Mahinda’s Final Rally
Mahinda through bulletproof glass, by Perambara
By God’s grace and the limping heart of our elections commissioner, Presidential campaigning is over. These are some photos from Perambara’s coverage of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s final rally, in Piliyandala. Dude has been macking it hard this campaign, even illegally (cut-outs, distributing food, using state resources). That said, this is somewhat the nature of the ruler and people may be content to vote for development sans rule of law. His campaign events have been huge, busing in crowds from all over. Mahinda is a damn good politician and I still think he’s likely to win. These photos are from Perambara’s live photostream on the election.
These photos and stories will be updated as the election goes on, from different spots in the island. I recommend keeping an eye on their Flickr and subscribing to their Twitter if you’re interested.
As fireworks go off, by Perambara
View full set on Flickr (slideshow)
People don’t give enough credit to the resilience of democracy in Sri Lanka.
Mahinda and SF both represent hope for modern Sri Lanka. Electing either will loosen of the death grip on top leadership that a few families had for generations.
Mahinda has shown that he could be a very Sri Lankan leader. Cunning, sincere, irrational, charming, all at the same time in his own way. More importantly he doesn’t fell like a transplant, like Chandrika, Ranil etc have been.
SF is a unique character, equally iconoclastic, but without the depth of cunning of his opponent, or the temperament of a populist. He will have a painful adjustment period to get down to the business of managing people instead of ordering them around.
The critical question is how SF will perform as the leader of a democratic coalition. Despite what his supporters of the moment say, he definitely will not follow the script simply because he just can’t.
[...] of the major candidates, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka held their last rallies. Whether to put the verdict on “presidential [...]