prasad1
Active member
As a defeated Mahinda Rajapakse slunk out of Sri Lanka's presidential palace, the astrologer who counselled him to call a disastrous early election was gloomily packing his bags on the other side of town.
"Not all of Nostradamus' predictions have come true either," said Sumanadasa Abeygunawardena as he reflected both on the fate of his vanquished boss and his own reputation as a seer. "There was only so much I could do to help him win, maybe five percent. But you must have luck to be the president." The 63-year-old Abeygunawardena has been avoiding the media since last Thursday's election, his reputation having taken a pounding from veteran leader Rajapakse's defeat to his rival Maithripala Sirisena. During his increasingly authoritarian rule, the president became hugely reliant on his astrologer's counsel and even timed the announcement of the snap election after consulting Abeygunawardena.
Disaster foretold? Sri Lanka ex-president's seer packs bags
"Not all of Nostradamus' predictions have come true either," said Sumanadasa Abeygunawardena as he reflected both on the fate of his vanquished boss and his own reputation as a seer. "There was only so much I could do to help him win, maybe five percent. But you must have luck to be the president." The 63-year-old Abeygunawardena has been avoiding the media since last Thursday's election, his reputation having taken a pounding from veteran leader Rajapakse's defeat to his rival Maithripala Sirisena. During his increasingly authoritarian rule, the president became hugely reliant on his astrologer's counsel and even timed the announcement of the snap election after consulting Abeygunawardena.
Disaster foretold? Sri Lanka ex-president's seer packs bags
