Srilankan Parliament Of Monkeys !

The title does not use the term parliament as a collective noun for monkeys, because that noun is reserved for ants. It is employed here to describe the hopping nbehaviour of many among the 225 to jump side and rushing to rally behind the newly appointed and anointed non-elected Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW), (who has been bestowed with a new surname, Rajapaksa, for emerging as saviour of disgraced Rajapaksas). RW and his retinue of supporters had advertised their new role as patriotic and to save the nation from its state sponsored economic disaster. While outside the parliament, aragalaya is clamouring, with nationwide support and amidst numerous sacrifices, for a systemic change in political governance and the economy, inside the legislature these side-swayers are desperate to protect the status quo, because once the system is allowed to change there would be no hope for many of them to return to this assembly.

But will this interim government bring political stability? The man who is the primary cause for the economic ruin and on whom people have lost confidence is hiding behind the constitution and continuing as an autocratic president. Aragalaya demands him to step down. At least a couple of party leaders in the opposition had declared that they would not, on principle, join RW’s interim government as long as GR remains in that position. In the meantime, the ousted Prime Minister, who should have been arrested by now for his role in the recent violence, is under state protection at tax payer expense. Aragalaya also demands that all five Rajapaksas including the President brought to trial and made accountable for their collective loot. According to one anonymous source, the total value of the Rajapaksa clan’s wealth amounts to a staggering LKR 1,050,000,000,000,000. Even if 10% of it were to be proved true that amount is colossal. RW, having sanctimoniously declared support to aragalaya is keeping silent on these core demands. In presenting the dire situation of the economy in a televised address he said that, “my goal and dedication is not to save an individual, a family or a party. My objective is to save all the people of this country and the future of our younger generation”. These are laudable sentiments. But the fact of the matter is he was chosen and appointed by an individual, anointed by his clan and supported by its party. Are we to believe that he will not be obliged to show gratitude to his promoters? Already in parliament, TNA MP Sumanthiran exposed RW’s turncoat behaviour for not supporting the censure motion against the president to which the premier had promised support when in opposition. Thus, the current political stability is artificial and transitory. Moreover, whatever the stability inside the parliament it does not translate into stability outside. As long as there is a “disconnect between Ranil’s premiership and sovereign people” political stability is not guaranteed.