Letters to the Editor
View(s):When will this end? It’s time to move forward with that system change
Enough is enough. Decades of corruption, nepotism, bribery and indiscipline have reached their zenith. Our political leaders who float along the highways in their swanky limousines should be made to realise their folly. Ill-gotten money amounting to millions in rupees and dollars have been stashed away in foreign banks. The poor have got poorer and the rich have got super rich.
This writer has proudly held aloft the Lion flag as a member of various delegations on foreign soil. In fact, he did lead four delegations with dignity and decorum a few decades ago. But a begging bowl and a rice bowl would be my constant companion if I was to undertake a similar assignment under present circumstances.
The ‘Aragalaya Lions’ deserve our wholehearted support. The system change that is sought must be made a reality if the country is to move forward. Instead of promoting racism and casteism, as politicians are prone to do, it falls on all of us to unite and focus on the future as Sri Lankans.
I forsook a comfortable life in the West and returned to my serene motherland in the Sixties. I then watched in anguish the infiltration of all government institutions with politicians and their acolytes. Disintegration of the system was inevitable and is now clearly visible. Parliamentarians have fine-tuned politics into a profitable profession much to the country’s ruination.
Those statesmen of yore – D. S. Senanayake, Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan and T.B. Jayah would have stood no chance against the machinations of the incumbent lot in Parliament. Maintaining them with salaries, security personnel and perks of varied description is a monumental task. To the best of my knowledge no other country is saddled with such an array of extravagant leaders. The Aragalaya Lions are justified in their demands and a ‘system change’ is a must.
Falsity and duplicity on the part of our leaders have backfired. The benevolent international community has turned a blind eye and deaf ear to our appeals. Sri lankans are groping for justice and fairplay.
‘One country, one law’ was the proud boast of the President when he took office but murderers, thugs and lawbreakers have proved themselves above the law and some even enjoy Cabinet status. Our once proud country has been reduced to bankruptcy.
The country’s Constitution has been reduced to a sheaf of papers. The citizenry and proletariat have been reduced to vagrancy. Never in my 90-odd years have I witnessed such frustration and dehumanisation – not even during World War II in 1939-45, nor during the LTTE separatist conflict of 30years. Poverty and starvation are rife, thanks to our greedy, insatiable leaders.
Thousands languishing in queues at petrol stations, railway stations and bus stands – this has been a regular sight in recent months. When will this sickening spell end?
My simple suggestion: Reduce the number of Parliamentarians to just 30-40, cut their duty-free vehicles and most perks. Return to the pre-Independence mode. The country can then see the degree of patriotism in the politicians.
Governance should be left in the hands of a Constitutional Council comprising educated, disciplined and genuinely patriotic individuals bereft of parasitic elements.
Strengthen the Aragalaya Lions and follow them.
ESJAY
False hopes, gimmicks and unending queues at fuel stations
The Minister of Power and Energy who handles a very responsible ministry, was selected by the President probably due to his membership of the Viyath Maga. However, he has proved to be a very inefficient Power and Energy Minister.
He gave false hopes of ships carrying gas and fuel arriving in Sri Lanka shores. One wonders whether it was a gimmick to keep the fuel starved motorists happy and to avoid the unending queues at fuel stations.
Then knowing that there will be no fuel ships for some time he introduced the fuel token system out of the blues. This was supposedly to enable vehicle drivers to enter the fuel stations on a pre-selected day of the week, dependent on the last digit of the vehicle number plate and avoid the long queues according to the Minister.
When the fuel token system was announced, I visited the petrol station close to my home on Monday, June 27 with much hope and was among the first hundred to give details of my address, profession, NIC number and contact mobile number. The relevant officer who recorded the details informed me that this was a pilot project from Ratmalana to Moratuwa and that when the fuel arrived at the petrol station I would receive an SMS requesting me to report there at the allocated time, once again to avoid queues. I did not receive the fuel token as it was not available. I was told that there was no necessity to have the token as I would receive the SMS on my mobile phone.
The following day I received news that the fuel tokens were being issued. When I visited the fuel station to obtain the token, there were four different long queues along the road – three-wheelers, motorcycles, vehicles needing diesel and cars needing petrol. I met the Sri Lanka Air Force officer registering the cars queued up on the Galle Road and told him that I had already been registered in the book he was entering others’ details and requested the token which was denied to me.
As the queues were there over the next two days, I visited the fuel shed on June 30, when the officer was registering a few people. When my turn came I showed the serial number and my name registered therein. I was told to wait until the SMS was received. He said that my registration would be cancelled if the token was given at a later date! Then I met the SLAF official and explained my position. He then approved the issue of the token. Obtaining the token took 15 minutes. By this incident it was evident that the advice given to Air Force officers to register and issue tokens was not properly given.
The token was just a slip of paper, only 10cm x 6 cm. On it was printed: Name of the Fuel Station, Type of fuel, Contact Number, Name, NIC Number, Vehicle No, Date, Time, Signature of Authorized Officer and Signature of Vehicle Owner. With a microscopic piece of paper, it was with difficulty that the necessary details were entered.
Now it seems we will be without fuel for more weeks. And the unending long queues at Lanka IOC fuel stations where fuel can be got without tokens at a higher price will build up.
Is this a gimmick to hand over the Ceypetco fuel stations to Lanka IOC?.
Mr Minister, do you now realise the problems especially for three-wheeler drivers who are dependent on their earnings on hires for a daily income for their families and who are now completely out of any income to feed their children even a single meal?
Without creating further problems, please resign from your post as the Minister of Power and Energy.
Eng. B.R.O Fernando Via email
Thoughts on elections
I write at a time there are calls for elections and the Government stating that there will be Provincial Council elections within a year. There are four elections:. Local Government, Provincial Council, Parliament and Presidential. In all, I estimate that a sum of Rs. 35 billion would have to be spent to hold them.
My suggestions therefore are for:
Local Government elections where every citizen will have an opportunity to cast votes..Those elected to Local Government institutions in an electoral District will elect the members of the Provincial Council.
Those elected to the Provincial Council will elect the members to the Parliament and the Parliament will elect the President
By this procedure, a large sum of money will be saved by the state, the parties and contestants. If anyone wishes to be the President he would first have to contest the Local Government and graduate from there to the higher echelons. No one who does not have political experience will be elected as President or a Member of the Parliament.
The electoral college of Local Government institutions knows the contestants very well, Parliament will consist of law abiding, recognized, good, educated law-makers.
All those who will be elected to higher office will be answerable to those who elect them.
Gamini Weerasinghe Via email
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