Anjalika Silva – USA

As the election draws near and the mud slinging intensifies, those who watch from a distance have a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-BirdƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s eye viewƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the games being played.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t take a crystal ball to predict what can happen if sanity prevails.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Due to selective amnesia the probability of sanity drifts further and further away dragging the country deeper into regression.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s see if we can predict some of the possible scenarios running up to January 26 and thereafter.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Scenario 1:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  President Rajapakse wins the election, the development projects will continue.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The country will demand more transparency and discipline among politicians.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  A reduction in the number of ministries is sure to be one of the necessities the voting public may seek.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Also a declaration of assets for all politicians should clear the air if baseless allegations are to be disproved.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Corruption and nepotism are the main negative factors.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Corruption can be proven if true but Nepotism can be understood.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Have we forgotten the past acts of corruption and Nepotism?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Senanayakes, Bandaranayakes, with or without corruption was all in the family in the same timeline or in a continuum.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  With the Rajapakses, it is in the same time interval.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  WhatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s the difference?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The executive presidency is another pivotal issue.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is laughable that we lived with it for so long realizing the danger of abuse of power with no action taken.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Each leader has used it to their advantage and all the hope of removing absolute power has become a joke!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  All talk and no action up to now.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Nepotism is understandable due to the need for trust under the circumstances looking back at the commanderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s performance. Who can you trust?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It may be a research project to isolate the gene determines trust and distrust.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Sri Lanka will require a major mutation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The DNA of Sri Lankans will be found to be scientifically unique if such a gene is isolated.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Government that is being accused of neglecting a lasting solution to the minority issue will rebuild the North and East and have it ready for the pro LTTE Diaspora to return and benefit from the new infrastructure and facilities provided.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The south of the country will rise up claiming discrimination when development lags behind.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Scenario 2:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Commander who has declared that he has not pledged allegiance to any party but is supported by the JVP and UNP will make his choice after the win.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This is akin to choosing the winning lottery numbers after the prize is drawn.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If he wins, it will be interesting to see who draws the sword first against which side.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The commander appears to be leaving wiggle room to shun the JVP and UNP support and go alone on a military dictatorship plan for which he probably has a blueprint in a safe place.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If so, the incumbent team, and probably all politicians and his enemies for what ever flimsy reason may be eliminated.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Stories of the commanderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s intense and exacting ways have revealed his preference for the way fruits are cut.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If a mango or papaya fruit is cut, he wants to fix all the pieces together before he eats the fruit.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If one piece is missing suspicion leads to aggression and what happens to the person responsible becomes history.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  In the name of discipline and cleaning up corruption, much blood will be shed when ego, anger and suspicion mixed in a deadly concoction with the icing on the top being the executive presidency rolls into action.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Scenario 3:ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Depending who acts faster to be the first, the commander or the JVP/UNP, the two parties that brought him forward will eliminate him and take over the reigns with the support of Norway and the pro LTTE Western nations, bring back the non-citizen Sri Lankans who have left our shores due to allegations of Genocide and Human Rights Violations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  They will be back in droves, to actually commit Genocide against those they choose.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Their dream of separating a mono ethnic homeland may become a reality.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This will eventually devour the entire nation and even the moderate Tamils who oppose such a plan will be eliminated or else, they will all change sides to support a total take over of Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Muslim population will suffer but will probably be accepted as refugees in Islamic countries that may step in.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Sinhalese will become like the Palestinians.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The simplistic solution chosen by some voters with myopic vision is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” vote the current regime out because they are corrupt and they have too many relatives and too many foul mouthed supporters.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Bring change in an unknown form with undefined expectations.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Vote in a dictator who will take revenge not only from the present leaders but also the citizens of the country for not getting full credit for winning the war.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Cause more blood shed, divide the country and send its citizens waving their democratic vote fleeing for their lives!!!ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Where do they go?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  This is a good question with no answers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Not for now or the future.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  There will be no future and it will be too late to find answers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Was 30 years of bloodshed and violence a joke or what? ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Did the people of Sri Lanka endure the senseless killing of civilians and sacrifice young men and women in uniform to lay the country on a platter and hand it to the enemy.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The look of things to come seem to head in that direction.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Whose interests should we safeguard in voting at this election?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Select the appropriate answer from the following options:

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (a)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The sovereign nation of Sri Lanka and its people.

(b)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Greedy short sighted politicians tame them and continue.

(c)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Accept pro LTTE Non Sri Lankan Diaspora trying to return and run the country with dirty money.

(d)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Foreign interests in Sri Lanka to build the pipeline across Afghanistan avoiding Russia and Iran for which Sri Lanka in any state of chaos is okay for a few to get rich.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Many of the above options will not work for the voting public that has suffered too much for too long.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Got it right?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If not, we need to ask ourselves, are we out of our minds?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  If we get it right we will be saying ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-What a wonderful world we live in!ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The need of the day is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Country before self.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Our hard fought peace and sovereignty is too valuable to lose.