The Italian diplomat and political theorist, Niccolò Machiavelli stated in his 16th-century political treatise ‘The Prince’, “the first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men around him”. Last week episode in the House of Parliament that caused the Speaker of the House to suspend proceedings, only confirms that something is not right with our group of legislators, particularly the old-timers no matter from which part of the country they originate; they have not helped the ruler nor have served the people who voted them in at the 2015 General Elections. In fact could go one step further and state that these past master representatives as in the past are not using their brains properly, for most of them are only using their right side brain, because all we have seen is them expressing emotions emanating from their right side brain, and the left side is not put to use properly for there is no logic and analytical thinking springing from the left side brain.
It is a known fact that the human brain is divided into two hemispheres, with each half performing a fairly distinct set of operations and each have different abilities – the right side is creative, intuitive and synthesize and the left side is thinking, rational and can analyze. The right side of the brain is best at expressive and creative tasks and expressing emotions is popularly associated with this side of the brain; while the left-side of the brain is considered to be adept at analytical thinking; therefore every person should give the opportunity to use both sides of the brain. Considering the way our country has been ruled the past seventy odd years by home grown rulers supported by men who are all legislators and the way country has been downgraded from top of the league to the bottom; nation that was united at the time of independence is today divided it is clear both the rulers and most of the men supporting all were legislators, who did not use properly their brains. In this period country has had much external interference mostly on the invitation of the rulers themselves to put right the wrongs done by these differently abled men.
Sri Lanka as a country is in a mess today, is politically divided and bankrupt needs as much as US$3.9 billion for debt servicing this year due to gigantic debt trap owing to loans acquired by the previous rulers. All because of the failure of their legislators to use their brains properly that has taken the country to the pathetic state. The latest external interference will result in another co-sponsored resolution that would give the rulers two years extension to implement in full the UNHRC resolution of 2015 on matters arising from the civil war, after these supporting men let down the rulers, because of their inability to use their brain properly, or simply not up to the task. Unable to get out of the mess the present rulers have requested two years extension to implement in full the UNHRC resolution of 2015. But there is doubt even with the two years extension granted if they will get the said resolution fully implemented with the present members in the legislature, for they have not performed their tasks properly for above stated reasons. Naturally the people are the losers, particularly that vulnerable population that were directly impacted by the war.
All Lankans must accept the fact the country needs men with better brains around the rulers and that is only possible if the people help party organizers to scout round the country for persons with fully functional brains for their political parties and nominate them as candidates for election to all levels of the power houses vertically such as House of Parliament and Provincial Councils and horizontally across all corners of the country. All political parties must rise up and find better candidates to replace the veterans and change the current trend at the forthcoming elections; for country cannot afford to have differently able senior candidates getting elected to these responsible positions in the power houses and continue to make a mess of it all.
Northern Breeze 