Within three days of the editorial "Greasy Poll" in the Sunday Times all the local bodies were dissolved. Although the people looked on helplessly, the proportional representative system created more autocrats than democrats even in remote Pradeshiya Councils. As in parliament, in local bodies too the few opposition councillors looked the other way when serious malpractices eroded good values in councils and it spread to the whole society. Only the mass media fought back valiantly though bruised and battered at every turn. The hands of the Police were tied. The people should not cynically blame those entrusted with power because an equal responsibility lies on the so called opposition too.
To quote The Sunday Times of January 27, "In terms of today's dilution and denigration of democratic values, the people are sovereign only on election day or more so just for the few moments they are in a polling booth. After elections the people are forgotten. It is the same old dirty story of humbug and hypocrisy.
Just look at the local councils. Most of them are a sham and a shame - dens of corruption and incompetence. Their high rates are inversely proportionate to the low services. If the Colombo Municipal Council is supposed to be the premier local body in the country, then its performance hardly lends itself to emulation by smaller bodies."
If and when the Union of Regions or whatever descends on us, the constitution of such bodies should be more explicit about their accountability. They could publish a special Gazette for the information of the public about their activities, employment opportunities and details of development projects including the calling and award of tenders etc. The annual budget should be publicised as in parliament and the media should be afforded a special place in all the activities of both the councils and councillors! A monthly press conference should be made compulsory on the sleepy and unconcerned leading citizens of each region. Only the media could save us right now.
In the letter titled 'Aristotle and the Package in 'The Sunday Times' of February 2, the writer has the amazing gall (or naivety) to announce that the concepts of democracy and the rule of law are unique to the English language! As such, they are totally incomprehensible to the 'Sinhala Only' yakkos' - until they all learn English. He advises Prof. Peiris to stop trying to push the Package to the ignorant Sinhala masses who know no English. The writer's contempt for the Sinhala language has been expressed earlier in his novel 'The Libyan Connection' where his protagonist Jerry recoils in aversion from the curlicues of the Sinhala script in the Lankadipa.
Roman Catholicism in Sri Lanka has had no difficulty in overcoming conceptual expression in Sinhala and (via Portuguese, Latin and Hebrew) being understood and embraced by hundreds of thousands of Sinhala only speaking villagers. What difficulty will they have in understanding the concepts of democracy and the rule of law?
The writer also displays an alarming Anglo-centricism. Democracy, to him, is enshrined only in English! Pity the poor French, Germans and Japanese who may aspire to democracy and the rule of law only, if and when, they learn English.
As for the Athenians of Aristotle's day - I wonder how they discovered democracy centuries before the English language evolved?
This refers to Dr. R. S. Welicanne's statement in the letter titled 'Gorse' in the Horton Plains in 'The Sunday Times' January 26.
The Department of Wildlife has not launched any campaign in Horton Plains so far to eradicate Gorse (Ulex europeus) independently or in association with the Wildlife Society.
Irrespective of the wrongs done to a natural ecosystem in the past, good national park management must evaluate the present role of deliberately or incidentally introduced exotic species. A scientific management plan is presently under preparation for Horton Plains which has recognized Gorse as a fast spreading weed to be suppressed/eradicated. Wet patanas of Horton Plains are a unique montane marshland ecosystem with its own elements of floral and faunal diversity. The changes induced by past potato cultivation have altered the natural land form over large areas. These changes are stalling the natural revegetation of the affected areas. Yet one can see at many places spontaneous natural regeneration of patana grasses. Restoration of land form by redressing of potato terraces and Gorse suppression (without use of chemicals) is being considered under the management plan so as to help nature in ecological recovery.
The Department is alive to the problems of parks and is trying to solve them on scientific basis.
By way of getting ready for expected food shortage around the year 2005 AD (or is it 2000) the government has totally banned the felling and the transport of jak, breadfruit and coconut trees. Even if the much dreaded food shortage does not come to pass, the present regulations will greatly help to bring down the ever escalating food prices in Sri Lanka. As such one hopes these regulations would be enforced rigidly without any exceptions even in the case of V. I. Ps.
These new regulations remind me of an old doggerel by an unknown wit who sang -
Jak and Del We may not fell For timber or for rafter. For jak and del No one could tell May be our food Hereafter.We may now even alter the first line to 'Jak Del and Pol'.
dis-enfranchised?
Francis Perera of Moratuwa should be commended for his 'letter to the editor' in The Sunday Times February 2. As stated by him the holding of the Local Government Elections on the March 27, is impolitic, as it is a day which falls during the holy week and is also the day on which "Lord Jesus Christ" had his last supper, with his 12 disciples, 1964 years ago, and instituted the sacrament of the Holy Encharist, and hence, is a day of great importance to the Christians. The holding of the elections on that day will give Christians the choice of either fulfilling their religious duties or exercising their franchise. As the majority of Christians will opt for the former, is this not a subtle way, by the so-called Democratic parties, to dis-enfranchise the Christians?
Why has the hierarchy of all Christian denominations, specially the Catholic hierarchy (Bishops Conference), whose faithful constitute about 60 percent of the Christians in Sri Lanka, not protested to the relevant authorities to ensure that Christians be not deprived of the franchise.
I, as a Christian and a sovereign citizen of Sri Lanka, appeal to the President, on behalf of all Christians of Sri Lanka, to avoid holding the election on the day specified by her, and to re-fix a day for the holding of the Local Government elections, after Wesak, as, otherwise, a large number of Christians would be deprived of their fundamental right to vote, due to their having to discharge their religious obligations.
More letters to the editor - * May the Holy Spirit guide Fr. Balasuriya and his loyalists * Public displays of private acts * You have not properly studied the issue * SLAS is a cadre of professional Managers
Write a letter to the editor : editor@suntimes.is.lk