Features

Will there be an October Surprise to sway the 2024 election?

Published

1 year ago

2024/10/6

by Vijaya Chandrasoma

An October Surprise is defined as “an unexpected political event or revelation in the month before a presidential election, especially one that seems intended to influence the outcome”. Since 1980, there have been a few “October Surprises” which may have changed the history of the nation.

The phrase originated in 1980, during the presidential election season of that year. Militants in Iran had seized 66 American citizens from the US Embassy in 1979, and held 52 of them hostage for over a year. Jimmy Carter was the incumbent president at the time. His failure to have the hostages released was the main reason he was losing in the polls to Ronald Reagan. The hostage crisis occurred after the Iran’s Islamic revolution and the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty. Carter had planned to negotiate a last-minute release of the hostages which would win him the election. It never happened.

We would like to send our best wishes to the 39^th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, who celebrated his 100^th birthday on Tuesday, October 1. One of the finest presidents and human beings in history, he was cheated of a well-deserved second term by the doubtful political machinations of a third-rate movie star, who proved to be a fourth-rate president. Ronald Reagan began the process of dismantling a thriving middle class by cutting taxes on corporations and the super-wealthy, with his now debunked trickle-down policies of “Reagonomics”.

Reagan’s campaign was suspected to have conspired with the Iranians not to release the hostages till after the election was finalized. This gambit, though never proved, was referred to as the October Surprise, which now refers to any late-breaking news that upends the results of a presidential election.

President Carter continues to personify the highest standards of excellence for compassionate, productive, Christian leadership to this very day. We wish him all good health and happiness in the future.

There have been a few other mostly mild surprises. George H.W. Bush was running behind Clinton in the polls in 1992. The news that broke in October 1992, that his former defense secretary, Caspar Weinberger, was indicted in the Iran-Contra scandal, may have cost him a second term.

The Iran-Contra affair was a political scandal in Reagan’s administration between 1981 and 1986 when senior officials illegally and secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, which was subject to an embargo. The proceeds from the sale were to be used to fund the Contras, an anti-Sandinista rebel group in Nicaragua.

News broke in October 2000 that Bush junior had been arrested for DUI (Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol) in 1976, but his rival, Vice-President Al Gore refused to make an issue of this misdemeanor. In any event, the Republican Supreme Court awarded Bush a controversial election.

In October 2016, there were two doozies. On October 7, 2016, one month before the election, the Washington Post published a video and article about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, bragging to NBC television host Billy Bush about his various and lewd experiences assaulting women. The “Access Hollywood” tape was so named because Trump and Bush were on their way to film an episode of an NBC television show of that title.

Trump was explicitly and disgustingly describing his modus operandi of seducing married women. He would start kissing them, saying “I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything….Grab them by their genitals” (though he used a more vulgar feline term). The Hillary Clinton camp was elated at this breaking news, certain that it would a clinch an election in which she was already showing a handsome lead in the polls.

Clinton got her October Surprise, when FBI Director James Comey made a statement, 11 days before the election, that the Bureau was investigating into the 30,000 deleted emails from Hillary’s personal server, a technical infringement, when she was Secretary of State in the Obama administration. Comey violated election laws, which prohibit government officials from releasing any information concerning presidential candidates 60 days before the election.

It was especially galling because Comey retracted his statement, that the Bureau had found no illegality in Hillary’s emails, two days before the election. It was too late. Voters had already cast their early ballots, or decided to vote against Hillary. Trump made political capital out of Comey’s announcements, in an effort to minimize his sexual indiscretions. Hillary lost the election. The rest, as they say, is history. History which has completely changed the landscape of US politics. For the execrable worse.

A surprise seems to be brewing with the East Coast dockworkers’ first large-scale strike in nearly 50 years, demanding huge pay raises, checks on automation and employment contracts for six years

The dispute does not involve the White House. The International Longshoremen’s Association Union, representing 45,000 port workers, has been negotiating with the United States Maritime Alliance employer group for a new six-year contract. Negotiations are ongoing, but no agreement has been reached as the strike reaches its fourth day. There is little doubt that such a strike, even for a few days, will cause major supply chain disruptions. We can only hope that the strike is settled before it causes havoc with the economy, for which Trump will blame the Biden administration.

Hurricane Helene has devastated parts of Georgia and North Carolina, with entire communities being destroyed. The death toll has risen to over 210, with hundreds still missing, many caught in historic flooding throughout the Southeastern states. Power connections are being restored, but 1.3 million people are still without power from Florida to Georgia.

