The son also rises: Namal Rajapaksa, the president’s eldest son is being groomed for high office
DYNASTIES have to start somewhere. For an aspiring Gandhi in India , or a Bhutto in Pakistan , exploiting the family name to get into politics is relatively simple. Getting a dynasty going in the first place is more testing.
Rajapak-son has some peculiar friends
Sri Lanka’s president since 2005, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is evidently giving the matter some thought. His government is already dominated by several Rajapaksa brothers, including a fierce one, Gotabaya, who oversees defence, and a more nimble-minded one, Basil, who runs economic policy. Now the 65 year-old president, who last month denied a rumour that he was being treated for cancer, is increasingly eager to promote his son, Namal Rajapaksa.
The 24-year-old MP is frequently taken on foreign trips by his father. In January he was dispatched to Libya to deliver a formal invitation for Muammar Qaddafi to visit Sri Lanka , to improve the “strong personal relationship” between the two country’s leaders.
At home excuses are rustled up to keep him in the limelight. Last month he dispensed the man-of-the-match award at Sri Lanka’s opening game of the cricket world cup, which took place in a newly built stadium in—by happy coincidence—his own constituency, Hambantota, in the south of the country. A few days earlier the portly young politician had been shown laying a foundation stone for a new office complex, funded by the Asian Development Bank; just before that he was named chairman of a new fund to protect a forest and an ancient pink quartz mountain range, the National Namal Uyana.
He is on hand to inaugurate new bridges and roads. As the head of a national body, Tharunyata Hetak (“aspiring youth”), he is whisked north—a chopper is usually on call—to dish out cash, books and other aid to victims of the civil war. His group has its own television channel, which shows him doing the dishing. He enjoys fawning—sorry, perceptive—coverage from state press and broadcasters.
His year-long political career has been charmed. His constituency, a Rajapaksa family stronghold since the 1930s, has been chosen as the site of a new international airport, a conference centre, hotels and other big projects. In November he officiated with his father at the opening of a large, Chinese-built harbour in Hambantota. Now young Mr Rajapaksa, charming, London-educated and fond of rugby, is leading a bid for Hambantota to host the 2018 Commonwealth games.
A presidential change will not happen overnight. Mr Rajapaksa père remains popular among the Sinhalese majority for helping to force a decisive, brutal end to a civil war two years ago. He won a thumping re-election last year and has since pushed through constitutional changes that give him more clout and let him seek a third term, probably at an election in 2016. But preparing the son looks to be a form of insurance policy.
The opposition is hoping for a ruling family feud, as the son vies with his uncle to be heir-apparent (Basil had previously been touted as a successor). But Namal’s promotion may suit the whole family. It must fend off accusations that thousands of Tamil Tiger opponents and civilians were massacred at the dreadful climax of the war. Frequent foreign demands for an inquiry, and an attempt by the United Nations to launch one, have soured Western relations with Sri Lanka .
Patching up foreign ties and reconciliation with the aggrieved Tamils are the most important tasks facing Sri Lanka ’s rulers. These are much harder while Mahinda remains the face of government. If the Rajapaksas want a dynasty preserved for many years, preparing the way for a young insider, untainted by any role in the war, could be the family’s canniest strategy. COURTESY: THE ECONOMIST
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What can i say, Mad world of sinhala budhism....
Western governments have no ideology but economic and military interests. In the name of promoting human rights and democracy, western governments had spend and are still spending millions of dollars on journalists and NGOs to corrupt and manipulate leaders of the third world countries into their orbit.
If you want to read about such acts real or comprehended scenarios, then, read ‘the economic hit man’ by John Perkins where, he explained how he colluded with the CIA and compelled South American leaders to do what the US wanted or forced them to bite a bullet in a real life situation.
Increasingly, it looks as if the job of so called western free press is to assist the modern day John Perkins to do their dirty jobs. In my opinion ‘The Economist’ does not lag far behind in this regard. In its latest issue, The Economist point the finger at Mahinda Rajapakse for promoting a dynasty. It says Namal Rajapaksa, the president’s eldest son, is being groomed for high office.
