Political analysts suggest that the Malimawa government, led by a seemingly bewildered Anura Kumara Dissanayake with no clear plan to revive the nation’s economy, is engaged in a shameless attempt to politically persecute former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cover up its own failures. Specifically, the accusations leveled against Mr. Wickremesinghe regarding his visit to the UK are being viewed as nothing more than political vendetta, with his lawyers having already confirmed the diplomatic nature of the trip via an official invitation letter from the University of Wolverhampton.
The true motive behind this “Ranil hunt” is the abyss the Malimawa government is facing, unable to deliver on the promises made during the election. The government is struggling and clearly stressed by mounting international pressure concerning its secret ties with Venezuela’s alleged drug terrorist, Maduro, the distribution of books containing links to obscene websites to Grade 6 students, and a failed promise to reduce the electricity tariff by 33%, which has now turned into a planned increase of 11.57%. It is evident that the government is promoting a narrative of “imprisoning Ranil” across social media to divert public attention from these serious issues.
However, the government’s repressive approach is proving to be a political boomerang. The persecution targeting Ranil Wickremesinghe has begun to unite previously fragmented opposition groups. Notably, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, led by Sajith Premadasa, is now standing in support of Mr. Wickremesinghe, generating massive public opinion against the government’s political revenge tactics. The move to target Mr. Wickremesinghe, who rescued the country from bankruptcy, while taking no action against the Rajapaksas, indicates that Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration is “crossing the Rubicon,” heading toward irreversible political self-destruction.
It is predicted that this unsuccessful “witch hunt,” which is being carried out to appease hardliners within the party while simultaneously maintaining the neo-liberal economic policies introduced by Mr. Wickremesinghe, will ultimately pave the way for the Malimawa government’s downfall.
