The Sick Relationship Between Mahinda And Ranil
Kissing politicians, photo taken in 2006
What is going on with the UNP? Ranil Wickremesinghe has lost every recent election for the party and wasn’t even confident enough to run in the last Presidential, making it the first election in history that the UNP hasn’t contested. Still, he clings to power and is even negotiating with the government on one side while more MPs flee the party on the other. While he got Mangala Samaraweera to abandon his party of one and join the UNP, he simultaneously lost two Tamil MPs. Indeed, many of the heavy hitters in the current government from GL Peiris to Keheliya Rambukwella are former UNPers (tho they crossed at different times). One wonders how Ranil has the gall to negotiate with the government when he can’t even control his own party.
The Sunday Leader has been hitting Ranil for alleged corruption, which I think is not the main point. Ranil may have misallocated party funds, but the bigger issue is that his policies have failed and he doesn’t win elections. This alone is enough to call for his ouster. I supported his cease-fire and the following development that came, but in hindsight the LTTE did use the cease-fire to re-arm and the development was largely limited to Colombo. I opposed Mahinda’s war but it worked whereas Ranil’s approach A) didn’t work and B) probably would have left Prabhakaran with a de facto state, one that he proved ready to die for.
On a purely practical level, Ranil can’t win elections. Last Parliamentary, the UNP lost in almost every district. It is losing party members in droves, it can’t raise money and it can’t even serve as a viable opposition because it is so weak. In any other democracy party and parliamentary pressures would force him out, but the UNP is not a democratic party and the government must actually like having him there. With Fonseka in jail and Ranil as opposition leader, any opposition is effectively neutered. This is bad for the country because we dearly need an opposition to keep the government honest.
Ranil has a cosy relationship with the government which seems to serve him alright, but it’s at the expense of party and country. There’s a news buzz about whether the UNP will pull out of talks with the government or not, I don’t know. What I don’t get is why Ranil has the gall to talk to the government at all. He should first listen to the voters, his own party, his own conscience and then get out.
Today on the 
Janith has updated 
This is highly dubious. Miss Travel is a travel/social networking site that connects ‘Generous’ and ‘Attractive’ travelers. To, like, travel together, I guess. It all seems a bit like arranged prostitution and trafficking. This is part of a broader online trend to connect rich men to younger, attractive women. Sites like 
Sri Lankan domestics never say anything, they just stop coming. My maid just stopped coming and when I finally pressed her she said I needed to get a washing machine. I was hoping to ride this one out, but I’ve run out of underwear and I have no choice. I finally caved and bought a washing machine, from 
The 5th Column in the Sunday Times also commented on this situation a few weeks ago.
In the comments section of another one of Indi’s posts, a regular follower of Indi’s blog, The Way of The Dodo, also commented on Sarath Fonseka, and about him being an inept politician and being manipulated by Ranil and the UNP and being played for a fool.
David Blacker, another devout indi.ca fan, has this to say about SF “The prob was SF was so eager to grab the presidency immediately that he just blindly followed what the UNP (the bunch who can’t get themselves voted into a paper bag) was telling him. If he was serious about the national good, he’d have taken some time and learned the ropes, understood the battlefield, and gone for the next elections”.
They both have valid points – SF probably should have waited.
However, it would be difficult to argue with the allegation that Mahinda is in it for himself and his family and is more concerned in ensuring that the ruler of Sri Lanka is a Rajapakse for the next few decades rather than worrying about trifling issues like reconciliation with that Tamil community in order to ensure lasting peace etc.
Ranil is also clearly in it for himself – he doesn’t even want to be president – he seems to be quite content to remain leader of the opposition and enjoy the privileges and the perks that the leader of the opposition is entitled to, and doesn’t even seem to care what he has reduced ‘the grand old party’ to.
This is why we need someone like SF. Uncorrupted, strong, and determined to do his absolute best for his country.
I for one am convinced that his interests are in fact the national good and would like to see him as the leader of our country one day, although our current leaders are trying to do anything and everything they can to prevent such an eventuality.
Its called a symbiotic relationship.
great post indi