THE LAST HURRAH “People are not expecting the old politics from us. They expect us to work together. Now that the election is over, we have to end this division.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a short speech at the conclusion of the election held by parliamentarians on 20 July. It is an open secret – at long last, and thanks to the aragalaya – that our politicians have led this country to a state of failure, and hypocrisy, hooliganism, thuggery, horse trading and daylight robbery have taken the nation and its people down a rocky road that leads to hell; a paradise lost not only by the actions of politicians but because the people have continued to vote for them. Ironically therefore, the 225 men and women elected by the people were constitutionally bound to vote for a new head of state, despite the call by a majority of protesters for all of them to ‘go home.’ So due process has been followed, a new president has been elected and at the time of going to print, there seems to be a consensus of sorts that the short-term goal should be to unite in order to navigate the sinking ship to safer waters. For that, we need to see an end to the unending queues, the fuel and gas mafia, power cuts and more. We also need not only an IMF bailout package but bridging finance, aid and foreign exchange, together with a stable currency and a cap on runaway inflation. And given the call of the people, the newly appointed president will have to convince us that meaningful action is being taken to address corruption. This, let it be said, is his last chance – as it is for the 225 others who have failed us. If he and they fail to unite and save our precious nation, the next aragalaya will surely be about calling elections to replace all of them. As for the aragalaya, let it be said that there is no excuse for violence and the rule of law must prevail – that is not negotiable.