Kurunegala politics
By Maneshka Borham in Daily FT, 21 March 2023
Freedom People’s Congress member MP Dr. Charitha Herath has accused former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa of leading the efforts of destroying the great tradition of respectable politics in the Kurunegala district. Attending a rally in the Polgahawela electorate yesterday, Herath said leaders that moved to Kurunegala from Hambantota have helped bring down the levels of its politics to criminality, thuggery and hooliganism.
Addressing those gathered, Herath said Kurunegala was once an important centre for Sri Lankan politics. “The best politicians of the UNP were from here. Respected politicians such as M.D. Banda, Iriyagolla, Welagedara, Wanninayake and Jayathilake began their political careers in the UNP here. Old-world politicians such as SLFP’s Jaya Pathirana, S.B. Nawinna, Tissa Balalla, Samarasinghe and Wickramasinghe also had their start in this district. However, it is unfortunate to note that this great tradition of respectable politics in the district was demolished under the leadership of Mahinda Rajapaksa,” he said.
The MP said the people of not just the Kurunegala district but across the island have lost their faith in politics as a result of these acts. “Since 2015 Sri Lanka has been experiencing a political whirlwind. The middle class who voted for Mathripala in 2015, the professionals who voted for Gotabaya in 2019 and the youth who took to the streets to oust him in 2022 portray the status of this whirlwind. We must understand this,” he said, adding that the country is seeking a new form of politics. He said what they seek is not Ranil Wickremesinghe’s extreme right-wing politics or the familial politics of the Rajapaksa clan or even the romantic revolutions proposed by others. The MP said the question is if the politicians are now prepared to respond to these new calls.
https://www.ft.lk/news/Charitha-Herath-accuses-Mahinda-Rajapaksa-of-bringing-criminality-thuggery-and-hooliganism-to-Kurunegala-politics/56-746560
