The unfinished task of securing territorial integrity
The forthcoming election is between supporters of former President Rajapaksa and those who are upset with the very prospect of his return to politics.
The motivations of the two camps are driven by contrasting values.
The values of the first group are such that they are prepared to overlook whatever commissions and omissions that were committed during the Rajapaksa administration for the single most significant contribution made by him – the political will to restore the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. For them the wholeness of the State and personal security are inseparable. For this, their gratitude is timeless and boundless.
On the other hand, the values of the second group are such that they do not see the conclusion of the conflict in terms of restoring the territorial integrity of the State, but in narrow personal terms of eliminating terrorism and making them safe. The safety provided was taken for granted and utilized to discredit and remove from office the very Government that had made them safe. The forthcoming election would essentially determine which value system would prevail.
