i.e. one hand not knowing what the other hand is doing.

Going back to the Megapolis, people try to poke fun at it by going back to Ranil’s failed regaining Sri Lanka which caused the UNP Government to lose the election in 2004 and the emergence of a Sinhala Buddhist party – the JHU. The Opposition was successful whipping up sufficient patriotism to tell the electorate the Government was planning to sell State assets. The current Government is heading in the same direction. Government assets are to be sold by a committee headed by an ex-bureaucrat who ran off when the SLFP-led by Bandaranaike took control in 1994.

The current Opposition will certainly exploit Ranil’s pro Western and his Colombo 7 thinking. Then the only hope would be in the President asserting himself fully. The President must know that he will be responsible for all the Government’s actions.

The other dilemma Sri Lanka faces is that Sri Lanka is bankrupt. The rupee depreciates daily and the stock market has been wiped clean of billions. To fund a Rs. 100+ billion Megapolis project would require fresh borrowing. Which would certainly put Sri Lanka in a spot.

If the economy worsens given the weakening world economy the trade unions will give a tough time to the Government which could result in the re-emergence of the Rajapaksas. This could be a ploy of the UNP to destroy Patali’s dream of becoming the next common candidate.

The best advice I can give Ranil and his Royal College old brigade is to go to the rural areas and see for themselves how fast the popularity of the current Government is going away and do something fast to regain it. Megapolis, social market economy and restructuring Ranil’s pet subjects are only good to discuss at the next Royal-Thomian in March after a couple of drinks.

People want tangible results and a good Government, Mr. Prime Minister. Don’t miss the boat again like in 2004; it will never come back for you and your Royal friends again.

Bert Gunawardana