President Biden immediately called Georgia Governor, Brian Kemp, and offered “whatever he needs”. He ordered the Defense Department to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to reinforce North Carolina’s National Guard. He also approved 100% Federal costs of debris removal, first responders, search and rescue operations, shelters, mass feeding and other emergency measures.

President Biden visited North Carolina, while Vice-President Harris travelled to neighboring Georgia, both on Wednesday.

Amidst bipartisan praise for the immediate response from the Biden administration, Trump predictably politicized the disaster. He lied that President Biden and VP Harris “are universally being given poor grades for the way they are handling the Hurricane, especially in North Carolina”. A downright lie.

The Biden administration has received bipartisan praise from political leaders in all the affected states. Every governor in the Southeastern states, Republican and Democratic, has praised the administration’s prompt response, naming Biden in particular. Republican Governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster said at a press conference that federal assistance had “been superb”. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Red Cross are using all their resources to help the victims of the worst Hurricane to hit the US since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

In view of the predicted increase in natural disasters caused by climate change, this hurricane was hardly a surprise. But it may have deleterious effects on the November election, as many of the polling booths in North Carolina have been washed away, and voters may not be able to cast their ballots for a variety of reasons.

The Vice-Presidential Debate between VP candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance on Tuesday, October 2 provided no surprises at all.

Perhaps The Atlantic described it best as “a vision of what American politics could be without the distorting gravitational field generated by Donald Trump”.

It was an unexpectedly civil event, with both candidates generally showing respect for each other, unlike the one-sided Presidential brawl between the heavyweights in September.

Vance kept the Republican flag flying with the usual number of lies about abortion and cats and dogs in Springfield. There were a few really audacious lies, when he claimed that “Trump saved Obamacare”, President Obama’s Affordable Care Plan, which Trump had been trying to repeal on over 60 separate occasions. Vance also did not answer the direct question – Who won the 2020 election? which he ignored. More ominously, Vance kept silent when asked if he would have, had he been Donald Trump’s Vice-President in 2020, overturned the Electoral College certification for the presidency. Silence signifies assent, so Vance silently admitted that he would have violated his oath to the constitution.

He also made the preposterous statement that “Trump had handed over power peacefully on January 20, 2021, just as we had done for 250 years” (which is true only if you have amnesia about the violent coup on January 6). Actually, he was unable to answer many of these questions, as he was performing for an audience of one.

Vance perhaps won the debate on a more polished performance of lying about his lies with an admirably straight face. Walz prevailed on substance, though he at times behaved like the knucklehead he himself admitted he was. So we can call it a draw, one which will make no impact on a very close election.

There have been a few mild surprises. Donald Trump lives in an alternative Teflon universe, in which no criminal or reprehensible acts he commits seem to have any effect on his Republican cult. Their devotion to a convicted felon remains unshaken in the face of irrefutable evidence of wrongdoing, that would have tanked the reputation and career of any other politician.

Special Counsel Jack Smith made public a 165-page filing which includes “mountains of new evidence” of Donald Trump’s alleged efforts to subvert the constitutional transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election. Smith maintains these new “mountains of evidence” are incriminatingly high enough to hurdle over even the high bar of immunity that the Supreme Court had provided for Trump in a recent highly partisan ruling.

The new brief argued that Trump’s conduct was private in nature; he was acting in the capacity of a candidate for the presidency and not as the incumbent, defeated (lame duck) president. He was therefore not covered by immunity. Smith’s brief argues that “Trump’s scheme to remain in power for a second term was a private criminal effort”, and that “Trump tried to overturn the election in his capacity as a candidate, not as the incumbent president”.

Some amazing revelations in the brief displayed the ultimate cruelty of Donald Trump. While he was doing nothing at the White House for 187 minutes when his mob was rioting at the Capitol, he was told that his Vice-President, Mike Pence’s life was in danger. His response: “So what!”. He is also recorded as having told his wife, Melania, daughter, Ivanka and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, “It doesn’t matter if you won or lost the election. You still have to fight like hell!”

The only purpose of this new brief is that it will provide, perhaps against election laws, fresh evidence of Trump’s guilt to the public. News that will probably be met with indifference and apathy. Trump’s camp will, of course, call this another episode in the longest witch hunt in history.

This will not count as even a mild surprise.

