A close study of the political situation in the country suggests the possibility of an election next year.
The majority of our people – Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim – will no doubt wish to thank our heroic soldiers who have achieved a number of military victories in the past few months and liberated many areas in the North. The government should increase the salaries and allowances of our brave soldiers and other security personnel. That would be a greater motivation to our fighting boys than putting up banners on streets to celebrate victories in the North.
Certain politicians who like to appear patriotic make strong speeches in Parliament but make no mention of the high casualty figures of our troops.
The government is facing a severe economic crisis because of the costly war against terrorism. Corruption, bribery, waste and malpractice are on the increase because of the politicisation of the public sector. Most government institutions are running at a loss and draining the state coffers dry, largely because of this rapid politicisation. The 17th Amendment to the Constitution was introduced with the intention of de-politicising the country. But discussions keep getting postponed. The President is now seeking more time from the Supreme Court regarding this important issue.
The situation will further deteriorate if the general election is conducted without an Independent Election Commission, because the ruling party will use all its state power to win the election.
If we Sri Lankans can cast our votes wisely at the next general election, seeing ourselves as Sri Lankans and not as members of majority or minority groups, much as the American people thought of themselves as Americans when they voted for their next president, that in itself would constitute a great victory for the nation.
W. G. Chandrapala |
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