Sri Lankan have the opportunity once again on August 5 to use their franchise to retain their rights and elect a new set of representatives to their parliament. This situation was arrived prematurely, because the last parliament contained a collection of exclusive corrupt representatives dominating on either side of the divide in the parliament. The in fighting like cats and dogs of these politicians, brought all activities of the legislature to a standstill. With inactive government and corrupt activities increasing, a country, that was already ruined economically by a prolonged civil-war was heading to a virtual bankruptcy. This made one wonder if Sri Lankan are digging their own graves!
In this scenario, the Presidential Election was called for with corrupt parliamentarians continuing with same infighting right up to the 2019 Presidential Election; and the people opted away from electing a President from these corrupt politicians and instead an administrator was voted in as the new President, who promptly dissolved the parliament and is preparing the country for fresh elections. Earlier, decades ago a civil-war itself was forced on the people by the state due to the failure of the past politicians to resolve issues within the walls of the House of Representatives, the parliament.
Now the new President is ruling the country without an elected parliament , through powerful task forces without any checks and balances; as the corrupt politicians are preparing for the 2020 General Election to democratically elect representatives to the parliament on August 5.
At the forthcoming parliamentary elections the President wants to gain a two thirds majority to be able to alter the Constitution. While the people are more worried that the Task Forces may create a parallel administration exercising control could survive beyond the General Election, to return a parliament compliant and subservient to the President. With people arguing that the establishment of the Task Forces is administratively murky; the corrupt politicians are having a field day with few spreading fears in the minds of people that the country is fast heading for a dictatorship under the new President.
Bitter truth is the people must accept the fact that all this is taking place in the country, only because they as voters kept on sending back to parliament corrupt politicians at every election. Only exceptions being till they fall dead or retire due to aging and poor health. As the result the country was dragged into a bloody and cruel civil-war for many decades where many thousands perished, much more disabled, even more leaving their homeland as refugees, while the rest are still left behind, includes these faulty voters.
The people lost a paradise, where they were united at independence in 1948 are today dispersed into small communities by ethnicity, religion and of late by region. It appears soon they will have to dig their own grave as everyone will be on their own living for themself than contribute for the country. The corrupt politicians have destroyed the paradise and the responsibilities have fallen on the New President to put things right.
The people are today facing the consequences; are left with only one option to select quality politicians from the list of candidates and cast their vote to send them as their representative in parliament. It will then enable the President to replace the present Draconian Constitution with a simple majority in the Parliament, filled with quality representatives, without a two thirds majority to do it. Then people will together unite the country for all communities and put a stop to Sri Lankan digging their own graves!
Northern Breeze 