Sri Lanka: On that Bunch of Swindlers

 We should thank President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for giving them so much freedom for so long without expelling them.

Editorial

A bunch of swindlers who were rejected by the public held a conference yesterday to “place the whole country on the right path” and unveiled eleven points declaration. It is nothing but a great farce of the tragic politics of this island nation. There is nothing new in that so-called declaration. They are still living like frogs in the well while seeking solutions to problems that exist outside the well. 

There are two main accountable issues that this bunch of swindlers must answerable before exploiting the current political state of affairs. First, the time has come for them to follow in the footsteps of a few politicians who first took these bold steps and reveal their assets to the public. Second, invite an independent body to conduct forensic audits of their wealth and publicly prove their innocence. Then society will recognize them as true saints with deeply rooted patriotism. Do you think these babblers have a conscience to act in accordance with moral principles rather than manipulating public sentiment cynically? Let’s just talk about a few of the dozens who appeared on one stage yesterday. 

Former President Maithripala Sirisena is an absolute crook in the fullest sense of the word. Subsequently, defeating the Rajapaksa government in a collective effort in 2015, this politician had the fortune to initiate the right solutions to many of the chronic predicaments facing Sri Lanka. He was widely acclaimed as a national leader not only locally but also abroad. But shortly after coming to power, he focused on increasing the wealth of his family. He did not give priority to any national issue but abused the power with impunity to the extent he could. Mr Sirisena, a key culprit responsible for the current crisis in the country, has always been adept at placing the responsibility on someone else's shoulders. It would be amazing if anyone could even dream that he could lead a country in the right direction. Does he think that the people of this country are cowards enough to give him back political power again?

The other noted person who was on the stage yesterday is Reverent Athuraliye Rathana, a Buddhist monk. Everyone knows about the damage caused to the country by this stinking cancer disguised as a human being which is a disgrace to Buddhism. It was recently revealed that in addition to the alleged frauds committed over the years, the monk had been converted from a temple into a brothel. He has not yet publicly “preached” that it is untrue. Forget about the country, such opportunists cannot even manage their backyard properly. Unfortunately, the Buddhist temple, the backbone of the nation, has to pay for their sins.

The other two individuals are Weerawansa and Gammanpila, unprincipled political merchants known for selling pseudo patriotism. These two indeed played a significant role in the formation of the present government. Not for the love of that country but their political existence. They were appointed to two powerful ministries in the country. How have they fulfilled the responsibilities assigned to them? What did these two do to make the government and its leadership successful? Instead of fulfilling its responsibilities, the government and its leadership were criticized at the expense of the government. No other head of state in the world has allowed his ministers to attack his government in this manner. If anyone thinks that these two have a real desire to get the whole country on the right path, there is no other delusion in the world like that. Neither of them believes in it. We should thank President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for giving them so much freedom for so long without expelling them.

Sri Lankan politics has always been a rotten quagmire. Opportunists live in this quagmire, freeing themselves from national responsibility. In this quagmire, the thugs who plunder the resources and opportunities of the country as their property are thriving. How did the people of this country feel yesterday when some of the swindlers in the rotten quagmire boasted that they are ready to lead the country in the right direction on a beautifully decorated stage?  Either they did it on a government contract. If not, they are setting a new trap for their political survival. Whatever the truth or falsity here, the people of the country will not benefit from this gang. Are we not a sinful nation?