We want our leader to be more decisive and firm

Asimple man was elected to the highest office in the land with much fanfare and limitless hope. The past six months have more or less proved to Citizen Perera that the voter can indeed be led up the garden path with a multitude of promises. Has the man walked the talk? We think not!

Granted, he means well, but do we really need another well meaning leader with just rhetoric at this juncture? Look at the record thus far. Has he not shown time and again that he is just another party loyalist just hell-bent on gluing his beloved SLFP together? He’s been on record over and over, singing the praises of the Bandaranaikes (anyone read the pamphlet in the vernacular which he issued in the run-up to the presidential election? Have a read if you can get your hands on a copy). Party is all he is interested in, and now he has fallen between two stools.

Where is the walk in his talk? Corruption he screamed! Have there been tangible results in his fight against it? He claims he ‘requested’ RW that he suspends the CB Governor over the bond scam. Should he not have ‘insisted’ on it instead?

The appointment of the Prime Minister and the installing of a minority government have also backfired on him. The perception was that he was traitorous to his party. Seemingly, the desired crossovers to his cause did not materialize as promised [or expected]. Admittedly, the man cannot be faulted on that but it is clear that he was not able to get his fellow colleagues to deliver.

The appointment of certain ministers has not gone down too well either. If he showed a bit of gumption, he could have done better in bringing in fresh faces – men of some integrity. Activation of the Press Council, suppression of the COPE report, etc did not help either.

It is obvious that he is busy trying to please everybody. Please sir, we want our leader to be more decisive, firm, and unwavering. Look over your shoulder. Can you not see the wolf coming?

We should collectively hope that the UPFA will not get the two-thirds majority that they are cock-a-hoop about. If they do, any bets on fast-tracked constitutional amendments? Much work is needed in the rural areas to educate the masses even at this late stage if that were possible. No point in preaching to the converted in Colombo! Ainsley de Silva

Kohuwala