Over the past seven decades the quality of governance in Sri Lanka has declined as the result the country is in heavy debts; responsible are the power greedy rulers that has left the people to face crisis thus caused. For the rulers created communal and religious rifts by sacrificing the safety of the people and the country’s security has in fact been threatened by the very crisis created by them. The old timers responsible are the main political parties UNP and SLFP which have failed and had to be merged into one camp in 2015 to form the government; yet it has been proven continuously that they have been dragging this country down the path of complete annihilation. What is seen today is the old brigade in these two main ruling political parties in parliament holding on to its leadership on the claim only they will ensure national security. Naturally it has frustrated the younger aspirants for leadership in those parties, it will only help to prolong the crisis and longer it last will cause more damage to the little island nation.
Most impacted by these political developments are the minorities living in all parts of the country, as the present draconian constitution produced and amended many times by the rulers has many short comings on many fundamental right issues affecting them and the minorities want it rectified as the fundamental rights of all the citizens should be well defined in the constitution. The moves to rectify them began in 2015 was delayed because advantaged by it are the old brigade to hold on to their power; whereas if all the 225 legislators are blessed with the correct mindset on these fundamental rights issues it would have taken only a little time to resolve. The present government did attempt to get support of all in parliament to resolve these issues and failed only because many opposing blocked it, even though they have come-up with a draft constitution. The fact that it has taken over 4 years indicates there are still many out of step for petty political reasons with both Presidential and General Elections are due round the corner.
Among the minority political parties in parliament that are not in government, both the TNA and JVP’s leadership would support the government on this matter and it is left to the other minor political parties that are in alliance with major political parties to understand the urgent need and extend their support to resolve this long standing issue of the people. It would be best for the country to give this government another term in office at the next general Election in 2020 to complete the mission to enshrine all the citizens’ fundamental rights in the new constitution.
The rulers have not been able to stop fraud or corruption or take the economy forward and caused the breakdown of rule of law and have entrapped the country in debt causing a severe economic crisis on the people. The time is now appropriate for the people to take the correct decision so that a destructive state will not pass on to future generations and those with a real necessity for a change are the minority communities and their political representatives must contribute to this effort.
It is a fact that Sri Lankan citizens wants most of their urgent issues resolved to enable them to contribute to take the country forward; it is up to the political parties in parliament to think out of the box to resolve the issues. The TNA should in particular take advantage of this opinion that is growing in the country; to that end should get out of its self-imposed position ‘as sole representatives of Tamils’, which they are certainly not. Then team-up with the rest of the representatives of all Tamil speaking people in parliament and outside to come-up with a common proposition to be presented to the Presidential Candidates and the ruling majority representatives to resolve all issues of the Tamil speaking people before facing the next General Elections in 2020.
Northern Breeze 