The President or the precedent?

 President Maithripala Sirisena

By T.E. Kotte

The President is yet to make a clear statement to the people on where he stands. With the people or with the precedent? 

The people watch with much interest the nominations made by the UPFA. They observe with greater interest the exodus from the UPFA. Not surprisingly the people seem to require little explanation for the exodus. They seem to give the benefit of the doubt to

those leaving the union. They simply assume those leaving have good reason for doing so.

Interestingly, they are as yet paying little attention to where they are going. They are focusing on the individuals who are leaving the union. They are equally mindful of those who maybe leaving the union purely for lack of opportunity within the union, albeit not for any altruistic reasons.

It seems increasingly evident that people are finally accepting the fact that they have the right, the option and the obligation to choose only the candidates who are most likely to render service to the nation.

One constantly and consistently hears the man on the street express the view that they want educated, decent people in Parliament irrespective of their party affiliations. Indeed, as at the present date, nobody is actually aware of the new alliances that will be formed in the coming weeks. The people seem relatively indifferent to this situation for the first time in living memory. Does this mean that they are resigned to their fate like lambs to the slaughter or is it the realisation that they finally have the power to make positive changes simply by virtue of using their vote. The population in general seems to have finally realised the value and significance of their franchise. The party-aligned blind vote seems on the way to extinction.

It certainly appears that people have been at a breaking point for a long time. Have they finally had enough? Has this contingent reached a critical mass? Will they use their judgment, notwithstanding all the political rhetoric justifying the re-nomination of candidates whom the general public perceives to be unacceptable? The people themselves seem to have made up their minds on whom the untouchables are.

This may well be the first time in the last 40 years of Sri Lankan political history that there is a total disconnect between the public mindset and politicians’ perception of the ground realities. They have never confronted such a situation before. They are yet to realise the gravity of the course correction of public opinion, let alone address the public inclination. Why? They can’t see the wood for the trees.

They are totally eclipsed by the political power game. Blinkered and focused only on political survival, totally oblivious to the insurgent public prowess and realisation that the meagre handouts to the public during an intermission in the political horse trading is of little or no significance in today’s public perception of the prevailing body politic. Simply said, the public does not trust the greater majority of the existing polity. 

This writer is in “shock and awe”, to quote George Bush of the Iraq fiasco fame, at the absolute bull in a China shop syndrome which seems to be a common factor among politicians. They are blissfully unaware of the weapons of mass destruction, the people, are very much in evidence. Is it any wonder that we find ourselves in our current situation? Perhaps best so. For once the public is ready to take on the parliamentarians. The odds are 12 million to 237 at best and probably 8 million to 4 million or 2: 1 at worst in favour of the people. 

Not uninteresting to the betting community. The new political dynamic is a phenomenon beyond the comprehension of the body politic. The next election will be like no other. When the smoke clears over the battlefield, the clear victor will be the people. The casualties will be no more than a curiosity.

The much hackneyed 6.2 million voter question. Which way, by how much this time around? Where stands the president? With the people or the precedent? Unknown. 

The president is where he is, and then again is he? Was he not supposed to be the president of the people? One senses the people are now guessing. A cloud of disbelief, disappointment and disorientation prevails. All amply reinforced by crossovers from the union. Let alone to the true Blues, but heaven forbid to the Greens! Unfettered migration which only translates as mistrust of the President himself.

This writer, as said before, is still an optimist because he believes in a people’s outcome notwithstanding a presidential stance of commission, omission, wittingly or unwittingly in error.

A win by the selfsame forces now unifying to defeat the UPFA will be tantamount to an impeachment of the President by the people.

What does it profit a President to gain the unity of his extended party union and suffer the loss of his people?