By KASSAPA
The drama went according to script, at least initially. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s final speech at Temple Trees betrayed the fact that he didn’t wish to resign honourably. If he did, all he had to do was to send in his resignation letter to his brother, without engaging in these antics.
Instead, he made a rabble-rousing speech sending the gathered crowd into a frenzy, saying he stood ‘first for the motherland, second for the motherland and third for the motherland’. He then asked them, ‘should I resign’ to which they overwhelmingly said he should stay on. He then smiled, said ‘Jayaweva’ and left. Adding to this was a fiery speech by Johnston Fernando who spoke of demolishing ‘GotaGoGama’. The message was loud and clear and had been heard by the faithful who set about their task.
The resignation of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is best captured in the pithy Sinhala idiom, ‘yana yakaa koraheth bindagena giya wageyi’ or ‘the departing devil wreaks havoc when he leaves’.
Twice elected President and appointed four times Prime Minister, the departure of Mahinda Rajapaksa, under ‘normal’ circumstances, would have marked the end of an era in Sri Lankan politics. However, it was not ‘normal’ by any stretch of the imagination.
To begin with, Rajapaksa never intended to resign on Monday, despite the wide pre-publicity generated by the leaked or planted reports that suggested his resignation. That was the work of the faction within the government which wanted to preserve Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency by sacrificing Mahinda Rajapaksa’s premiership.
Then, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s departure cannot be properly set in context because brother Gotabaya’s rule as President continues, if only hanging perilously by the thinnest of threads and therefore, the ‘Rajapaksa regime’ continues, for all intents and purposes, despite the exit of its most infamous son.
The events of the past few days merit review if only because they are a reflection of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s political style. If any proof was needed that his aim was to remain in power at whatever cost, that became obvious last week.
When stories were planted over the weekend in media outlets citing a cabinet meeting where Mahinda Rajapaksa was allegedly told by younger brother Gotabaya that he should step down and predicting this would happen on Monday, he responded in typical Mahinda Rajapaksa style.
On Sunday, he toured Anuradhapura, visiting the Sri Maha Bodhi, Ruwanveliseya and Mirisawetiya. At some of these sites, he was hooted and heckled but he remained tight lipped, conveying no indication as to whether he would resign or not.
Meanwhile in Colombo, preparations were underway to summon local councillors of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to Temple Trees on Monday. This segment of elected representatives form the grassroots layer of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s support base and consists mostly of individuals blindly and fiercely loyal to their ‘Master’, who would do his bidding, no questions asked.
The stage was being set for one final gesture at telling the country what an astute and street-smart politician Mahinda Rajapaksa was, way ahead of his peers in calculating political strategy. The thinking was that, with a rousing endorsement from the local council representatives and a few selected ministers and MPs, Mahinda Rajapaksa would bow to the ‘wish of the people’ as he saw it, and not resign.
At the same time, the cronies of the elected representatives, armed with makeshift weapons, would be unleashed first on ‘MynahGoGama’ and then “GotaGoGama’. If all went well, these would be demolished, the ‘aragalaya’ or the campaign to oust the Rajapaksas would fizzle out and Mahinda Rajapaksa could continue as Prime Minister. Police and military co-operation would have been required for such a scenario and, judging by what transpired, that seemed to have been obtained!
The drama went according to script, at least initially. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s final speech at Temple Trees betrayed the fact that he didn’t wish to resign honourably. If he did, all he had to do was to send in his resignation letter to his brother, without engaging in these antics.
Instead, he made a rabble-rousing speech sending the gathered crowd into a frenzy, saying he stood ‘first for the motherland, second for the motherland and third for the motherland’. He then asked them, ‘should I resign’ to which they overwhelmingly said he should stay on. He then smiled, said ‘Jayaweva’ and left. Adding to this was a fiery speech by Johnston Fernando who spoke of demolishing ‘GotaGoGama’. The message was loud and clear and had been heard by the faithful who set about their task.
Where Mahinda Rajapaksa erred was in calculating the ending of this saga. What was expected to be a swift demolition of ‘GotaGoGama’ turned into a nightmare for him: citizens doing a normal days’ work in banks, hospitals, nearby hotels, businesses and government offices, rushed in their thousands towards GotaGoGama. Word went around quickly and social media and even mainstream media was at hand to ‘live stream’ what was unfolding at Galle Face. The focus of attention was simply too much for the goons to complete their demolition job. Paradoxically, enraged citizens targeted the local councillors and their acolytes to give them a taste of their own medicine.
All this had the net effect of people taking to the streets in town and cities throughout the country, protesting against the Rajapaksas. In the melee, some unruly elements, revelling in the mob mentality, damaged vehicles and homes of those affiliated to the Rajapaksas. Whether this too was organised and if so by whom and to what purpose is a question to ponder.
Nevertheless, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s final gamble had failed spectacularly. Crowds lay siege on Temple Trees on Monday night and he had to be rescued in a special operation with the assistance of special forces and taken to safety. One shudders at what could have been his fate had the crowds gained access to him.
At the time of writing, it is reported that Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family has been flown to the Naval Base in Trincomalee to ensure his safety. Namal Rajapaksa has spoken to a news agency to say his father would never leave the country. It remains to be seen whether that choice is available to Mahinda Rajapaksa.
In a sense, it is a sad end to what could have been a statesmanlike political career. Had Mahinda Rajapaksa taken his leave after completing two terms in 2015, he would forever be remembered as the man who saved the nation from terrorism. Today, he has to save himself from the nation instead.
Meanwhile, brother Gotabaya, who maintained a deafening silence for two days, addressed the nation on Wednesday night saying he would summon Parliament and appoint a new prime Minister and Cabinet. He also said the new government could consider abolishing the Executive Presidency.
The problem with that statement is that Gotabaya Rajapaksa has reversed so many of his decisions that no one is willing to take his word for it. In fact, many would rather believe he is still writing the script for the next episode of this saga that aims to keep the Rajapaksas enshrined in power forever.
