Letters to the Editor
View(s):Taking heed of the ‘Vox populi’ is the need of the hour
Sri Lanka today is undergoing an unprecedented upheaval clamouring for a drastic system change calling the corrupted, impotent rulers to ‘pick up the gauntlet’. The ‘Galle Face revolt’ has emerged without an ad-hoc leader or any other party-affiliated forces, and some tag it ‘a net-work revolution’.
It is an eruption of pent-up frustration among the wide spectrum of the masses in reaction to the plethora of issues created by the present regime, against whom a concerted protest with great momentum is being made by people of all walks of life. What can be heard on everybody’s lips today is, ‘go home the rulers’.
People have plucked up their courage with clear conviction of the amassed facts and figures pertaining to the allegedly shady deals perpetrated by those who are in the higher echelons of power– the ruled agitating for the outright removal of the rulers, to facilitate an all-party team for good governance. But the question is, whether such a hotchpotch mechanism with the tainted ‘top brass’ at the helm can prescribe a panacea for the chronic ills of the nation.
To hope for constitutional changes steered by statesmen of the calibre of Gandhi, Lincoln or Mandela is a ‘wild goose chase’ so picking ‘the best of the worst’ among parliamentarians, is the Hobson’s choice to form a tentative, corruption-free mechanism subject to supervision by an independent pro-people body to find quick solutions until a free and fair election is held. Taking heed of the ‘Vox populi’ is the need of the hour.
Gunapala Nawarathne Kurunegala
People have lost faith in their representatives
Today there is a vast erosion of confidence between the electors and the elected and the people are exercising their supremacy against the elected for having failed to fulfil the aspirations of the people.
Those elected to office of Parliament have not lived up to their commitments by fulfilling their duties and responsibilities towards the people who elected them. They have failed to deliver the goods. Therefore the people are coming out on to the streets in large numbers to voice their discontent and dissatisfaction by protesting against those whom they elected and demanding that they all resign as they no longer deserve to hold their positions due to a veritable breach of contract.
Those who have been elected by the people on entering Parliament have forgotten the reason why they have been elected. They seem only concerned about furthering their privileges and ensuring the security of their political career. Some have been abusing the powers vested in them, acquiring for themselves both fixed and liquid assets unlawfully, instead of serving the people and giving priority to providing for their needs. In the process they have deprived the people of the basic necessities and made them suffer due to shortages and insecurity caused by their inability to routinely ensure their basic needs.
Those in power have mismanaged the economy and have allowed the prices of goods to increase to unprecedented heights, making it impossible for people to purchase their daily requirements, due to the devaluation of the Rupee against the US Dollar exponentially. They have squandered the country’s dollar reserves through rampant corruption and the dependency on unrestrained loans without checks and balances by failure to ensure the proper utilization of it for the purpose for which it was taken, making them unsustainable, and consequently making the country bankrupt.
All these factors have forced the people to rebel against the Government and to hold every one of the Members of Parliament accountable. They are now demanding their resignation due to loss of confidence in their ability to govern the country effectively.
Ridley Casie Chitty Via email
It’s time to depart
If the Government is unable to deliver the most essential goods to the people of Sri Lanka obviously the President must go. The President clearly does not know the pulse of the people.
Contrary to his election, a people’s power revolution has been generated from the entire country asking him to go. Obviously he has no moral right to remain. He should not remain on his legal right which has been overpowered by the will of the people. The tables have been turned and for the good of the people, he must bow to the will of the majority.
The President is obviously caught between the devil and the deep sea – doomed if he leaves and doomed if he doesn’t. Obviously a reasonable man would take the decision that he is answerable to the people. The responsibility for the Easter Sunday attacks have not been properly dealt with. According to the PCOI recommendations, the sword of Damocles hangs dangerously over his head. Why not just go and close a disgraceful chapter in our history?
The will of the people should supercede the selfish agenda of the President.
Nepotism is the name of the Rajapaksa game.
T.L.B.W. Via email
CBSL:Why no institutional dollar accounts?
I am made aware that red tape seems to preclude the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) from opening ‘US Dollar, GBP, AUSD’ accounts on behalf of such reliable bodies as the SLMA (Sri Lanka Medical Association) and the Medical Specialist Colleges.
Several Sri Lankan doctors residing abroad (and there are many!) are very concerned about the predicament faced by our health service, i.e. shortage of drugs and surgical equipment.
They would like to send dollars etc to reliable non-governmental institutions of their choice, as they have been ‘put-off’ by the lack of communication (how the dollars will be spent, the authority doing so, not even sending back a letter of receipt or an acknowledgment) in their previous attempts to do so via government sites. In the circumstances it baffles me why ‘executive- speed of action’ has not been taken on this account.
Why non-governmental? It is only fair that they request details of the process as even the COPE Committee findings reveal a lack of standard tender procedures being followed in massive governmental transactions.
Let’s not forget hackers had access to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority’s digitized records with impunity. Purchase of drugs as by ‘ local purchase’ as an emergency measure results in costs 2-3x times the normal price, a situation sometimes engineered by colluding authorities for the purpose, by delaying declaration of such shortage.
I hope in times of crisis, as we now face ‘a sense of patriotism’ will prevail.
Dr Channa Ratnatunga Via email
Eradicating corruption important when looking for solutions to crisis
In finding solutions to the economic and financial crisis confronting our country today, eradicating corruption in the state sector plays an important role.
As regards Government tenders (both central and provincial) for supplies and construction, the tendency is to resort to corrupt practices. As a remedy, an independent authority should be set up under a competent retired judge who will carry out his duties strictly according to tender procedures. All matters regarding tenders called for by ministries, departments and provincial councils should be entrusted to this authority which should be subject to periodic audit by the Auditor General and ultimately be answerable to Parliament. Today what is needed is a system where the role of the politician is confined to a bare minimum in the day-to-day administration of the country.
K.S. Ekanayake Jaela
There was a time when we had statesmen
I wonder how many of the protestors at the Galle Face have thought about the statues in front of the Presidential Secretariat building of Ponnambalam Arunachalam, W.A. de Silva, D.B. Jayatilaka, D.S. Senanayake and others. They remind us of an age when Sri Lankan politicians were statesmen who were educated men of utmost probity, devoted to public service, acted in the national interest, respected and able to work with their political opponents, undertook extensive charity work and were able to negotiate effectively with the colonial government. The current generation of Sri Lankan leaders will have to demonstrate some of these qualities if Sri Lanka is going to extricate itself from its present dire predicament.
Dr. R.P. Fernando UK
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.