So far, no other major October Surprise has appeared on the horizon, though these are early days. Let’s hope it stays that way, but my money is on an increasingly desperate Trump trying some extraordinary stunt of contrived violence, maybe against himself again, but more likely, an assault on a high-ranking Democrat. Violence is the only language Trump and his cult speak fluently.

This year’s October Surprise is the same surprise that has been America’s nightmare since November, 2021. How a twice impeached, adjudicated rapist and fraud, a convicted felon awaiting sentence on 34 felonies, and three more impending trials on serious crimes (obstruction of justice, espionage, sedition) against him, is not only out of prison, but amazingly is a lively contender for another term at the Oval Office.

Maybe the new evidence against Trump, and the unhinged behavior he displays day after day, will finally persuade independents and moderate Republicans to see the light and give Vice-President Harris a landslide in November that even Trump will not be able to deny.

We can only hope that Americans will finally see the threat that Trump provides to Democracy, which his Party has clearly outlined in “Project 2025 – Mandate for Leadership. The Conservative Promise”. The document, created by the radical-red Heritage Foundation is a 925-page policy “wish list” for the next Republican president, “a proposal that would expand presidential power and impose an ultra-conservative social vision”.

A manifesto, much like Hitler’s Mein Kampf (My Struggle), which outlines the political ideology and future plans for the United States, based on Hitler’s Utopia of a nation of Aryan, white, blonde, blue-eyed Germans, after Trump is inaugurated as the 47^th and last president in January 2025. With one difference. The vermin targeted for the “Final Solution” in Hitler’s Germany were the Jews. The vermin targeted for elimination – in concentration camps, by mass deportations – are the brown skinned-immigrants, legal and illegal, who are poisoning the blood of Trump’s Utopia of a conservative, white, European, Christian America.

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Features

Crucial test for religious and ethnic harmony in Bangladesh

Published

7 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

A political protest that led to governmental change in Bangladesh mid last year. (photograph: imago)

Will the Bangladesh parliamentary election bring into being a government that will ensure ethnic and religious harmony in the country? This is the poser on the lips of peace-loving sections in Bangladesh and a principal concern of those outside who mean the country well.

The apprehensions are mainly on the part of religious and ethnic minorities. The parliamentary poll of February 12th is expected to bring into existence a government headed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist oriented Jamaat-e-Islami party and this is where the rub is. If these parties win, will it be a case of Bangladesh sliding in the direction of a theocracy or a state where majoritarian chauvinism thrives?

Chief of the Jamaat, Shafiqur Rahman, who was interviewed by sections of the international media recently said that there is no need for minority groups in Bangladesh to have the above fears. He assured, essentially, that the state that will come into being will be equable and inclusive. May it be so, is likely to be the wish of those who cherish a tension-free Bangladesh.

The party that could have posed a challenge to the above parties, the Awami League Party of former Prime Minister Hasina Wased, is out of the running on account of a suspension that was imposed on it by the authorities and the mentioned majoritarian-oriented parties are expected to have it easy at the polls.

A positive that has emerged against the backdrop of the poll is that most ordinary people in Bangladesh, be they Muslim or Hindu, are for communal and religious harmony and it is hoped that this sentiment will strongly prevail, going ahead. Interestingly, most of them were of the view, when interviewed, that it was the politicians who sowed the seeds of discord in the country and this viewpoint is widely shared by publics all over the region in respect of the politicians of their countries.

Some sections of the Jamaat party were of the view that matters with regard to the orientation of governance are best left to the incoming parliament to decide on but such opinions will be cold comfort for minority groups. If the parliamentary majority comes to consist of hard line Islamists, for instance, there is nothing to prevent the country from going in for theocratic governance. Consequently, minority group fears over their safety and protection cannot be prevented from spreading.

Therefore, we come back to the question of just and fair governance and whether Bangladesh’s future rulers could ensure these essential conditions of democratic rule. The latter, it is hoped, will be sufficiently perceptive to ascertain that a Bangladesh rife with religious and ethnic tensions, and therefore unstable, would not be in the interests of Bangladesh and those of the region’s countries.

Unfortunately, politicians region-wide fall for the lure of ethnic, religious and linguistic chauvinism. This happens even in the case of politicians who claim to be democratic in orientation. This fate even befell Bangladesh’s Awami League Party, which claims to be democratic and socialist in general outlook.

We have it on the authority of Taslima Nasrin in her ground-breaking novel, ‘Lajja’, that the Awami Party was not of any substantial help to Bangladesh’s Hindus, for example, when violence was unleashed on them by sections of the majority community. In fact some elements in the Awami Party were found to be siding with the Hindus’ murderous persecutors. Such are the temptations of hard line majoritarianism.

