Citizens' mail
The Sri Lankans are reaching a crucial cross roads the decision will
be made on January 26th by them on what road to take. If the wrong
choice is made the consequences will be highly dangerous and toxic to
the very same existence of this once great and proud nation. I just
returned from Sri Lanka after making the third visit in 2009. It is
customary for my family to visit our mother land at least once or twice
a year during last 30 years. The people have changed; their beliefs,
traditions and accepted social norms and even religious practices. But
one thing that has not changed is the enthusiasm of people in the
political events mainly the elections.
Two main candidates are vying for the highest job in the country.
They are contrasting characters, it is not difficult for the people to
make the right choice. One person has a lot of experience with the
ordinary citizens and consensus builder and the other shows a lot of
experience in guns and ammo and hierarchical management. If the
prevailing indications are correct the President Rajapaksa should get a
comfortable victory and lead the people on the right path to economic
recovery and a prosperity and bright future for the sons and daughters
of Sri Lanka.
My observations are as follows:
The country has witnessed an enormous progress during the tenure of
current GOSL under Mahinda Rajapaksa in the areas that were neglected by
the previous failed governments. Present GOSL has made mistakes yet,
they are nothing compared to the economic and trade policies implemented
by the failed governments until President Rajapaksa assumed the
Executive Presidency of the country.
Today one can witness that the politics of hate and deceit is the
route former General has taken in order to defeat incumbent President.
Ordinary people have recognized this weakness of the General. I was
amazed, when Fonseka used certain phrases usually reserved and practiced
by the colonial masters. He compared the supporters of Rajapaksa to the
dogs licking bones (thrown out by the masters.) I hope he and his
sponsors are not thinking of throwing bones at ordinary Sri Lankans
after January 26th.
Fonseka seems to dislike Gotabhaya, the brother of Mahinda.
Apparently, he has a score to settle with him. The attacks are more
personnel than it has got anything to do with politics. Fonseka even
criticizes Gotabhaya; especially his inability to loosen the "neck tie."
Also, TNA the proxy of now defunct LTTE has thrown its support and
weight behind Fonseka. It is a colossal mistake at this juncture. People
are in the process of forgetting and recovering from three decades of
destruction and the killing fields created by LTTE. Basically, Fonseka
is saying to the remnants of LTTE and Tamil Diaspora that he is
innocent. The guys like Shavendra Silva and Gota are responsible for
eliminating LTTE. So if he is elected, he will destroy guys like
Gotabaya, Shavendra and Mahinda to the delight of LTTE and Tamil
Diaspora.
On the other-hand Mahinda as a statesman has taken the high road.
Though he has mentioned that he possess a lot of confidential
information dossiers about his opponents, Mahinda has avoided any
personnel attacks on Fonseka or on the members of his JVP/UNP alliance.
He does not mind personnel attacks on 'Rajapaksas' but has pleaded many
times his opponents to not to endanger the existence and very survival
of unitary state of Sri Lanka.
If Rajapaksas are corrupt and accumulated immense wealth at the
expense of tax payers, they should not be forgiven. They must face the
consequences at the right time in the court of law. However, the
opposition lead by Fonseka has failed so far to present any credible
evidence and they are running out of time. Therefore one has to conclude
allegations leveled against Rajapaksas are nothing but an act of mud
slinging.
Nevertheless, we know all political leaders including Rajapaksas have
gotten rich during their political careers. There are two ways to make
money by being a political leader.
The first method is through bribes and other illegal means of
soliciting money from the shady business leaders and unsuspecting
ordinary civilians searching for a job, government contract or a
promotion. Mr. Victor Ivan explains this phenomenon very vividly in the
book 'Chowra Rajina'. Many leading politicians have become millionaires
and billionaires through this despicable social decease.
The second method is not well known to the ordinary people. The
leading politicians in developing countries including Sri Lanka have
gotten obscenely rich by taking commissions for approving large business
contracts especially when procuring services and products for the
government departments and ministries.
This is an unwrtten law; agent's commission is completely legal. It
is like a very expensive gift for facilitating a large business deal.
That is how some politicians who started their career in rented houses
have ended up living in mansions and palaces in other overseas
countries. No one can argue successfully that this money belongs to the
state.
Therefore, for now we have to ignore this second method of
accumulating wealth by leading politicians and concentrate on the
leadership qualities of the two leading candidates. Is it Mahinda or
Sarath has what it takes to lead us to the next level of prosperity,
security and social harmony among all Sri Lankans.
Tilak
inToronto
I recently listened to a very eloquent presentation on 'Why I will
vote for General Fonseka' in which the speaker introduced the General's
pledges in the document 'Vishvasaneeya Venesak'. I could not help but
notice the many contradictions in the General's pledges of the many
statements he has made in the recent past.
