Hanging
on till the bitter end!
Now with the new government in power and in place - it is astonishing
the number of political appointees of the former regime who are
wooing the new players. With bulath kolay in hand, these Colombo-centric
elite were in a mad scramble to know who will be Minister of the
subject in which they function. They were contacting friends and
relations of the new powers-that-be and knocking on their doors
even before they could take their oaths. The worst culprits were
those who worked hard for the old regime to remain in office.
They
have refused to budge with the defeat. They would rather get the
boot than leave gracefully. It's not a new phenomenon in Sri Lankan
politics. But this lot probably took a leaf from the former Cabinet.
Despite the ignominy of getting sacked one by one, and then having
their government sacked, the Cabinet of Ministers stayed on till
the bitter end, didn't they.
Cloak
of secrecy over appointments
Prospective Ministers were no better and they were all
busy trying to make an impression so they would find a place in
the new Cabinet. Hence the selection process was done under a cloak
of secrecy and President's House where the all-important task was
underway was declared "out of bounds" to the prospective
job seekers.
Onlookers
couldn't help but notice the sullen faces of many a newly elected
UPFA MP walking out of the premises.
Swift
response
On Friday night former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
spent some time at the reception to bid farewell to the outgoing
head of the Reuters news agency. The recently concluded elections
was an inevitable topic of conversation at the reception.
'So
you lost the elections' one of them told Mr. Wickremesinghe and
the reply from the ex-premier was swift. 'Yes I lost the elections,
but the President has lost her party', was the response.
Bhikkus
the stars
In the post election frenzy, the bhikkus of the Jathika
Hela Urumaya (JHU) have become the new media stars with journalists
of all shades lining up to interview them. Among the scribes are
some from the state media who were all out to tarnish the image
of the monks prior to the election but all that seems to be forgotten
after their unexpectedly strong showing at the polls. And now more
than other politicians, it is the bhikkus who have become the media
favourites, robes and all. |