In Sri Lanka’s past numerous have been the occasions when even self-professed Leftists and their parties have conveniently fallen in line with Southern nationalist groups with self-interest in mind. The present NPP government in Sri Lanka has been waxing lyrical about fostering national reconciliation and harmony but it is yet to prove its worthiness on this score in practice. The NPP government remains untested material.

As a first step towards national reconciliation it is hoped that Sri Lanka’s present rulers would learn the Tamil language and address the people of the North and East of the country in Tamil and not Sinhala, which most Tamil-speaking people do not understand. We earnestly await official language reforms which afford to Tamil the dignity it deserves.

An acid test awaits Bangladesh as well on the nation-building front. Not only must all forms of chauvinism be shunned by the incoming rulers but a secular, truly democratic Bangladesh awaits being licked into shape. All identity barriers among people need to be abolished and it is this process that is referred to as nation-building.

On the foreign policy frontier, a task of foremost importance for Bangladesh is the need to build bridges of amity with India. If pragmatism is to rule the roost in foreign policy formulation, Bangladesh would place priority to the overcoming of this challenge. The repatriation to Bangladesh of ex-Prime Minister Hasina could emerge as a steep hurdle to bilateral accord but sagacious diplomacy must be used by Bangladesh to get over the problem.

A reply to N.A. de S. Amaratunga

A response has been penned by N.A. de S. Amaratunga (please see p5 of ‘The Island’ of February 6th) to a previous column by me on ‘ India shaping-up as a Swing State’, published in this newspaper on January 29th , but I remain firmly convinced that India remains a foremost democracy and a Swing State in the making.

If the countries of South Asia are to effectively manage ‘murderous terrorism’, particularly of the separatist kind, then they would do well to adopt to the best of their ability a system of government that provides for power decentralization from the centre to the provinces or periphery, as the case may be. This system has stood India in good stead and ought to prove effective in all other states that have fears of disintegration.

Moreover, power decentralization ensures that all communities within a country enjoy some self-governing rights within an overall unitary governance framework. Such power-sharing is a hallmark of democratic governance.

Features

Celebrating Valentine’s Day …

Published

7 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love, romance, and affection, and this is how some of our well-known personalities plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day – 14th February:

Merlina Fernando (Singer)

Yes, it’s a special day for lovers all over the world and it’s even more special to me because 14th February is the birthday of my husband Suresh, who’s the lead guitarist of my band Mission.

We have planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day and his Birthday together and it will be a wonderful night as always.

We will be having our fans and close friends, on that night, with their loved ones at Highso – City Max hotel Dubai, from 9.00 pm onwards.

Lorensz Francke (Elvis Tribute Artiste)

On Valentine’s Day I will be performing a live concert at a Wealthy Senior Home for Men and Women, and their families will be attending, as well.

I will be performing live with romantic, iconic love songs and my song list would include ‘Can’t Help falling in Love’, ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Burning Love’, ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’, ‘The Wonder of You’ and ‘’It’s Now or Never’ to name a few.

To make Valentine’s Day extra special I will give the Home folks red satin scarfs.

Emma Shanaya (Singer)

I plan on spending the day of love with my girls, especially my best friend. I don’t have a romantic Valentine this year but I am thrilled to spend it with the girl that loves me through and through. I’ll be in Colombo and look forward to go to a cute cafe and spend some quality time with my childhood best friend Zulha.

JAYASRI

Emma-and-Maneeka

This Valentine’s Day the band JAYASRI we will be really busy; in the morning we will be landing in Sri Lanka, after our Oman Tour; then in the afternoon we are invited as Chief Guests at our Maris Stella College Sports Meet, Negombo, and late night we will be with LineOne band live in Karandeniya Open Air Down South. Everywhere we will be sharing LOVE with the mass crowds.

Kay Jay (Singer)

I will stay at home and cook a lovely meal for lunch, watch some movies, together with Sanjaya, and, maybe we go out for dinner and have a lovely time. Come to think of it, every day is Valentine’s Day for me with Sanjaya Alles.

Maneka Liyanage (Beauty Tips)

On this special day, I celebrate love by spending meaningful time with the people I cherish. I prepare food with love and share meals together, because food made with love brings hearts closer. I enjoy my leisure time with them — talking, laughing, sharing stories, understanding each other, and creating beautiful memories. My wish for this Valentine’s Day is a world without fighting — a world where we love one another like our own beloved, where we do not hurt others, even through a single word or action. Let us choose kindness, patience, and understanding in everything we do.