For example, until his fall out with the President recently, in his
many TV appearances the General only extolled the virtues of the
President and Defence Secretary though now he is highly critical of
them. A few months ago he declared that Sri Lanka belonged to the
Sinhalese and minorities could live in them implying lack of ownership
though now he is championing the cause of the minorities in partnership
with the TNA, just after the end of the war he called for a further
100,000 troops for the Army to maintain vigilance against reemergence of
terrorism. Now he agitates on behalf of the IDPs in alliance with the
TNA, once the proxy of terrorists, and even two weeks ago on television
he confirmed his intention to keep the Executive Presidency and even
specified that Defence Ministries, Finance, Education, Health and
Employment would be kept under him, so raising the spectre of Pakistan
like military rule.
These contradictions, inspire little confidence that the General's
pledges are anything more than the 'holier than thou' pledges of any
politician, pre-election.
The document "Vishvasaneeya Venesak", begins with the statement " I
will restore democracy and win peace".
I have been following events in Sri Lanka from New Zealand for long
with frequent visits and on this occasion for nearly four weeks so far
and travelled over 2,500 km in the Western, Southern, Central and North
Central Provinces. I have only experienced 'democracy and peace'- what
then is the 'democracy and peace' that the general wants to restore? The
different shades of opinion and debate I have witnessed in free to air
television is no second to what I have experienced to in New Zealand.
More pleasingly, I have witnessed unprecedented changes for the
better even when compared to what I saw in the same travels eighteen
months ago. The quality of the roads, the Southern motorway development,
the massive development of harbour and airport in Hambantota, the
windmills of Hambantota that even put those of my home city of windy
Wellington to shame, the improvements in IT services and Internet access
no second to any where and better than most in the west and has received
the endorsement of even Bill Gates, new hospital constructions in
Badulla, Anuradapura and Polonnaruwa were all really pleasing to behold
experience.
However, I must mention the concern of doctors of the erratic
availability of medications though money for 'tamashas' was not short.
Also not short were allegations of corruption which appear to be
accepted as fact. These clearly are matters that need urgent addressing,
particularly to change the perceptions even if inaccurate. Based on the
perception of corruption and the Generals pledges and ignoring the
contradiction, the speaker recommended that the "Unknown devil was
better than the known one" at the forthcoming election. However, I went
away unconvinced and with the sentiment, "Beware of the devil with no
track record, ever changing tunes and most of all military might."
Dr. Chula Rajapakse MNZM FRCP/FRACP
Consultant Physician,New Zealand
Jehan Perera of National Peace Council, who argued for peace talks,
paused and supported the West to stop the war against the terrorists, in
an article titled, 'The importance of Ranil Wickremesinghe' to an
English Daily of January 12, 2010 says, "...Tamil National Alliance
decision to support the candidacy of Sarath Fonseka reflects the trust
and confidence that members of the ethnic communities (Tamils) have in
the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe ... Members of the Tamil community
in Sri Lanka and abroad had expressed the view at different forums that
they have greater confidence in Ranil than in any other Sinhalese
leader..."
This is because Ranil gave way and avoided treading on Prabhakaran.
In May 2000, in a statement to the Indian magazine WEEK, Ranil paid a
glowing tribute to Prabhakaran, practically issuing him a clean
testimonial. According to the magazine, Ranil had said,"...Prabhakaran
is striving to achieve a goal which is the only target in his life. He
has devoted and dedicated his life to achieve this goal. He has also
proved that he is a leader who has determination and tenacity and he has
also confronted a great deal of criticism on several occasions. He has
also displayed that he has the capacity to establish a fully fledged
Military Force..."
This was reproduced in the LTTE newspaper, EELAMURASU of 11-17 May
2000, captioned, "A leader who pursues the goal with enthusiasm and
determination - Ranil Wickremesinghe on our national hero."
The recommendation given by Ranil to the leader of the world's
ruthless terrorist organisation was undoubtedly alarming.
His veneration of a terrorist leader concerned many as the statement
had been issued especially when the country was on a war footing to
preserve the territorial integrity and when there was a severe
threatening for the dismemberment of Sri Lanka. What was surprising at
the time was when the country was attempting to organise national and
international support the leader of the Opposition Ranil, was taking an
anti-national stance paying so much homage and offering a glowing
tribute to a terrorist leader who had earmarked one-third of the country
as his territory?
Therefore, the endorsement of Sarath Fonseka by the Tamil National
Alliance is no surprise as Sarath is sponsored by Ranil Wickremesinghe
who avoided any confrontation with Prabhakaran. So no wonder that Jehan
is drumming support for Ranil Wickermesinghe and his sponsor.
Dr PA Samaraweera Australia
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