Letters to the Editor
View(s):We want, no we demand, good people on National List
The elections have come and gone, and as usual, the leaders are busy running from temple to kovil to thank the gods for their victory. How nice! How about paying pooja to Citizen Perera for keeping his sanity and letting good sense prevail? Can one imagine the turmoil if the corrupt kings were let back in again?
But, that being said, what exactly do the new leaders — including the JVP holier-than-thou lot — think they are doing with the national list appointments. Among those who raised concern was the Ven. Sobitha Thera, the campaigner for a just society. Are they not being callously unfair by the voter — the so-called king? Is it morally and ethically correct to foist defeated candidates — candidates deliberately rejected by the majority voter — back onto the voters’ shoulders? This arrogance and crass disregard for the ordinary voter must not be allowed to pass without bitter condemnation.
The leaders are well aware that the poor voter’s hands are tied for another 4 1/2 years at least! Is this the good governance — yahapalanaya — that the President promised the masses? Vote for ‘suitable candidates’, he said on numerous occasions. Those politicians kicked out of office by the voter MUST NOT, repeat, MUST NOT, be brought back into parliament through the back door in broad daylight!
It is our duty to raise our voices and vehemently protest against this so that the leaders undo this wrong forthwith! The national list must remain the device for bringing in eminent people, people of stature — people who for obvious reasons do not want to go through the thick mud of an electoral process with all its aberrations. Constitutional changes are an urgent necessity to remove the ambiguity in the national list device. Enough is enough!
Mr. President, are you willing to compromise? Bring in people of stature is what we say — nay demand!
Ainsley de Silva
Kohuwala
Polls Chief and Police Chief regained freedom and did a praiseworthy job
Elections presidential, parliamentary, provincial and local councils have been held regularly over the past six or seven decades – with the Elections Department being assisted by the Police Department.
I have been a keen observer of national elections since 1956 as a student at Peradeniya and subsequently as a police officer. I still vividly remember how Dingi Karunatillake, the younger brother of Nimal Karunatilleke, was coaxed by his Marrs Hall mates to celebrate Nimal’s Matale victory with tea and cigarettes at the tuck shop.
Violations of election laws did exist even during the early days. Election petitions resulting in several successful candidates losing their seats proved to be an effective deterrent to violations of election laws. The process which led to a by-election if the petition was upheld was indeed a healthy feature in our electoral system not many years ago.
With this effective regulatory mechanism, candidates were compelled to refrain from even treating or transporting voters, leave alone having lavish mass dinners with gallons of alcohol thrown in. The most beneficial fallout of this was the lightening of the burden of the Elections Commissioner and the IGP.
With the introduction of the executive presidential system began the erosion of the independence and the powers of the Elections Commissioner and the IGP. Gradually the situation worsened until these two key officers of the state were veritably reduced to the status of ‘bootlickers’ of the Executive President. They deservedly began to receive the unanimous condemnation of the public.
It is universally acknowledged that a refreshing and welcome change occurred with the January 8 presidential election. Media reports in lavish praise of the Elections Commissioner and the IGP filled the pages from the time the General Election of August 17 ended — the Elections Commi-ssioner for efficiently conducting the elections and fearless and impartial decision-making and the Police Chief for strictly enforcing the law impartially and efficiently in ensuring a free, fair and peaceful election.
While heaping praise, not many have emphasised the real reason for these two officers to have acted in this praiseworthy manner. Undoubtedly it was the change that came about with the presidential election in January that made it possible. After decades of enslavement by the head of state, these two officers were not only allowed but encouraged by the President to execute their duties fearlessly and impartially. Even the Elections Commissioner whose utterances were confined to words during the past regime was able to come out with his full potential only with the freedom he received after the January election.
The lesson to be learnt is that, left alone, without undue influence, the Public Service can not only regain its glory but be of greater service to the country.
Edward Gunawardena
Via email
Of legs, cockroaches and dirty toilets: What’s with our TV ads?
A reader pointed out in a recent letter that television advertisements more often than not distort and destroy the innocent minds of the young and the old alike. I agree with him. Let me also refer to a TV advertisement promoting a popular brand of tea. A young lady drives a vehicle and parks it beside a tea-stall. By now, the advertiser has become oblivious of his objective, thus, instead of introducing the tea to the viewer, the lady’s legs are exposed by showing how she alights from the vehicle. How disgusting is that display? Probably, the advertisers believe that the Sri Lankan viewers are a set of fools who can be manipulated according to their wishes.
Then take the numerous advertisements for sanitary products! How repulsive they are? The advertisers have selected the time between 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm, the time a majority of people enjoy their dinner. Cockroaches and flies fly around, crawl and swarm on dirty toilet bowls, thus creating a sickening image! Even soiled toilet bowls are exposed, inviting the viewers to purchase their product to maintain cleanliness at home. Haven’t the advertisers realised that such displays would discourage those who even intend to purchase them?
Children are being exploited to the highest level. In a recent advertisement promoting a particular brand of biscuits, a boy sings, emulating the voice of an adult. Indeed, the innocence of the child is destroyed.
As such, let there be a controlling body to select the appropriate TV ads prior to telecasting them.
