Can Sajith or Gotha make a real change to Lankan politics as the next President to secure the nation? For all the Sri Lankan rulers have failed for seven decades to provide good governance; to place country’s sovereignty and national security at risk due to ever increasing external interference. As the result the Island nation that is strategically located in a growing region with access to unparalleled markets is in a muddle and soaked in heavy foreign debts.
Interfearance began after independence in 1948 with western nations involved in the wars in Far East. Then after the country was made a republic India increased its interest in it’s neighbour to keep its back yard free of conflicts after the 1983 riots in the Island. During the negative peace period with absence of justice after the civil-war was brought to finish in 2009, China was attracted by the island’s strategic location and got actively involved in its development activities that has made India and the West very uneasy.
Unfortunately no matter who ruled the country, be it the green or blue party or alliance of both parties the same rule prevailed biased towards the majority without a holistic rule to cause descent against the state. That polarised to finally divide the various communities; a fact confirmed by the large number of political parties that has divided this little nation into fragments. It only invited foreign interventions into the affairs of a sovereign nation to deny national security.
The rulers having messed it all up took cover under the pretext of protecting the religion and language of the majority community; only ended up alienating the minority communities by distorting their aspirations.
All civil groups in the country advised the rulers, their advise were wasted like pouring water on ducks back. Further the political leaders of the minorities compounding to the problem, became more rigid with their demands and thus no body thought of the nation as a whole. This opened the flood gates for further external interfearance into the affairs of the country.
Many times attempts were made to change the rulers and in 2015 that attempt was successful. Only it made matters worse for the ruled, in particular the sufferings minorities; while rulers benefited from the financing development projects undertaken in the island by the interfearing nations, as they were all executed under the prevailing poor governance.
Now as the country prepares for the Presidential Election, the people have a way to get out of the mess they could to start with stop funding the election campaigns of all the 35 presidential candidates and the candidature of all the present legislators, when they contest in the General Election due next year.
At the President Election in November, there are two candidates likely to battle it out. Led by Sajith Premadasa of the Green party in alliance with many minority parties. Is closely followed by Gotabaya Rajapaksha of the Blue political alliance parties. Both candidates are from South and belong to the majority community not ready to govern the country without bringing religion into politics.
The people of Sri Lanka must realise that past politicians have by their inaction to get on with a holistic rule fit for a multi-ethnic and multi-religious has made the island nation insecure. Now it is upto the elected New President as the Head of State to rise above party politics and make the difference; for a change is only possible if religion is kept out of politics. As voters it is upto the people to select the right candidate to vote as the next President. Vote wisely, but waste not your vote by boycotting the election.
Northern Breeze 