Letters to the Editor
View(s):Presidential candidates: More rules needed to keep out undesirables
I refer to the letter published in the Sunday Times of October 27 under the heading, ‘Glut of contestants due to ridiculous rules’ and wish to add:
The current presidential election rules about deposits is fair in a democracy.
But in order to prevent undesirable elements, people with vested interests (such as breaking votes) and the mentally ill, entering the race– thereby unfairly taxing the resources of the National Election Commission (NEC) and of course, our country– each candidate should be compelled to sign an irrevocable bond with the NEC, agreeing that every candidate who does not obtain at least 10% of the casted votes, shall be liable to pay a sum equal to the total cost of the election as is calculated by the NEC (after the election), divided by the number of candidates participating in that election.
This is a fair method of recovery of the extra cost that the country has to bear, due to a poor decision made by any citizen.
In the event the so calculated amount is not paid, the punishment should be a five- year jail term.
This will effectively prevent candidates from entering the election, knowingly that they are not suitable.
Similar rules to recover additional costs caused by candidates could be devised for other elections too, with smaller percentages.
Pem Deheragoda Via email
It was WDJ who said 4 years ago that Gota would be the right man for the job
I am writing as a non- biased ordinary citizen living in the Harispathuwa electorate in Kandy. I thought of sending this letter due to the public controversy surrounding Gotabaya Rajapksa’s candidature for presidency.
A former senior Cabinet Minister W.D.J. Seneviratne has chosen to remain silent but it was ‘WDJ’ as he is commonly known, who with his impeccable political acumen prophesied four years ago that ‘Gota’ was the ideal person to hold the leadership of this country sacrificing his comforts and using his political acumen to govern. WDJ at that time said, “let us have the right man for the right job to get optimum results for the country”.
Those who were critical of Gota are now acting as though they are his closest associates. They are all playing up to him for their personal gain and not for the progress of the country.
Principled politicians, of the calibre of WDJ, are a rare breed indeed today. As WDJ used to say, “the man who reads, is the man who leads”. Sadly most of our politicians cross over to whichever side is the strongest having enjoyed all the perks and privileges they could on the other side.WDJ is one of those rare brave political figures who has never wavered in the public arena. His reputation remains good among the people of this country whether rich or poor and it is not just his constituents but the whole country that needs him today.
Sarath Dhanapala Kandy
Are we not even worthy of our votes?
Recent articles in the print media giving wide coverage to the presidential election campaigns held at different times and venues, highlight the lavish promises made to almost all segments making up the population – all these promising a brighter future for all! Well and good.
Nobody seems to be saying anything about the youth of yesteryear – the senior citizens of today– who are now retired after years of yoman service to the nation. This is a sad situation. They are a community that is merely surviving on the meagre interests earned from the investment of their retirement benefits. This is particularly so with those who served in the private sector.
It is a well accepted fact that various ailments get the better of us as we get older. These entail, apart from expenses for other day to day needs, enormous medical costs which are not cheap anymore. While it is praiseworthy that the government has allowed an inerest rate of 15% per annum or 14.06% per month on the first Rs.1.5 million invested in FDs, can one manage to survive on Rs. 17,575 per month incurring heavy medical expenses, soaring cost of living, housing and other expenses for urban facilities, telephone and the list goes on! The paltry interests earned on investments over and above the 1.5 million is not worthy of any mention!
A crucial question to ask at this juncture is – are we not even worthy of our votes? Why are we being left in the lurch with nothing to look forward to? If it was by an oversight that we have been left out, then, can the presidential candidates promise us that we too will be looked after and that we will be benefitted by allowing the current threshold to be raised from Rs 1.5 million to 3 million at least?
Basil Paiva Borella
Sri Pada from my window
1908: View of Sri Pada from Colombo Golf links
I read with much interest the article on Sri Pada in the Sunday Times last week (10/27) by Dr. R.P. Fernando and considered it apropos to show our readers how much the skyline between Colombo and Sri Pada has changed since 1908.
I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to get a glimpse of the sacred mountain from my bedroom first thing in the morning. On a clear day it is a magnificent sight to behold.
The high rise buildings certainly do not do justice to the photograph. But alas! such are the times we live in today.
Methsili Ehrlich Colombo 3
