Why You Should Not Vote For Mahinda ?

| by Rifai 

( January 2, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A good friend of mine told me that people should not vote for Mahinda this time. He is a Sinhalese friend of mine. I asked him why do you say this and what is reason for your objection to vote for Mahinda this time? He said that only a handful of people directly benefit from his rule. He asserted that may be less than one million people are direct beneficiaries of Mahinda’ rule. Then I asked him who the real beneficiaries are? He said it is not millions of poor people in Sri Lanka who benefit from Mahinda’s rule rather a close circle of people who work for him. He mentioned some of those people who he thinks directly benefit from Mahinda’s rule. 

I think people know the dirty tricks of this ruling family. They have had enough of them. People are voting this time for a real change. People are politically awaken today than before.

• Direct family members MR.
• Expended family members of MR
• Friends of MR and his cohorts. 
• His cabinet members and hard core supporters of MR in his party.
• Some members of Armed forces who have directly benefited in promotion and jobs
• Some academics in universities who have been promoted with direct order of MR and his family members.
• Some officials in government departments who have been promoted with order of MR and His family
• Some national and regional party members who support MR and family.
• Some defected LTTE members who have been protected by MR and family.
• Local and national contractors of mega development projects who are milking government coffers.
• Some other officials who have been posted in diplomatic missions abroad
• Some other Sri Lankans who have been awarded financial concessions and other benefits from MR and family.
• Some others business people who make fortune in share market and other business with support of this government. 

Overall a limited numbers of people (chosen people) are benefiting from this government my friend lamented. Poor in Sri Lanka do not benefit from those so called development projects or mega projects. Even thousands of Sri Lankan graduates do not get jobs in those projects. Rather it is China, Politicians and local contractors are benefiting those projects. It is politicians who make fortunate out of these projects not poor people of Sri Lanka. This government failed to reach out to millions of poor people in Sri Lanka. 

While millions of poor Sri Lankans are suffering from economic hardships and difficulties some of these privileged people live in luxurious life with public funds and money. Today politics in Sri Lanka is a profit making business. MR and family did not do politics out of patriotism and love for this nation or out of compassion for poor in Sri Lanka rather they do politics to make money out of it. Consider their financial asserts few years back before they came to politics. Today they are millionaires in Sri Lanka: most of extended family members have properties and asserts in Sri Lanka and abroad. 

Now I could give you some examples so that you will be able to grasp the real picture of this favouritism of MR and co family for his supporters. Take for Instance, the Chairman of UGC was politically appointed by MR. how could expect she will go against to MR today. The Vice-Chancellor of Jaffna University was appointed by MR. how could we expect her to go against MR to today. These are mere political appointments, many senior academics and professionals are disregarded because of this favouritism and because of these chosen people. Many army officers and business people have been offered diplomatic posts with order of MR and family, how could we expect these chosen people will vote against MR? Likewise, many more politicians are milking the government apparatus and they directly get benefits from MR and co family, how could we expect that they will leave MR and vote for any other candidate on any principles. As JVP leader says people in this government are like a cult or group of mafia who want to live at the expense of public money. He argues most of people in this government do not have basic qualifications to be legislators in parliament. Yet, most of qualified people in government departments are marginalised and neglected by politicians today.

These hard-core supporters of MR create mayhems and tension during the election. More than 800 incidents of election related violence have been reported. More than 90% of all these violent activities are carried out by MR and his supporters. They want to win this election at any cost. They know well that if they fail they will end up in a big trouble. Today people are politically educated. In this modern technological world people know who honest politicians are and who are not? 

MR and family have been unleashing all their dirty political tricks to win this election. According to JVP MR and family have been conspiring to make division among oppositions using Tissa Attanayake. MR and co have been using Tissa Attanayake as a Spy in UNP until his defection from them. This was MR’s first conspiracy, but they utterly failed in that. Recently, MR supporters physically attacked opposition party members. CKB meeting in Beruwala was attacked, Maithri’s meeting stage was burned down in Galle, monks from MR supporters attacked a group of monks from Maithri supporters in Polannaruwa, and artists were attacked in Kurunagale. Likewise, barbaric attacks are still continuing. Most of these attacks are being carried out by MR and co supporters. 

MR knows that his days are numbered in office. He invited Salman khan at the expense of millions of Sri Lankan Rupees to win votes for him and this came out to be one more failure. Now MR is inviting one more crook from Australia to support him in his election campaign. This will be one more failure. Now Goata has decided to give dual citizenships for Sri Lankans who live in 10 countries. All these concessions are nothing but to win this election at any cost. All these measures show that MR family is very much desperate to win this election not through some good political principles and doctrines but from back door tricks. The damage has been done for the last five year. How could they amend that within few days? 

Toady more and more people are leaving them. A large numbers of Dayasiri supporters left him and joined the Maithri camp now. It is matter of days that some more people leave MR family and join the Maithri camp. Without using any government apparatus and facilities, people in thousands come to Maithri’s meeting across the country. The crowds in Maithri’s meetings are unpreceded. MR and co use all government facilities and fund yet, they cannot attract more people. This is the contrasting difference between two camps. People go to Maithri’s meeting out of affection and loyalty but MR brings people into his meeting with food parcels and cash outs. Thus Mahinda’s family rule is destroying 60 years of our democratic tradition in this country. One man family domination is very dangerous for the democratic culture of this nation. 

I think people know the dirty tricks of this ruling family. They have had enough of them. People are voting this time for a real change. People are politically awaken today than before. So they will vote for Maithri in millions: Maithri will get a landslide victory.