Winning The War At PC Elections

(December 10, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Voters in the Central Province and North Western Provinces (NWP) will be wondering about what material benefits could come their way after elections to the two provincial councils much before the lifetime of the two councils expire, were announced. During the previous round of election campaigns to provincial councils voters had to bear the worst forms of political thuggery — the worst being when a woman teacher campaigning for the UNP in the NWP was stripped and left naked on the road by thugs of the ruling party. This kind of ‘grassroots level democracy’ no civilised voter will desire.

A few months ago elections to the two councils in the North Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces were held at great cost to the tax payer. The only result was a national tragedy; the assassination of one of the country’s revered heroes, Gen. Janaka Perera who polled the largest number of votes in the elections. The other was the assassination of civilians such as Dr. John Pulle, a former Sri Lankan ambassador and his wife.

The only plausible reason that could be given to the Rajapakse government’s desire to hold these two early elections is that it wants to gain from the momentum of military victories gained by the armed forces over LTTE cadres. This is politicisation of the national endeavour on behalf of the ruling party. The poor youths falling on the battlefield are not sacrificing their lives for Mahinda Rajapakse or his government but for the country. And it would be a supreme insult to the dead to say so or even presume it. President Rajapakse is not saying so but the government’s spin doctors are delivering that message.

During the election campaigns to the NCP and Sabaragamuwa councils the message was crudely presented: ‘If you want the war to be won vote for the government.’ The capture of Kilinochchi town where the headquarters of the LTTE is located was projected as the tantalising objective. Many months have passed since the elections for the two provincial councils which were won by the government party but Kilinochchi is still in the control of the LTTE. The government propaganda refrain each day is: ‘Kilinochchi is falling down, falling down , falling down…’ Like the nursery rhyme of yore: London Bridge is falling down, falling down…’ but London Bridge is still standing and so is Kilinochchi.

We are being constantly told that Kilinochchi is surrounded by our troops and its fall is imminent. At the last provincial polls Kilinochchi was within hooting distance and now with two more elections due we are told it is within ‘kissing distance.’ After the kissing is over and the next bout of elections come, one can but wonder what is left to be done to capture Kilinochchi. The question agitating the minds of the public is whether Kilinochchi will stand till many other objectives of the Rajapakse regime are fulfilled.

Mahinda Rajapakse appears to be an adherent of the saying that war is a continuation of politics by other means. During his three year tenure in office there has been no significant economic development through government efforts in contrast to achievements of the UNP such as under J.R. Jayewardene. Within three years President Jayewardene had the Mahaweli Accelerated Scheme in place with the Kotmale, Victoria, Randenigala and Maduru Oya projects spurting ahead with their ancillary developments; establishment of the GCEC (now BoI); development of Jayewardenepura; the parliamentary complex; Jayewardenepura Hospital; Rupavahini; Prime Minister Premadasa’s housing and village reawakening programme; Lalith Athulathmudali’s Mahapola project while giving the private sector a tremendous boost by switching on to a free economy.

All this was while Jayewardene was fighting two insurrections; LTTE and JVP. The only claim that Rajapakse can make is ‘the victory in the war’ against the LTTE. He was fortunate in driving out the LTTE from the east because of a split in the LTTE where the easterners broke off and joined him and in the Wanni taking control of its west. That too thanks to the ceasefire agreement of then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe which Karuna himself acknowledges. But though the government says the end is nigh, the LTTE says: No. We wish the government well in its battle against the LTTE but much more has to be done in other fields, particularly in economic development.

The President claims to have started work on the Moragahakande irrigation project, the Hambantota Harbour, Weerawila Airport and the Norochcholai power project. But most of these projects are at the foundation laying stage and thus his innumerable propaganda units have little to crow about. Even the much trumpeted Hambantota oil refinery project at an investment of US$ 1.5 billion is now put on ice with the Emirates Trading Agency investors deciding to pull out. There are many projects launched with catchy Sinhala names such as his son’s Tharunayata Hetak and his own projects such as Gama Neguma, Api Venuwen Api but there is no concrete development to project. Two propaganda chiefs who fell by the wayside yesterday may be due to not crowing loudly enough or due to the traditional dagger plunging of scribes. This is like shooting the singer when the script is bad.

President Rajapakse may be affected by the international financial crisis which his cocky financial advisers deny. Whatever the effects of the fall out of the international monetary melt down on Sri Lanka may be, he is engulfed by colossal mismanagement of the scarce resources of this country in addition to wastage and corruption by his charmed inner circle.

A classic example is Mihin Lanka which gobbled up billions of rupees when resources were scarce and now despite this debacle and at a time when international airlines with much stronger financial resources are grounding their planes our enfant terrible once again takes to the air with the scarce resources of the poor man on the street. The hedging of payments of the Petroleum Corporation will result in the loss of millions of dollars while the bills run up by ministers and families for suites in five star hotels where they had never been before, if totted up will also reach the million if not the billion dollar mark. This is in addition to billions spent on defence expenditure down the years, the questioning of which has been often considered Lese Majeste to sovereign rulers.

A basic concept of governance of the Rajapakse clique appears to be: To hell with the money. The state will pay. How much will the two PC elections cost the state at this time of economic peril? Who cares? The tax payer will pay.

What benefits will it bring to residents of the two provinces? Better roads, sanitation, better distribution of electricity and water? Will our provincial councillors agree to a cut in the salaries in view of the parlous state of the economy of Sri Lanka? Oh no. They will want salary hikes in line with the parliamentarians. It’s only in capitalist America that top executives of the automobile industry’s giants — GM, Ford and Chrysler agreed to a salary of one dollar a year when threatened with bankruptcy.

-Editorial , The Morning Leader, weekly news paper based in Colombo- Sri Lanka Guardian