Unbecoming

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who had all this time being patronizing temples to advance his political project has apparently found a novel way to mobilize his supporters. Perhaps discovering that the temple circuit is losing its attraction Rajapaksa, a two time President of this country, the other day was seen taking the bizarre step of declaring open a new road in Attanagalle, the electorate nursed by his bete noire CBK, and what is more, took a child like pleasure in implying this fact. The reason for Rajapaksa's act - the road project was started by his regime. He went on state to the gathering that the present government was opening development projects started by him without doing anything on its own.

We don't know if Rajapaksa chose Attanagalle for his latest crowd mobilization project to throw a challenge to his arch foe. It could also be a display of valour, to send a message to the public that the Rajapaksas are not a spent force. However the former President should take cognizance of the implications of his act. He should realize that by such antics as declaring open roads and culverts the former President of Sri Lanka is making himself the laughing stock before both, the Sri Lankan public and the outside world. He should desist from such demeaning acts, if for nothing else, but to protect the honour and prestige of the exalted office he once held and also the country's reputation. Earlier too roads and culverts were declared open by local government politicians only to see their rivals descend on the scene and claim ownership of the project.

Is Rajapaksa too positioning himself as a local level politician disregarding the honour attached to the office he once held. No former Head of State has acted in this bizarre fashion but carried themselves with dignity and poise, in deference to the high office they once held. The late President Jayewardene was a much sought after After Dinner speaker on his retirement and carried himself with a calm dignity while former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga is a patron of the prestigious Clinton Foundation, a fitting honour accorded to a former Head of State. It is unthinkable that either of them would have come down to the level of declaring open roads and culverts post retirement merely because these projects were commenced under their watch. Perhaps it may be due to the fact that Rajapaksa was the first Executive President to be defeated that he goes about acting the way he does with complete disregard to the office he held. Rajapaksa owes it to the Sri Lankan public, if not himself, to conduct himself as befitting a former President. It is not only the Sri Lanka public who are watching him but the foreign envoys stationed in this country. How would they view a once all powerful Executive President of the country declaring open roads at some street corner? This may be good PR for Rajapaksa, particularly with the constituency he represents, but not for Sri Lanka and her standing.

Be that as it may, what claim does Rajapaksa have on road projects and the like which were after all funded by the taxpayer, like the super highways he built with Chinese loans at six percent interest? The former President should think of alternate ways of mobilizing public support without resorting to the type of gimmicks that the public witnessed the other day. He owes it to himself and the country.

"Terrorism" in Parliament

Tuesday's upheaval in Parliament staged by the so called Joint Opposition where for the first time there was mass hooting by our peoples' representatives, once again demonstrates to what depths the country's supreme legislature had fallen to which even prompted the Deputy Speaker to describe the disruption as an act of terrorism. The Joint Opposition was angry that the Speaker had refused to grant their request to sit as an Independent body in Parliament since he is bound by procedure. He said that the matter was entirely an internal one and should be sorted out within the UPFA itself since they were all elected members of the Alliance. The Joint Opposition is incensed that its members hardly get an opportunity to speak within the limited time allocation and accused the Speaker of dragging on with the matter instead of providing them with a solution. The Speaker on his part conceded that the Joint Opposition had a grievance and promised to sort out the matter.

The Joint Opposition meanwhile has pledged to continue with their protest and there is bound to be similar scenes in Parliament in the future too which once again brings into focus the question of live broadcasting of sittings which have been seized upon by certain members to gain maximum publicity. Hence as contended by the Deputy Speaker acts of "terrorism" is bound to continue in the August Assembly unless some drastic measures are taken to bring to heel unruly members.