brand logo

Much ado about Gota’s return

07 Sep 2022

  • Various views of the public on the return of an ousted leader
BY Sumudu Chamara   Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s return to Sri Lanka, after his resignation and departure in July, is making national headlines, with both opposition to and support for him. Speculation is rife that he would be given some position within the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and may even be allowed to enter the Parliament through the SLPP National List.  This is in a context where several Governing Party members have reportedly stated that Rajapaksa deserves a certain place in Sri Lanka’s politics, with SLPP MP Seetha Arambepola even publicly offering to give up her National List Parliamentary Seat in the event Rajapaksa decides to enter Parliament as an MP. To understand public sentiments about Rajapaksa’s return to Sri Lanka and a possible return to politics, The Morning spoke to several citizens and professionals from diverse fields. Many who spoke with The Morning opined that even though every citizen should have a right to return to their motherland, whether Rajapaksa has a moral right to do so is a question, given what they referred to as Rajapaksa’s “anti-national” decisions as President. Several of them added that celebrating Rajapaksa’s return is a disgraceful act.  “I saw photos of several politicians welcoming Rajapaksa back. I do not understand what is there to be happy about. If we, as a nation, celebrate the arrival of a person who set in motion events that put the country in its worst economic crisis, that poses a serious question about the level of our intelligence,” said 38-year-old private sector worker Malaka Jayakumara*. “When public representatives welcome the person who turned the people’s lives into a living hell, we also have to question whether they truly represent the people’s interests.” He added that the case of Rajapaksa’s return being celebrated is just another example of how easily people forget incidents from which they should have learnt a lesson.  He added: “I saw that even working-class, ordinary people, who happen to be SLPP and Rajapaksa supporters, have expressed happiness regarding Rajapaksa’s return. I cannot believe how easily the people have forgotten who put them through the economic hardships that they are going through, especially when the economic crisis is still ongoing and is worsening. These are normal people, who are suffering from the economic crisis. This, I think, is one of the reasons why there is no hope for Sri Lanka. We do not learn a lesson from even the biggest of mistakes.” Meanwhile, 29 -year-old entrepreneur Ishara Wanidu Kumari* charged that Rajapaksa’s return could not have been prevented due to Rajapaksa not having been officially exiled, but that the latter would go into self-exile had he any form of self-respect.  “Rajapaksa claimed to be the saviour that the country needed when he ran for the Presidency. Within just three years, he proved that he was not. The Government MPs say that Rajapaksa resigned, but in reality, he was rejected and deposed by the people, including his own voters. Those MPs also say that Rajapaksa left the country, but what actually happened was that he fled the country in a disgraceful manner that is not suitable for a President.  “In this context, even though he was not legally exiled, if he actually is a military man with dignity, he should have realised how much the country dislikes him and should not have returned. He is not welcome here. Nobody wants him here except his political lackeys in Parliament and a handful of unintelligent voters.” She further said that Rajapaksa should not expect to be treated like before, as he has lost the public’s trust.  “If Rajapaksa is going to live in Sri Lanka, he will have to live in a bunker or a mansion, because the people affected by the economic crisis would not like to even see him.” Meanwhile, some said that Rajapaksa should be held accountable for some of the decisions he made as the President, which they said have resulted in the economic crisis. This, according to 55-year-old businessman Ananda Perera*, should be a priority as Rajapaksa is no longer entitled to Presidential immunity.  “I think that it is good that he returned. Since he is no longer the President, I think that there is no legal barrier to taking legal action against him for what he did to the country. He should be held accountable for his decisions, such as the massive tax rate cuts and the organic fertiliser policy, which have a lot to do with the economic hardships that the people are currently going through. Someone should come forward and initiate legal action against these crimes. Although they may not be crimes according to the written laws, in reality, they are crimes against an entire country.”  When queried about who should take this initiative, he opined that every citizen who is affected by the economic crisis has a moral obligation to demand that Rajapaksa be held accountable for the said actions.  “I am not saying that he would be punished in a court of law. I am merely saying that he should be punished by the court of public opinion. But even if nothing significant can be expected to happen, I think that it is important that those who have the ability demand legal action against Rajapaksa.  “Even if legal action is taken, I highly doubt that we could get justice in a country like Sri Lanka, where politicians and powerful figures almost always get away with their wrongdoings. I seriously do not think that the Rajapaksa family will ever see the inside of a prison cell in Sri Lanka. In addition, political decisions, regardless of how short-sighted or dangerous they are, are generally treated as actions for which the decision-maker cannot be held accountable.”   