July 02, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian: The people’s participation in government through the exercise of their franchise seems to have become a farce and a failure in Sri Lanka with dictatorial powers vested in one person by the flawed constitution.
In terms of this constitution once a person becomes president by hook or by crook, he could lead the country to disaster unchallenged, with the help of those ‘elected’ by the people, but have since become traitors and turn coats. These persons were elected to power by voters who voted for the policies of their party.
After being elected these people pole vaulting to parties whose policies their own voters rejected is a classic case of prostituting the franchise expressed by the people for self gain, like the way pimps tout twilight ladies engaged in the world’s oldest profession.
Today the country is undergoing untold miseries such as death, destruction, lawlessness, starvation and malnutrition, while those who call themselves ‘patriots’ — to save their skin — enjoy life at a heavy cost to the public.
The Opposition Leader and the UNP with the millions of people who voted for them at the last election have become innocent victims of circumstances because some of their clan elected to parliament have chosen to be Judas’s betraying the wishes of the people, and accepting positions of power under Mahinda Rajapakse’s government. They have made a mockery of democracy by joining the party their own supporters voted against, eschewing the trust placed on them by their voters.
The President has used every trick in the book to cling on to power despite the country sliding towards totalitarianism and ruin. His only chance to stay in power is to keep beating the war drums totally ignoring the sentiments expressed by the minority Tamils since independence.
To those who support him, hegemony means democracy and patriotism, and the President and those others who support him are correct. It has been forgotten that it was not only the majority community that was responsible for winning independence. The Muslims, Tamils and Malays who form the minority communities in this country were also part of the struggle for independence, and to commemorate them statues of their leaders were unveiled in parliament recently. All of them certainly must have wished to live with self respect as members of one family in a united Sri Lanka, enjoying respect and equal rights.
Unfortunately the country is facing an unwinnable war today purely because of the shortsighted policies, egos and greed of unscrupulous politicians who did everything in their power since independence to systematically colonise the east, grab land and also change the ethnic ratios there.
The JVP leaders who right along pretended to be the saviours of the poor, amassed wealth in the process by unscrupulous means and have now discarded their hammer and sickle emblem and embraced capitalist ideology, enjoying the perks and Pajeros at public expense.
The JHU Bhikku politicians betraying altogether the teachings of the Buddha to cease avarice (Tanha) and be free from fear and sorrow, are now preaching war and support those who follow the doctrine of poet Omar Khyyam while thousands die and millions starve in this once blessed land of ours.
Rowdies, humbugs and religious cheats disguised as disciples of the Noble One were seen throwing stones at police officers and taking part in politically motivated street protests. They are surely a part of the schemers who throttle people in the name of patriotism and invite death and destruction in this once blessed land of ours.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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