Opposition rally and a note to people

The Opposition is planning to host a major rally on November 21. But what is quite obvious is the fact that the opposition seems to be divided on this matter. Namal Rajapaksa recently met with SLFP ministers, and several blue and green party politicians hosted meetings with supporters ahead of the rally. While it is a good thing to have a strong opposition in a democratic state, the Opposition needs to take a more meaningful stance in terms of criticising the government. Constructive criticisms are welcome, but the incumbent government should be given a chance to show its performance over its five-year period. It shouldn’t become a custom to overthrow any regime until another Rajapaksa regime assumes power. While that may seem like a long shot, the blue and green parties also need to list out their priorities first. A rally should be more than just filling a ground for the sake of showing their strength from the number of supporters. Sri Lanka has a culture of attracting supporters with a packet of rice and a bottle of arrack. Sometimes Rs. 5000 is added if there are good sponsors for the party. But people haven’t gained anything by becoming blind followers of various political parties, except getting a job or a school admission in a rare instance. 

Athula Perera 

Malabe