How to Solve the Tamil Problem and Win the Presidential Election
Posted on January 1st, 2015
By Daya M, Australia
Tamils in Sri Lanka wielded disproportionate power, due to British colonial policies, until the late 1960s as they held most of the executive posts in Government Departments, Corporations and in the private sector. This power gradually diminished as SWRD Banaranayake’s national language policy started kicking in. This loss of power and control over the majority race led them to cry discrimination and ask for a separate State or a Federal Government.
This Tamil ethnic problem, as well as the Muslim problem, can be solved easily by adopting the following recommendations which, if promised to implement in the next term, will also ensure a resounding victory for President Rajapaksa at the coming election:
- Bring in anti-discrimination legislation criminalising discrimination based on religion, race, caste or gender, where every citizen of Sri Lanka has equal rights. Australian anti-discrimination legislation can be copied and hence, western countries and human rights advocates will become powerless to criticise Sri Lanka (most high caste Tamils and some Tamil politicians will not like this).
- It would be important to appoint an independent and powerful commission to oversee this legislation.
- Get rid of the 13th amendment and abolish the Provincial Council system, which then becomes superfluous. (Indians may not like this and as such, may need good diplomacy to convince them that the Tamil problem has been solved and that the colossal waste and corruption due to provincial councils can be eliminated).
- With the money saved from abolishing the provincial councils higher salaries can be paid to public servants, including teachers.
- Promise the voting public that a new constitution amendment will be enacted incorporating the anti-discrimination legislation and the best parts of the 17th and the 18th amendments while abolishing the 13th amendment.
If these recommendations are followed and forcefully communicated to the voters, President Rajapaksa will win the election. If not, from what I read and hear from my friends in Sri Lanka, there is a very good chance that the President will loose this election. He may not know the real situation as he is cocooned by some rogues and yes” men. So, it is up to those people who really love him to convey this message to him. If he can promise to do these, he will win this election and be remembered as the best ruler Sri Lanka ever had after independence
January 1st, 2015 at 5:28 pm
The president must show some courage and get rid of the 13th amendment. This will not loose any honest Tamil votes. Most Tamils are un ungrateful bunch and will not vote for him how much ever he does for them.
Getting rid of 13th amendment will not only save a lot if money, it will get rid of a lot of useless political thugs. This money can be used to develop the remote Sinhala areas.
January 1st, 2015 at 6:29 pm
Yes Daya you are right,
If MR comes up with the proposal to abolish 13A, lot of people will re-join him including our friend LORENSO.
Get rid of 13A
promise to reduce the ministries to may be 30
Promise to establish administrative units based on Villages
Promise to strictly curb bribery at all levels
Promise to maintain transparency at all levels
Bring the constitutional Amendments promised and get rid of preferential system
Strictly administering “mathata thitha” and destroying drug menace
I think that is all lacking. All other good things he did should continue.. No one cares about EP.
January 1st, 2015 at 6:34 pm
I forgot… a few
Ask Mervin to retire
Remove Sajin Vas – useless dumb
Re-instate Chris Nonis
Establish a panel for Foreign Relations and get patriots from overseas to contribute.
January 1st, 2015 at 11:29 pm
Unfortunately it is not that easy. We must recall it was the Prevention of Social Disabilities Act of 1957 (that made it an offence to discriminate anyone based on ethnicity, religion, caste and station) that triggered the Tamil hartal campaign and the anti-Sinhala tar brush campaign. Prevention of Social Disabilities (Special Provisions) Law of 1973 worsened it.
There is no ethnic problem in Sri Lanka. There is only a set of racist demands that are at best ignored. Touching those at this late stage of the election campaign will not do any good.
January 2nd, 2015 at 3:09 am
Like in Australia make a one language policy. Bandaranaike is the problem mate. I am sure Chadrika is his biological daughter.
January 2nd, 2015 at 3:18 am
There are a number of good proposals here by Christie, Hirante , Sarath W and Daya.
Hirante said “If MR comes up with the proposal to abolish 13A, lot of people will re-join him including our friend LORENSO.”.
Not only Lorenzo, more importantly Champika Ranawaka will join the President too. He mad this challenge two days ago.
But unfortunately Lorenzo, Champika and all people with senses know Preident Rajapakse is the LSAT MAN IN SRI LANKA who is prepared to do so.
January 2nd, 2015 at 3:23 am
Dear friends. Please wake up. You all know Prabhakaran, Chandrika, Ranil, TNA, Hakhim very well. But you should understand who is the President too. Sometimes foolish evil people are very cleaver to hide it but clever people can be so blind and foolish not to identify them.
January 2nd, 2015 at 7:18 am
I have all along stated that Presdent Rajapakse would never repeal the 13th Amendment for two reasons.
Undertaking given to India and more importantly it suited MR to galvanise the local electorates via his Provincial Councillors.
Regrettably it has come back to haunt him with a large number of PC members and local activists with large chunks of votes have crossed over to the Opposition. PC members are a strange bunch of opportunists who are more close to local people than national politicians. What have these local PC members seen in their local electorates for them to jump ship. It is certainly not financial incentives or deals that coerce them to support a losing cause.
Why would they jump ship from a lucrative position to support a losing cause?
Cross over of National politicians is of no concern unless its a “big ticket” with a large vote bank. Local politicians are key to galvanise the votes at a ground level.
There is even a rumour that Sajith Premadasa may cross over to the MR Camp in a few days!!
Political blunders (there have been many) and arrogance can only register negative images of a government campaigning primarily on external factors rather than the opposition’s main complaint about good governance, corruption, waste, politicization of the judiciary, public service, academia and even the security forces.