D. Cooray
Pita Kotte
National List: Making a case for Rosy
Many high officials and even religious dignitaries say those who have failed to get elected under the preferential voting system have been rejected by the voters. Under this system a voter indicates the party for which he is voting and marks his preferences for the party’s candidates. There is no rationale for considering a candidate as being rejected as in the ‘first-past-the-post system’ where the voter rejects all but the one candidate he is voting for. Those who secure seats under the preferential voting system can, therefore, be considered to be the voters list of parliamentarians.
The National List is a bonus list provided to the party which is expected to include only those people, who in the opinion of the party, will work to further the party’s interests and its commitments and those who have a track record in such work, notwithstanding the fact that they may not have won under the preferential system.
The present ambiguities, therefore, have arisen as a result of reckoning those who have not secured a seat under the preferential system as having been rejected by the voters and as being unsuitable to serve in Parliament. More often than not this is far from being the case.
A case in point is Rosy Senanayake. Her commitment to the work under her purview was held in the highest esteem by almost all and in my opinion it was a major mistake of the UNP not to have accommodated her in the National List. In fact, her exclusion from Parliament is one of the most shocking outcomes of the August 17 general elections. But I have no doubt that Ms. Senanayake will take the challenge and continue with her edifying work connected with women and children’s affairs with equal commitment as in the past.
I believe that she could create an NGO in her particular field and there is no doubt that she will receive support from the most unexpected quarters.
Eng. P B N Fernando
Via email
No more lies, please!
The masses have decided once again as to what is best for our little island.
I only hope and pray that there won’t be any more mudslinging from both sides.
At least, for once, let us have one politician come up to the stage and tell us what the new government would do for the betterment of the masses. No more lies, please. We have had enough of this.
It goes without saying that once again the Election Commissioner has proved himself and a big thank you to you, Sir.
Let’s hope sanity will prevail. All I ask for is to let us live with dignity and be able to raise our head up high with pride.
Pearly Dunuwila
Kandy
An open letter to Prime Minister
Congratulations on winning the general election and being appointed as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. This letter in the first instance is to caution you, as you cannot afford to be ousted, as had been the case during a previous occasion.
First and foremost you must learn to be humble, but call a spade a spade when it is necessary (like President Maithripala Sirisena).You should not protect or safeguard the wrongdoers, no matter what position they hold – be they friend or foe.
Please ensure that Sri Lanka has a good judicial system with honest judges.
You must not show any racial discrimination, please treat every citizen of Sri Lanka equal – no matter what people say. You must earn the respect of every citizen – no matter what race or religion one belongs to. If you adhere to this advice, you will earn the love and respect of everyone and you will not find it difficult to govern the country as a Prime Minister.
With a hung parliament, Opposition members will try all their tricks in the book to topple your government. So, please be cautious in your thoughts, words and deeds. You should daily seek divine power to help and guide you.
Quintus de Silva
Gampaha
Seasonal times on Kandy’s streets
The historical and cultural significance of Kandy’s annual pageant as recorded by historians has yet to record the rush and activities on the streets of Kandy from dawn to eventide, come the Perahera season. Mine is an attempt to correct this omission.
The seasonal times on the streets starts with notice issued on Kandy’s complacent citizenry. The ten days following this help drive away their year’s accumulated ennui and the tumult that plunges them headlong into a seething mass of humanity on a day’s outing on Kandy’s medieval and narrow streets and pavements.
It is on the streets the raucously itinerant hawkers vend their baubles and dust crusted food among the vast milling crowds, and it is here wily conmen operate smooth as silk duping many a naïve customer and also where the light fingered gentry put their skills to test to relieve many an unwary of their valuables. Yet no one seems overtly worried and rightly so, for after all, it is the season of seasons where losses do not count but what matters is the fun generated while peregrinating on the streets.
Analgesia also known as absence from pain is tested to the hilt on the streets. It is here where one would be bumped, tripped, trampled, poked viciously on the ribs, kidney punched or swept aside imperiously by grim faced bellicose looking matrons escorting clutches of maidens — all in a day’s seasonal outing. It is on the streets that pain gasps and grimaces have no place but where one could forget the indignities suffered by worming into a corner to listen avidly to some lively rustic gossip doing its round or accept with grace a proffered chew of betel, or even exchange highly spiced humour and be thumped on the back in wild appreciation. All these are not for the uninitiated to experience. It is only the streetwise campaigners of many a perahera seasonal foray who could and would endure and survive.
It is a kind of madness that overtakes the romantically inclined and it takes only half a day for romances to grow and bloom and to hide the blushes of many a maid which goes unseen to waste its sweetness on the crowded streets of Kandy. Seasonal lore has it that troths are made and sealed in the heat of the day, for better or for worse to leave some in ecstatic joy and others to rue the day. That it all happens on the streets is just about what amazing things this season could produce in just half a day of madness.
It is on the streets that one would meet a long lost friend and exchange brief cameos from the past and where strangers seal friendships. It is here which helps complete the season of caring and sharing and where the humane quality of a nation is put on show on the ancient streets of Kandy. All these and more that had come alive since day break is only a prelude to an evening that would see the vast crowds lined on the pavements for the magnificent show that would sate the senses of thousands and leave several thousands more tranquilised and yet very many more bewitched at what their eyes had beheld — the Kandy Perahera.
After the perahera is over and the last straggler gone his weary way home one may stand in the shadows of a deserted street and listen to the echoes of a tumultuous day gone by which even the wind disdains to blow away — from the streets of Kandy.
Donald Nugawela
Colombo 5