LG Poll: Litmus test for lies

by Pearl Thevanayagam

(March03, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Local polls are a litmus test for the general elections and a prediction on whether the ruling power could sustain its popularity with the voting populace. They are a harbinger of things to come and are decisive of the future of the ruling powers. Local polls should not be treated lightly.

The 17 year of UNP rule was quashed by the appeal court judgement of the Western Provincial Council which paved the way for Peoples Alliance under Chandrika Kumaratunga to be elected. That she chose to negotiate with the rebels and failed in no way affected the economy.

Her rule was not beset with pomp and pageantry and opulent display of victories although she had many such achievements in that she liberated Jaffna Peninsula from the clutches of the LTTE in December 1995. The hoisting of the Lion Flag by the then defence minister Anuruddha Ratwatte did not go down well with the Tamil population but at least there was a semblance of normal life there for which the ordinary Tamil was grateful.

Masses may not be fully wise and been mesmerised by the euphoria of winning the war against Tamil separatists. But when the government which won the war to much accolade fails to restore economic stability and leaves its masses fighting for mere survival then it has to forever be looking over its shoulders.

Almost two years since the war was won, the fight against hunger still rages on. There is a limit to patriotism and the masses have reached that point of intolerance when even a middle income-earner cannot satisfactorily feed his family what with the skyrocketing cost of living.

Sri Lankans may be too tolerant a race and they may be too timid to start an Egypt like demo. But Lipton Circus does erupt with demonstrations periodically be they media freedom, free Sarath Fonseka campaign, find killers of Lasantha and other journalists, find Prageeth Ekneliyagoda if he is still alive and several such issues for which the government is directly responsible. If the government thinks it can rest on the laurels of winning the war against Tamil Tigers it can think again.

Postponing LG elections in some areas does not bode well for the Rajapakse government; sycophants not withstanding. Too much power rests on the vast extended cabinet which includes breakaway factions of the defeated LTTE such as Douglas Devananada, Karuna and Pillayan in the North and East. They wield far too much influence over their constituents and are infamously known to rule with impunity. They are given carte blanche to abduct and kill at random with the blessings of the government.

They even control the administration of the educational institutions including the Jaffna University. They virtually hold the monopoly over building contracts in the North and East.

What bonds the Rakjapakses with Libya which is now the centre attraction of international media is that it also trained both the Sri Lanka forces and Tamil separatists in their camps in the ‘70’s simultaneously unbeknown to each other. Victor Ostrovsky, a former Mossad agent, writes in his book that the Sri Lankan forces and the Tamil rebels were being trained side by side by both Libya and Israel and the Tamil groups were introduced as Bangladeshis!!! Premadasa took umbrage that Ostrovsky called the Sri Lankans ape-like in just eight pages in his reference and set up the Mossad Commission at a cost of Rs one lakh per day for nigh on 12 months in 1991 at the BMICH.

There is no accounting for the madness of Sinhala nationalists and Premadasa showed sure signs of it when it came to how Sri Lanka is portrayed abroad as we have seen in the Mossad Commission. Mahinda Rajapakse has similar illusions in that he truly believes that he is the master of destiny for the future of Sinhala nationalism. His belief in being the Lion King blinds him to the 21st century notion of global village where every citizen yearns for his own empowerment; race, religion and ethnicity notwithstanding.

Today’s children are largely interbred and hybrid. No more can they cross their heart and say they are pure this or that. They are an eclectic mix. How many of the Sri Lankans have that dark brown complexion which according to Dickie Attygalle is the hallmark of an indigenous Sri Lankan. Then we have only the Veddahs - our own indigenous population relegated to Mahiyangana - and they are a fast disappearing race.

Getting back to the future of our destiny the local polls should send a shiver down the spine of the ruling party. Without their beach boy strong arm tactics they are sure losers. Should they win the polls with their intimidation and confiscation of broadcast airing time they could still foresee a rebellion not unlike Egypt. When that happens too many heads will roll.