Why Mahinda lost....... quote from first editorial of Daily News (lake house) after the election. After he received another mandate from the people in January 2010. The end of the war and his subsequent re-election presented a golden opportunity for him to achieve reconciliation and become a statesman. Instead, he chose a path of self-destruction, starting with the jailing on spurious charges of General Fonseka, his rival at the Presidential Election. He showed his dictatorial tendencies by getting the 18th Amendment (which removed presidential term limits) passed and repealing all the Independent Commissions enacted through the 17th Amendment, perhaps the most progressive piece of legislation in our post-independence history. He spent public funds and loans obtained on commercial interest rates on totally useless projects such as the Mattala Airport. While expressways are essential for a developing country, transport experts have exposed a massive quantum of corruption in awarding contracts for these projects. Law and order went down the drain under his watch and one could literally get away with murder if close to the top. The Chief Justice was impeached on flimsy grounds for giving a verdict against the Divineguma Bill. Nepotism was rife with three of his brothers holding keys positions in Government. He developed a total disregard for public opinion and even the advice of the Maha Sangha - the holding of night races in the sacred city of Kandy is a case in point. Media outlets and personnel were intimidated and attacked if they did not toe the Government line. The very fact that the election was held on the sixth anniversary of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickramatunga’s killing was not lost on voters.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 21:03:38 +0000
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