Photo courtesy of The New York Times
He resigned by email. Was there an electronic
signature made possible by DocuSign? Will
that stand up before the court of history,
of public opinion? Did the email come
from his private account, or one created
just for sending this message? I have many
questions. Is there a way to verify the signature?
A camera capturing the moment? Key strokes?
But I am obsessing about a red herring.
The email arrived, and the Speaker of
Parliament takes it for a genuine message
from the now former president. So what next?
Where are we going, Sri Lanka? Please
leave the new public museums out of
the question. The government can set up
shop elsewhere. Maybe in Jaffna? That
would give an economic push to the long-
suffering Tamils. Or in Batticaloa,
to do the same for the ethnic mix
on the East Coast? You think
I am speaking lightly of stately matters?
We need new think in geography,
about history, and about the future.
We need it now.