President considers changing useless & expensive poll campaigns: PMD
Posted on April 28th, 2020
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said that he has given thought to change the current practice of useless and expensive election campaigns, the President’s Media Division said.
The President has expressed these views when be met with the Maha Nayake of Kotte Sri Kalyani Samagri Dhrama Maha Sanga Sabha, Most Ven.
Dr. Iththapana Dhammalankara Thera and His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith at the Presidential Secretariat today.
At the meeting, His Eminence Cardinal Ranjth has observed that the time has come to deviate from election propaganda that is wasteful and spiteful and adopt a new political culture.
Meanwhile, Ven. Dhammalankara Thera has pointed out that some tanks and irrigation schemes have been neglected in areas where agricultural crops are cultivated.
The President’s Media Division said President Rajapaksa has responded saying that funds will be allocated to renovate these tanks and irrigation canals from the next Budget.
Secretary to the President Dr P. B. Jayasundera and Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga were also present at the discussion.
April 29th, 2020 at 2:23 pm
It is high time that what the President says is done. We have the spectacle of various politicians spouting disgusting untruths at the other parties and telling major lies on the platform in the name of canvassing for votes. We saw in 2015 how the different parties banded together to destroy President Mahinda Rajapaksa by telling fairy tales such as how MR has “a stable of golden horses from the Buckingham Palace, a fleet of Lamborghinis”, and other lies which were so blatantly false and yet some people chose to believe them (were money incentives given ??). Because most of these groups were backed by the International groups, even MR did not bother to respond to them and just went home to Medamulana to retire. After winning the Presidential election by a narrow margin with promises to the minorities, these crooks proceeded to break the law and appointed RW as the PM when there was already a PM, a Cabinet, and a Parliament, and then RW appointed a non-citizen as the Governor of the Central Bank. The rest of how these people scammed the Central Bank not once but twice, is history. For five years they proceeded to demolish the economy and brought in the most absurd laws in the name of a Neo-Liberal Economy. Sri Lanka which was almost self-sufficient in basic food was forced to import cheaper rice from abroad and grow export crops. When Covid 19 happened the insanity of this policy was seen by our people. The Rupee which was at 130 to the $ dropped to 180 and the debt level was increased from 75% to almost 95%, No one could see how the loans which were obtained during this period were spent other than on importing luxury cars and luxury items to bribe politicians to pass the Bills they wanted and to keep silent in the face of massive corruption.
We should therefore immediately implement the following:1. Make it illegal to have religious or community-based parties. 2. Make it illegal to speak untruths on the platform against the Opposition. 3. Each registered political party should be allowed a fixed amount of time on the local media, paid for by the Govt. 4. All contributions to political parties should be completely transparent. 5. Foreign countries however powerful should be prohibited from interfering in local elections and also contributing funds to any registered political parties. 6. Pass very strong anti-secessionist laws as India has done. We can just copy the Indian laws and amend our Constitution. 7. Eliminate the 13A and the 19A which have nearly destroyed the country. In the Cold War times, the 13A was imposed under duress by India to satisfy their own foreign policies and South Indian politicians. The 19A was crafted by a person, who, in hindsight can be seen as being incompetent, and a man who tried to cheat at a University exam and got thrown out of the University. 8. The number of political parties formed in Sri Lanka ought to be limited to a reasonable number by having a high deposit.
I give below some information about the election laws in some other countries we can learn from. https://elections.nz/guidance-and-rules/for-parties/campaign-rules-for-parties – New Zealand
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_France – Election rules in France
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Elections_Act – Election rules in Canada
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_the_United_Kingdom – Elections in the United Kingdom