Should Rajapaksa join active politics?   The Morning also discussed what the people think of the possibility of Rajapaksa returning to active politics, regarding which many expressed displeasure. While some questioned Rajapaksa’s competence as a politician, some opined that at a time when the country is in need of massive change in the political arena, failed politicians should not be allowed to re-enter politics. In this regard, Jayakumara said that allowing Rajapaksa to enter Parliament is not a good precedent to set, even though it is likely that this will happen. He added: “We cannot possibly expect a majority of the elected politicians to make decisions for the country, even though that is their primary duty. If they make decisions that are beneficial to the country, most of the time, it is because it resonates with their political or personal agendas. That is the tragic reality in many cases, including in the case of Rajapaksa.  “Very soon, Rajapaksa will get some position in the SLPP or even in Parliament as a National List MP. The so-called public representatives we have sent to Parliament will support it, disregarding the interests of their voters. If we are unfortunate enough, Rajapaksa may even be elected to Parliament. Given the history of clueless voters’ political decisions, that is a possibility that we cannot rule out. We are good at making bad decisions at elections and blaming politicians for that.”  He added that in a context where Rajapaksa has not succeeded as a President, giving him a position in active politics is a foolish move.  “This should have happened before electing Rajapaksa as President. He came from the US, contested, and got elected to the most powerful position in the country. That is not how it is supposed to be. If he truly wanted to serve the country, and if the SLPP truly wanted to field a Presidential candidate that can save the country, Rajapaksa should have started from the grassroots level, not as the President. Now that he has served in the most powerful position in the country, and has failed as a leader and has failed the country, I do not think that he should have a future in politics.” Forty-one-year-old architect Y.A.A. Amaraweera* also expressed similar ideas regarding Rajapaksa’s competence.  “He failed as no other Sri Lankan President has. He brought this disaster on the people. Why should he be given another chance in politics? That would be one of the most foolish things the people can do if he decides to contest in an Election, and one of the most anti-democratic and selfish things that politicians can do, if he is given a National List MP post.” Adding that Rajapaksa’s tenure contained perhaps the biggest lesson Sri Lanka needs to learn when it comes to making prudent political decisions, he explained: “If Rajapaksa was anything, that is a mistake, and if he can be anything, that is a lesson. He failed in making judicious decisions for the country. Politicians should learn from it. He proved to not be the fearless leader he claimed to be. The people should learn from it. As long as we do not learn from our mistakes, we will have to suffer the same consequences. I think that the damage Rajapaksa – who was promoted as the saviour, system changer, and public official who was going to change the country’s corrupt political culture – did to the country is the biggest lesson that the country’s voters received in order to learn the lesson they did not learn for decades.” However, 30-year-old private sector worker P.B. Amaranayake* said that Rajapaksa should be given an opportunity to grow to be a successful politician, because he was not the creator of the economic crisis.  “He made his mistakes, and he tried his best to reverse them. This is not the first time that politicians made wrong decisions while trying to do good things for the country. Rajapaksa’s case was highlighted due to the magnitude of the economic crisis. Now that he has returned, I think that we should give him a chance to help save the country from economic decline.” Amaranayake opined that it is unfair to blame Rajapaksa alone for the economic crisis. “If you think rationally, the economic crisis is not a result of only Rajapaksa’s decisions. This crisis has been developing for a long time, and the decisions made by previous governments had weakened the economy to a great degree. Unfortunately, Rajapaksa was elected at the wrong time. As soon as he became President, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, and it marked the start of the economic crisis. I am not saying that he is not responsible at all for the economic collapse. I am merely saying that he is not the only person that should be held accountable.”  He added that taking into account the above justification, the country should give Rajapaksa a chance to become a productive politician. Even though Rajapaksa has not made any notable political move since his return, given his political background and Sri Lanka’s political culture, there is a high chance that he would enter politics again. However, at a time when the people are going through great difficulties due to the economic crisis for which Rajapaksa is widely blamed, it is doubtful whether he would receive public support if he decides to contest an election. However, it is too early to assume what will become of Rajapaksa’s political career.


More News..