Janaka Palapathwala (Singer)

Janaka

Valentine’s Day should not be the only day we speak about love.

From the moment we are born into this world, we seek love, first through the very drop of our mother’s milk, then through the boundless care of our Mother and Father, and the embrace of family.

Love is everywhere. All living beings, even plants, respond in affection when they are loved.

As we grow, we learn to love, and to be loved. One day, that love inspires us to build a new family of our own.

Love has no beginning and no end. It flows through every stage of life, timeless, endless, and eternal.

Natasha Rathnayake (Singer)

We don’t have any special plans for Valentine’s Day. When you’ve been in love with the same person for over 25 years, you realise that love isn’t a performance reserved for one calendar date. My husband and I have never been big on public displays, or grand gestures, on 14th February. Our love is expressed quietly and consistently, in ordinary, uncelebrated moments.

With time, you learn that love isn’t about proving anything to the world or buying into a commercialised idea of romance—flowers that wilt, sweets that spike blood sugar, and gifts that impress briefly but add little real value. In today’s society, marketing often pushes the idea that love is proven by how much money you spend, and that buying things is treated as a sign of commitment.

Real love doesn’t need reminders or price tags. It lives in showing up every day, choosing each other on unromantic days, and nurturing the relationship intentionally and without an audience.

This isn’t a judgment on those who enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day. It’s simply a personal choice.

Melloney Dassanayake (Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2024)

I truly believe it’s beautiful to have a day specially dedicated to love. But, for me, Valentine’s Day goes far beyond romantic love alone. It celebrates every form of love we hold close to our hearts: the love for family, friends, and that one special person who makes life brighter. While 14th February gives us a moment to pause and celebrate, I always remind myself that love should never be limited to just one day. Every single day should feel like Valentine’s Day – constant reminder to the people we love that they are never alone, that they are valued, and that they matter.

I’m incredibly blessed because, for me, every day feels like Valentine’s Day. My special person makes sure of that through the smallest gestures, the quiet moments, and the simple reminders that love lives in the details. He shows me that it’s the little things that count, and that love doesn’t need grand stages to feel extraordinary. This Valentine’s Day, perfection would be something intimate and meaningful: a cozy picnic in our home garden, surrounded by nature, laughter, and warmth, followed by an abstract drawing session where we let our creativity flow freely. To me, that’s what love is – simple, soulful, expressive, and deeply personal. When love is real, every ordinary moment becomes magical.

Noshin De Silva (Actress)

Valentine’s Day is one of my favourite holidays! I love the décor, the hearts everywhere, the pinks and reds, heart-shaped chocolates, and roses all around. But honestly, I believe every day can be Valentine’s Day.

It doesn’t have to be just about romantic love. It’s a chance to celebrate love in all its forms with friends, family, or even by taking a little time for yourself.

Whether you’re spending the day with someone special or enjoying your own company, it’s a reminder to appreciate meaningful connections, show kindness, and lead with love every day.

And yes, I’m fully on theme this year with heart nail art and heart mehendi design!

Wishing everyone a very happy Valentine’s Day, but, remember, love yourself first, and don’t forget to treat yourself.

Sending my love to all of you.

Features

Banana and Aloe Vera

Published

7 hours ago

2026/02/12

Sahan Weerasooriya

To create a powerful, natural, and hydrating beauty mask that soothes inflammation, fights acne, and boosts skin radiance, mix a mashed banana with fresh aloe vera gel.

This nutrient-rich blend acts as an antioxidant-packed anti-ageing treatment that also doubles as a nourishing, shiny hair mask.

* Face Masks for Glowing Skin:

Mix 01 ripe banana with 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel and apply this mixture to the face. Massage for a few minutes, leave for 15-20 minutes, and then rinse off for a glowing complexion.

* Acne and Soothing Mask:

Mix 01 tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel with 1/2 a mashed banana and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply this mixture to clean skin to calm inflammation, reduce redness, and hydrate dry, sensitive skin. Leave for 15-20 minutes, and rinse with warm water.

* Hair Treatment for Shine:

Mix 01 fresh ripe banana with 03 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel and 01 teaspoon of honey. Apply from scalp to ends, massage for 10-15 minutes and then let it dry for maximum absorption. Rinse thoroughly with cool water for soft, shiny, and frizz-free hair.