President Loses His Cool

President Loses His Cool

What could be bugging Mahinda Rajapaksa?

By Munza Mushtaq in Kandy

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been known for his friendly and supposedly down to earth nature, but during a meeting with representatives of several English and Tamil language newspapers, his usually charming traits made a quick vanishing act as journalists prodded him with questions resulting in the President replying the journalists in the most unfriendliest of tones.

Probably due to election stress, the President who in the past was often known to greet journalists individually when invited for similar meetings, neglected his usual greeting style except for a nonchalant nod at most of the newspaper representatives who were present at the Kandy meeting.

The visiting journalists were however hosted to a very lavish breakfast which was nothing short of five star standards.

Despite the obvious apprehensive characteristics on his face, the President attempted to elicit self confidence during a 45-minute long interaction with the Editors and News Editors of several weekend English and Tamil language newspapers on Wednesday (20), where he declared his confidence of being re-elected for a second term as the Head of State of Sri Lanka during Tuesday’s (26) presidential election.

When questioned about his chances at this week’s election, a laughing President pointing at his face queried, “Cant you see my face? See, I am very confident of winning Tuesday’s election and I am also certain I will win by a very comfortable margin, not a slim margin but a very comfortable margin,” an optimistic Rajapaksa announced.

Despite mounting criticism on his massive cabinet of ministers, the President said that this was not an issue that needed to be addressed during a presidential election but will be looked into during the parliamentary elections.

Continuing to stress over the victory against the LTTE, Rajapaksa insisted that he will not allow the country to be broken and will ensure that terrorism will not raise its ugly head again in Sri Lanka.

Stylishly hornswoggling his way during questions over allegations that most of his relatives were holding top positions in important establishments, the President blamed the situation on having a large number of relatives including those from minority communities and cited that because Sri Lanka was a small country it meant everyone was related in one way or the other.

Rajapaksa however claimed that he at no point gave anyone any preference and that most of those who were in high position are in politics and they have been selected to such positions by the people.

“I have relatives all over, including in Jaffna and Akurana. I have so many relatives, even Hameed and Nadesan are my relations. If you tell me your name I will be able to find out our relationship,” Rajapaksa told the journalist on a lighter note.

He emphasized that the most vital priority now was to resettle the displaced persons before finding a political solution to the Tamil problem which he termed as a mere ‘slogan’ used by some politicians and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for their individual benefits.

“What do the people in Jaffna and in those displaced camps want? What they want now is a decent house, lights, water, roads, and a job. Priority is to resettle these people in houses in a decent environment with basic facilities,” Rajapaksa said.

He said that a timeline cannot be given as to when a political solution to the Tamil problem will be put forward but said it will be done as soon as possible and will be solved during his tenure as President while maintaining that he will not let this issue go unsolved after his term in office.

Commenting on the Tamil National Alliance’s (TNA) decision to support common opposition presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka, President Rajapaksa said that he was not the kind who would lie for the sake of elections and merely to garner support from any group.

According to him, the TNA had requested for the dismantling of High Security Zones, merging of the North and East Provinces and removing of army camps from the north.

“I refused to these demands, I won’t cheat people for the sake of winning,” he claimed.

The President also found fault with the opposition for failing to name their nominees to the independent commissions which is required to implement the 17th Amendment to the Constitution.

He claimed that although the opposition had given a name, members from the same political party had protested against the nomination citing that the nominee was working in parliament which amounts to conflict of interest.

When the President was repeatedly questioned who those were who protested, he declined to divulge any names but maintained that due to such a situation he couldn’t go ahead with implementing this amendment.

During the meeting he also voiced his strong disapproval of the 17th Amendment.

Rajapaksa also stressed that if Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake retires after this week’s elections, then steps would be taken to change the constitution and make a new appointment.

When questioned about allegations of large scale corruption, dictatorship and misuse of power, an angry President retorted that there was no such thing in the country but certain persons were trying to falsely show the international community that such a situation exists in Sri Lanka.

“What you’ll are trying to do is to get together and show something that really doesn’t exist. This is what these NGOs and their henchmen are trying to do, because they know I am going to win the election and they can’t bear it. I am not the dictator, it is Fonseka who is the dictator,” an angry Rajapaksa declared.

He claimed that Fonseka, who is his main challenger did not even know how to talk at press conferences and interviews and used slang language and spoke in the way only dictators in the likes of Idi Amin did.

“What misuse of power are you’ll talking that I have committed? There is no misuse of power. Look who is misusing it, look at Fonseka, he is the one who is misusing it. Whose vehicle is he travelling in?” the angry President questioned.

The President was then further infuriated when an Editor of an English language newspaper pointed out the killings of opposition supporters during the run up to the elections.

Rajapaksa insisted that the 60 year old woman who was killed in Tangalle was not a UNP supporter but a Sri Lanka Freedom Party Supporter.

“If you don’t know, don’t talk. Go read the papers and get your story right,” the President said in a very unfriendly tone.

“That woman was mine, my photo was in her house,” Rajapaksa insisted.

He also questioned as to why the journalist was only querying about the killing of the elderly woman and why no one was talking about UNP member Ranga Bandara allegedly going around shooting his (President’s) party supporters.

He accused some papers of being biased and not even carrying anything on the slaying of one of his local politicians. “Everyone is pointing their fingers at us, but we are the ones who are being hammered, we haven’t started attacking anyone,” he claimed.

In conclusion when the issue of the President reportedly inviting public servants and giving them a meal was raised at the meeting in an attempt to garner their support on his behalf, the President went into yet another frenzy insisting that no law can prevent him from giving a meal to someone who comes to his house and as it was his money he could do anything with it. He insisted that he did not feed the public servants but he merely provided food to anyone who called on him.

“We are from the village, we share. We are not the kind from Colombo 7, who hide and eat. No one can tell me anything if I feed them with my money,” Rajapaksa insisted.

At one point, the President who was apparently infuriated by certain questions and was speaking to an editor in a highly raised voice was silently advised to ‘calm down’ by one of his associates.

The President obviously later realised his unpleasant outburst had not gone down too well and was seen in an act of damage control by going up to the editor and patting him on his back and saying ‘it was nothing personal, nor did I speak out of anger.’

http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2010/01/24/president-loses-his-cool/