Rajapaksas are anathema in local politics. Not just in local politics, but the Rajapaksas are anathema all-round. The family is political poison except that they pretend they have not got the memo.
For any family to fall this far this fast, is rather amazing. There is no doubt that this was the camp that enjoyed the most political capital enjoyed by any family, not too long ago. But the swift decimation of the Rajapaksa brand came with hubris.
Now it appears that except those who have self-exiled themselves, others in the family are living in la-la land. They seem to labour under the illusion that they have a political future. But there is none seen anywhere near the horizon.
What was the most egregious case of hubris the Rajapaksas were guilty of? First they were complicit in the events that culminated in the ousting of a Sri Lankan president. The cardinal mistake they committed however, was the calculation they made that they can make a comeback after the dust settles on the events of 2022. They thought so because they had lost before, and had made the winners regret it.
But that was on an occasion they were handed a reasonable electoral loss. Mahinda Rajapaksa lost the presidential election in 2015. There was no visceral hatred of the Rajapaksas at that time from among a majority of Sri Lankans, majority being the operative word there.
UNSKILLED But now there is such a visceral hatred. It’s about not being able to fool all the people all the time. Member of Parliament Na.
