Udaya Gammanpila, leader of the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya and lawyer, has drawn an ominous parallel between the current vehicle exhibition at the Galle Face Court and similar events held after past political turnovers. At a press conference today (26) at the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya headquarters in Pitakotte, Gammanpila sarcastically remarked that such exhibitions seem to be a precursor to a government’s collapse, referencing both Chandrika Bandaranaike’s administration in 1994 and Maithripala Sirisena’s government in 2015.
The vehicles on display, previously used by the top brass of the former government, have captivated the younger generation. Gammanpila acknowledged the excitement of the youth but pointed out that this enthusiasm is eerily familiar. “We too felt the same thrill when we saw the auto show after Chandrika’s government came to power in 1994,” he quipped, recalling how he and his peers visited the show in person, long before social media amplified such events.
In a tone tinged with sarcasm, Gammanpila said, “I got to see it a third time in 2015 when Sirisena’s government came to power. But after witnessing the fates of both governments, I feel more fear than excitement for this one.”
He reminded the press that Chandrika’s government, after promising to eliminate corruption, went down as the “Chaura Rajina,” while Sirisena’s regime, which vowed to uphold good governance, was soon tainted by the infamous bond scam. “And here we are again,” he remarked, “watching the same spectacle unfold.”
Gammanpila also commented on the practice of auctioning off the vehicles at the end of the show, a move first made in 1994, ostensibly to fill the treasury. However, he noted that it eventually became an excuse to purchase new vehicles. “This batch of cars is already outdated,” he warned. “Vehicles haven’t been imported in five years, so let’s hope they don’t plan on replacing them with brand-new ones this time!”
With biting humor, Gammanpila’s remarks seem to suggest that if history is any indication, the current government might be on a slippery road that could end in the same ditch as its predecessors.