But ‘The Economist’ never raised this ‘dynasty’ bogey when Hilary Clinton, former President Clinton’s wife was aspiring to be a senator or ran for the presidency. Nor have talked about dynastic tendencies when George Bush jr the son of a past president was a governor hopeful or when he was elected President not by popular vote but by court ruling backed by the ecumenical evangelists of the extremist order. What about those Kennedys or Millibands? Were they or not a dynasty? If Economist is genuinely concerned about dynasties, it should have shouted the hell out then.
Now, Mahinda Rajapakse had been the president of Sri Lanka for just six years. Within that six short years, there had been two presidential elections, a general election to elect members to the parliament, number of Provincial Council elections to elect members to nine provincial legislatives, two elections to elect members to numerous local governments. Surely, an aspiring dynastic ruler will not chose to test such a wide range of public support.
These writers do not care about the fact that Mahinda Rajapakse won each and every one of those election held since he was elected to office with an increasing majority. Why? Because he only followed voter friendly policies, brought real peace to Sri Lanka and developed the country equitably. In spite of the recent rise of the cost of essential food items, LG election held yesterday was a land slide win for him.
Majority Sri Lankans know Ranil Wickramasinghe, the opposition leader is a lackey of western governments and its ideology. They suspect western governments are up to mischief in Sri Lanka. If not anything, the sagas of gsp + and war crime aberrations is enough to establish it. UNP hierarchy may not realize it, but that is the main reason for its continued loss.
Surely Western governments should have known very well that Mahinda Rajapakse is ‘not’ a dictator. They must have known Rajapakse is a far better democrat than all their puppet rulers put together. They ought to know Sri Lanka has a better and a vibrant democracy than Iraq and Afghanistan where they wage war to install democracy.
Talking about, dynasties, Western governments are silent about Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Nor do these hypocrites write about Pakistan or India? Have they forgotten that Pakistan present president’s wife and her father had been prime ministers? Do they not know that Rahul Gandhi, the great grandson of the first prime minister of free India is waiting in the wings to be the Prime Minister?
Like in many countries, in Sri Lanka too, politics is the occupation of many families. Not just Rajapakses, there has been very many families engaged in that occupation or business. But not all the families reached the top. Some made a fortune and others lost a fortune. Senanayakes is said to have spend the family fortune for politics whereas President Premadasa is said to have made a fortune for his family.
Present leader of the opposition and former Prime Minister Ranil W is a close relative of the former president Jayawardena. Both mother and father of former president Chandrika K’s were Prime Ministers. But none had established a dynasty. Nor were they blamed for forming a dynasty.
So Why do Westerners get their journalists and NGO writers disseminate Mahinda Rajapakse is about to craft a dynasty? Westerners cannot stand Mahinda Rajapakse for he is a patriot and no puppet of colonials.
Namal, please be careful - control the photographers:
Percy Mahendra Rajapakse’s son Namal Rajapakse’s forcefully grabbed the 400 odd handheld tractors to be distributed to the resettled people by the ICRC in the Vanni and Vavuniya area.
http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2010/10/rajapak-istan-is-in-making.html
I have heard him going to police station witha Pistol in his weist to attend to matter connected with his party supporter. He influenced father to appoint chairman of Youth Council over the choice of the subject Minister Dullas which payed the way for some decent in the mind of the Minister. Other notable thing I heard is that he gave the tractors to the farmers of Vavunia against the list selected by UN officials which brought tears in her eyes of the Lady UN official. I remember how Young Anura got the same treatment during MRS B's time but he failed to become the Head of State although he was senior in the party over his Akki Chandrika who succeeded over Anura. LAte JR could not bring his only son to politics and failing to do so he brought his nephew and later left with us onactive hopeless oposition leader who miserably failed in his duties to the people.This is not new to Sri Lankan Politics.
mad of the middle east meets with young of madamulana..