Colombo: The rumour mill is working overtime in Sri Lanka. A journalist in the national capital Colombo told me that the President Rajapaksa family had kept a big private aircraft ready at Ratmalana airport, south of Colombo to flee the country, if he loses the Presidential election on Thursday. But, he adds that it is just a rumour and there is no way he can give a proof. With supreme confidence he said "whether they have kept an aircraft ready or not. If Rajapaksa loses, his family will have to run away from the country. They will face jail for looting the island with impunity".
A major Sri Lankan newspaper 'Sunday Observer' has a screaming headline attacking the common candidate of the opposition Maithripala Sirisena. It calls him a traitor and claims that he has already got the Visas of some European nations and will flee the moment election results are declared.
It reflects the tense moments the country is going through ever since Mahinda Rajapaksa advanced the Presidential election by two years, hoping that he can trump the opposition. But the opposition led by former President and Rajapaksa's mentor Chandrika Kumaratunga, former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and Sri Lanka's most famous Cricketer and MP Arjuna Ranatunga shocked him by fielding his own trusted agriculture minister Maithripala Sirisena against him.
After the election campaigning started across the island, Rajapaksa realized that he did a huge mistake by advancing the election and underestimating the influence of the resurgent opposition.
There have been dozens of defections from the ruling SLFP to the opposition camp after the election was declared. The influential Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) also defected to the opposition. The Tamil National Alliance is also fully backing the candidature of Sirisena.
Rajapaksa is left only with the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), a party of the up-country, tea estate workers, who are from India.
Rajapaksa family's alleged rampant corruption, arrogance and high handedness are working against him in a big way. According to Arjuna Ranatunga, who has declared an open war on Rajapaksa, there are 32 Rajapaksas in the government. He said "every country has a President. But, in Sri Lanka, the President has a country".
Rajapaksa was banking on his Simhala nationalism identity to win the election for the unprecedented straight third term. But, his friend turned foe Sirisena is also using the same Simhala card. Like Rajapaksa, he is also from rural background and is considered a strong Simhala Buddhist leader. Humble, non-corrupt and accessible Sirisena has been able to dent the prospects of Rajapaksa by uniting the opposition and almost hijacking his Simhala card.
Sirisena is from Polonnaruwa, an ancient town in north central Sri Lanka. He is from agriculture background. He has promised the people of Sri Lanka that he will be a pro-farmer leader. Rajapaksa is also from rural background. But, his family has embraced corporate culture over the years alienating the traditional vote bank.
The Muslims and the Tamils together have 26 per cent votes. Both are opposing Rajapaksa and backing Sirisena. Muslims allege that the attacks on them by some thuggish elements among the Buddhists have the tacit support of Rajapaksa. Tamils allege that Rajapaksa has failed to win their confidence and he should be defeated for the alleged war crimes committed during the last phase Eelam war.
It is a fact that Rajapaksa won the impossible war against the LTTE and put the island nation back on tracks. In the last five years since the war ended, Sri Lanka has seen a huge development.
The island has got best roads, electricity, water supply, Railways, lot of foreign investment, real estate boom etc. But, it has also led to the rise of unemployment, economic disparity, social and economic tensions across the nation. Naturally, these sections are angry with his rule.
Some SLFP leaders also want to see his back. They are angry over the interference of Rajapaksa family in everything.
There has been a total silence across the island since the December beginning. People fear that either way, there will be a lot of political tension after the results. If Rajapaksa retains power, he will surely take on the united opposition by trying to jail many of them. If he loses, the opposition will be forced to act against his family members and close associates.
If Rajapaksa loses, it will be the end his regime. Because, the Sirisena camp has already promised to end the executive presidency and limit the terms of the President. He can't stage a comeback. He is also 69 years old and may not be able to hold his party together.
If Rajapaksa wins once again, his family will continue to rule the tear shaped island nation with an iron fist.
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