Holding up in each of his hands the road map to El Dorado, Ranil Wickremesinghe described to the media the good times ahead by displaying his latest testament: Powerful Sri Lanka. Soon, he declared, the Hambantota Port Agreement, with the framework agreem

The New Year sparklers came belated but they came nevertheless when both President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe emerged from their sullen corners last week, firing all guns in unison to spray paint their rainbow blue and green.

Rajapaksa’s declaration two weeks ago that he will topple the government this year seems to have finally jolted both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe to lay aside their differences and show a united stance in the face of the common foe.

Even before the sun had set on the national government’s two year reign last Sunday, the loose Rajapaksa comet which threatened to disintegrate their very existence, brought the two leaders out from their seeming complacency to paint the grandiose picture that the brand new dawn they had promised for Lanka was just round the corner and would soon be visible in the aquamarine sky.

After playing the cat and rat game, and pooh-poohing the former president’s pre announced plan to overthrow the people elected government this year with the scorn it deserved, nonchalantly stating that Rajapaksa could do so if he wished while he was away in Switzerland on January 17th enjoying the alpine air, the Prime Minister unveiled his five year plan for Lanka.

Holding up in each of his hands the road map to El Dorado, Ranil Wickremesinghe described to the media the good times ahead by displaying his latest testament: Powerful Sri Lanka. Soon, he declared, the Hambantota Port Agreement, with the framework agreement already signed with the China Merchant Company, would be implemented with a follow-up agreement with the company later.

And that’s only the tip of the sandcastle. Two primary corridors namely the South West Monsoon Corridor and the North Eastern Monsoon Corridor would be set up in this year. Under the South West Corridor he said Kandy, Colombo, Galle, Hambantota and Moneragala will be linked. This would comprise two airports and two ports. The North Eastern Monsoon Corridor would comprise the Tincomalee Harbour. The Tincomalee Port he said would be developed with the assistance of countries such as Japan, India and Singapore.

The icing on the cake will be when ‘Ceylon City’ which is similar to Dubai International Financial Centre, is developed. In addition to this several tourism zones and industrial zones would be developed. And more cities are planned. And though it’s still in the air, the central business district is to get its own Aero City, whilst a Science and Technological City is also on the cards. And neither is the north to be ignored. It will be developed as a special war zone city. The Prime Minister also said the country will go for Free Trade Agreements with China and with India this year. “FTAs would be a key to venture into foreign markets in order to enhance investments,” he said.

And as for the plum, the sweet cherry to crown the cake: “The GDP would be increased while the minimum wages of a Sri Lankan will be increased to US $ 300 a month.”

The whole of last week in fact has been a gala of ceremonial openings heralding the nation’s forward march to a better future. Kicking off the New Year hopes was the foundation stone laying ceremony at the Mahanugalanda estate in Kuliyapitiya to build a motorcar assembly plant where the president and the prime minister both participated. Originally it had been hailed that it was a German Volkswagen project. Had it been so, it would have sparked investor confidence in the nation and boosted more international investments. Unfortunately for the country, it was later revealed that the engine lay not in the front of the chassis but in the boot and that it was nothing more than a local outfit’s attempt at putting four doors together without the Volkswagen insignia on its bonnet.

But no matter. Cars run on wheels and on 5th January the Prime Minister declared open a tyre factory in Horana. Then on January 6th the Prime Minister inaugurated a new factory, a joint venture between locals and a British investor in Koggala set to create 8,000 jobs. As the Prime Minister declared what was most important is that these enterprises will generate jobs for Lanka’s youth. As the prime minister emphasized what was important was the economic benefits that accrued to Lanka in the creation of employment and he spoke against the devils of development who waited to cast their devilry at every turn.

Not to be outdone, President Sirisena was also doing the rounds and giving the assuring finishing touch that all these fancied development schemes will not be at the cost of prostituting state resources.

At the opening of the newly built Rs. 374 million bridge in Dodanwala, Kandy last Friday, he declared: “though new industries and investments are needed for the country, the land will be given according to laws and regulations. Our agreements with countries are very open.”

And, as a parting shot to send a message to the opposite banks and to waylay the Rajapaksa threat to overturn the government’s boat midstream, the president declared: “Though some groups issue statements saying that the Government will be toppled, nobody can put down the current Government. Nobody has the ability to change the Government until a new government is elected in the next election to be held in 2020”.

This week on Wednesday the President commissioned the Moragahakanda Project, the country’s biggest irrigation project next to the Victoria project. It is a project that is close to the president’s heart. Though it had been on the drawing board as part of the Mahaweli Master Plan for decades, it was only in 2007 it got off ground. At the time Sirisena was the Minister in charge, as the Minister for Mahaweli Development, in the Rajapaksa government. Soon afterwards, Rajapaksa attempted to transfer it to his brother Basil, but in the face of Sirisena’s threat to resign relented. But funds were denied to him to proceed with it and work on the project came to a standstill till 2010 when