After gaining independence in 1948 for 40 years, Sri Lanka was ruled by elite rulers and almost all were VIPs (Very Irresponsible Politicians), in that they made a mess of the country that slipped down from being the second richest nation in Asia to the poorest nation fighting a civil war by 1988. All communities without exception without realising the power of the vote in hand for 70 years election after election elected elite leaders in Sri Lanka till the nation was exhausted of elite leaders. In spite of people following four major religions people with mediocre leaders led to a bloody civil war for over thirty years to literally make a hole to hell in the country; before the guns were silenced to end the miserable war in 2009, most affected were the poor from all communities with no solution to their miseries. Thanks to many friendly nations a forced change took place in 2015; when the people dozed in party politics for over seven decades were guided by civil society members that included few wise veterans led by a true monk to vote that brought in the common candidate as the New President. The question “Any comments from those who want to save the country?” was raised a month ago in the post titled “Vote right at the LG Polls to avoid a disaster in Sri Lanka” and the majority responded to change the seven decades old political mindset of the people to bring in reforms with an all-inclusive new constitution to fill the debt trap hole to hell.
With new President as Head of State, the country had to struggle through for three years up to the 70th anniversary of independence on 4th February 2018; when perhaps, it is fate that made the New President to tell the truth referring to the country’s 40 years of independence for of the 70 years since 1948, the 30 years from 1988 people faced civil war (1988-2009) and negative peace years (2010- 2014) where nobody was able to breathe the air of independence, except perhaps the rulers of that period and their inner circle of hangers-on; then (2015-2017), although the country had a new President and a new government and the same old administration people felt little or no change to their life. With the dispersed ruler and his men sprinkled in the new parliament warming the seats in the government and opposition having a field day both inside and outside the parliament made it difficult to usher in good governance. Bitter Truth was Sri Lankans in the seventy years of independence are yet to experience this system of governance. Yes never, then what next, are people capable of a revolution? Certainly not after seeing where the two southern insurgencies and a bloody civil war initiated from the North spreading to the East that impacted the whole country yet achieved only a half-baked system of devolution of power that was never fully implemented, that only left the country with a hole to hell.
Under these circumstances, it is best for Sri Lankans, who still call Sri Lanka their motherland is to come out of the past first accepting the reality that western oriented gentlemen elites from all (yes, all) communities ruined the country and people voted them in election after election blindly and are still continuing to do so must start to look at the future, stop blaming others and work with the change that was started in 2015, that has taken three long years and yet to gather momentum. The President has with all his limitations have started the clean-up promised and his government has made many inroads to solve the many problems facing the people, in particular those directly affected by the war. No doubt this work will continue after the LG Polls. It is now up to the people to accept these positive developments and well come it by working to foster good governance, accepting that the Head of State cannot achieve anything without people support, give him that opportunity at least till his term ends in 2019, should he fail you have the chance to elect a new one.
Sri Lankans are blessed to have an option available to them to make good governance a reality, possible if all the people vote right at the LG polls due next week for the baseline of the power pyramid. Already major work has been done to come up with an all-inclusive new constitution and efforts made by the government to get the economy back on track. True it will take time but for sure the country will be saved eventually, for that in spite of all the negativities told of the government by their opponents of all shades at the election meetings around the country, if all communities put their efforts to vote correctly, then automatically the rotten candidates will not get elected and among those filtering through will have a new force holding the majority. Then the President of this battered nation could invite them to manage the local councils; while people continue voting the right candidates at all future elections to 2020 that includes the provincial councils and the parliament. Then keep alert and get on with this simple democratic revolution until hole to hell is no more to make country nothing but a paradise once again for all to co-exist peacefully ever after.
Northern Breeze 