People’s Basic Needs Vs Politicians’ Relentless Urge for Power

While the people are battling to make ends meet, a widespread debate has become inevitable whether conducting PC polls is mandatory at this stage.

All state revenue fronts have been restrained, and handling public finances proves to be a serious concern. The Treasury Secretary in an affidavit to Supreme courts stated they face a deficit of around Rs. 290 billion per month. In view of the situation, it is vital to prioritize spending.  
The General feeling among independent citizens is that the LG poll is not a priority. According to another section and as per surveys conducted by responsible fora, most of them think a general election would provide answers by electing honest men. 

There is a five-pronged race to win Gota’s 6.9 votes, with SJB, NPP, Helicopter [sycophants, yes-men, apple-polishers, and Rajapaksas’ bootlickers]; SLFP; and Pohottuwa, competing. While the Government is, yes, “shamelessly” conspiring to sabotage the scheduled stakes, the EC, along with opposition [in spite of threats and intimidation] is all out to prevent a postponement and are “courageously” working to safeguard people’s franchise; they love them so much.  Elections on due dates are the vital ingredient of a healthy democracy.  However, Democracy is not a privilege of politicians. A basic criterion of democracy should be about the welfare of the masses, whether their basic needs are met, and whether they have a sense of contentment and delight. If the people are only enthused when exercising their franchise and sent back to hibernation is not a genuine democracy.

A recent news broadcast about a grade five schoolchild, who found his snack box empty and complaining to the teacher, for her to spend the entire interval investigating who the culprit was, but drawing a blank. The boy’s friends volunteered to share their snacks with him, but later it was revealed that the mother who skipped her previous night’s dinner as well as her breakfast to feed her two kids packed the empty box to dupe the boy who refuses to attend school without it.
Bust up 10 billion on a fruitless election? Democracy—my foot!

“There is no fire like passion; No crime like hatred; No sorrow like separation, No sickness like hunger; And no joy like the joy of freedom.”
‘If I preach the Rule, Decree or Dhamma to men while they are suffering from the pains of hunger, they will not be able to grasp it, ‘Monks, there is no sickness like the affliction of hunger.” Gautama Buddha pronounced the above Stanza in which ‘Hunger comes before freedom’.

In our democracy, politicians who royally screw up people and violate many laws including the supreme law [Constitution], at the end of the day, can look forward to a substantial pension, and for leaders, all the privileges, vehicles, staff, bungalows. He/she will live a respectable life of quiet opulence after retirement running about in official limousines with the family, under state security and at the cost of poor tax-payer even though their careers and plans for the nation’s future were disastrous.

 Leaders should be held responsible for any mistakes or misconduct.  This can be seen in institutions such as:  Rule of law, separation of powers; Independent auditing; Strong parliamentary inquiry powers. Openness or transparency in decisions and actions of leaders should be held accountable for wrongdoing.  Information about decisions and actions should be publicly available.  Strengthening freedom of information laws; independent media, citizen participation, political rights, independence and, Pluralism and effective electoral management bodies and finance regulations are Democracy. An inclusive electoral and political party system; Anti-discrimination laws; Affirmative action policies are vital too. All citizens are equal before the law. The rich and powerful, including leaders have the same legal rights as the poor and powerless, and the same rights to seek justice and be treated fairly through a strong and independent judiciary.  Strong laws against corruption and abuse of power.

Democracy is no guarantee of good government, or even that human rights will be respected. Its main importance is that it provides legitimacy for the government. Thomas Jefferson, American statesman, 3rd President, and Founding Father, said, “Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” This idea is commonplace now, but two centuries ago it was a massive slap in the face of Empires that ruled by what was called the “divine right” — [God chose kings to rule], and their legitimacy consequent to holy appointment. Democracy defeated that idea and declared that the proper source of legitimacy is the consent of the people and not of God.  

 If people made bad decisions, they get bad government. However, in Sri Lanka, they have no alternative but to vote back into power a previously rejected for corruption and inefficiency.  People are subject to unbearable hunger, untold burdens, and indirect taxes as a result of the severe financial crisis in the country.  The provincial council elections have been postponed for more than five years, while the local government has been postponed only by a year.  In order to check the pulse of the masses the opposition wants it held by hook or by crook, the Election Commission has been pressing the cash-strapped treasury to release a provision of Rs.10 billion to hold it.  Government employee salaries, pensions, and welfare expenditures are at stake. The purpose of the LG mechanism is not merely to check the popularity or unpopularity of political parties. In general, the current local government administration has become a drag on citizens and ratepayers as it has become symbol of political bias, corruption, arrogance, and selfishness. 

Professionals have already taken to the streets against tax increases as recommended by the IMF. Taxes are badly affecting them; to increase revenue alternative is to sell the loss-making state enterprises that gobble up the government’s tax revenue. They are not assets as bogus nationalists claim, in real terms, they are liabilities. All major flaws in the election system that ruined the nation should be revised. —Thanks to the intelligent and peaceful ‘Aragalaya’, the majority of the voters, who had been voiceless for 74 years, have been able to raise their voices for a radical ‘system change’ in the entire political and public administration machinery. The Rajapaksas were forced to flee owing to the growing pressure from non-political people who turned into a mass uprising; they created a precedent; if RW fails people will rise again: general elections will come on due dates. Even if a general election is held now, and under a new administration if queues re-appear, are we to go for fresh elections again?

The country needs a combined interim government for a specified period to overcome challenges.
Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, CB Governor: Steps would be taken in 2023 to reduce key interest rates and consequentially inflation would also fall in 2023. Inflation eased to 57.2% in December from 61% in November, proving that the policies adopted since April 2022 are correct. The President has promised to end the reconciliation process by implementing the 13th Amendment by February 4. Already the pseudo nationalist rebel SLPP MPs Wimal Weerawansa and Gevindu Kumaratunga [3-wheer] have voiced their discontent. 
 “All this talk about principles and ideology in politics, is a lot of balderdash. What a bloody snake pit politics is?”   – Sir John Kotelawala 

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