Dr Sudath Gunasekara

An Address to His Excellency the President and Hon Prime Minister,

Dr Sudath Gunasekara : Ex Secretary to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandarnayaka and President Mahanuwara Sinhala Bauddha JesTha puravesiyange sanvidhanaya. 27.12 2020

I am making this all-important and serious request to you on behalf of the whole nation as it was reported this morning over the Pattare vistare that the Cabinet has decided to get the views of the Party leaders on this matter before it is resubmitted to the Cabinet.

Besides the Party Leaders, even if the whole world requests you to hold Provincial Council Elections, I appeal to you not to go for it at this critical hour of the nation for the following reasons. Furthermore never think of giving the PCC a new lease of life without first making a comprehensive in-depth evaluation of a cost-benefit analysis of this mess from its inception in 1987 to date. Such an investigation is a must to find out the benefits the Provincial Councils have accrued to the country and the people, if there is any, and the colossal damages it had already done to the country  as its relevance to this Island nation had been a highly debatable and a controversial subject.in view of its place of origin and the proposers hidden objectives in re- shaping the long term political, economic, geopolitical, geo-strategic, administrative and socio-cultural landscape of this country including its possible disastrous  implications in future on this country and the Sinhala nation.

Reason 1 why you should not go for elections for these utterly useless white elephants and death traps even if the Party leaders support it as they will be the first party to ask for it as leaders of political parties that oppose the Government to create more problems for the government.

Firstly to put the Government in to more trouble and create confusion in the country to enable them to come to power as soon as possible and

Secondly to appease and bait their political bandwagon at the Provincial level who are craving and dreaming for positions in the new Provincial Councils claiming that it was they who wanted the government to have this election when it was hesitant

Thirdly, and more importantly, this is like giving a pot of curd to cats”, or putting a tortoise to water”, as the wonderful Sinhala sayings Dii kirata balallut saakki” and Ibba diyata demmaa wage” as they waiting to find out some loophole to mobilize their supporters to capture power at Provincial levels

I can assure you that none of these Party leaders have any concern for the people or the country as they are only concerned with coming back to power by hook or crook and to enjoy the luxuries they have lost temporally. We need not speak about their patriotism, for, as perhaps you know it better.

I have a feeling that all of them will support having elections for the simple reason that elections are the bread and butter for desperate politicians when they are not in power to wash all their dirty linen against the Government in power.

On the other hand by any chance if they say no  and if you listened to them and stop elections to PCC then they will claim credit for their rather bold and Patriotic stand”  to safeguard the interests of the masses. A message they will carry forward for the next election

 In this backdrop I request you not to go by their verdict, whatever they say as I am confident that you have the power and the brain too to take the correct decision. The correct decision the 7 million voters who voted you  in to power twice within 9 months wanted you to take is to scrap the PCC

 Obviously with Presidential Executive powers restored under the 20th A and the 70% public endorsement given to you with 2/3 in the Parliament I am of the view that you have the full authority to make the bold and historic decision not to have PC Elections at this juncture, as you did in 2009 against the LTTE in spite of serious objections made by the Western powers. This is a golden opportunity to prove your metal once again as undisputed national leaders of the nation without allowing others to get the credit.

Reason 2  Protest by Mahaa Sangha and 7 million who voted this government in to power

More importantly

All the 70 lakhs Sinhala voters who voted you both at the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections (2019 and 2020) lead by the Mahasangha, (except a very few, of course negligible by way of numbers at elections but who want it, for their own benefits as Governors, Ministers, PC MPP to be and in many other places within  the PCC system to enjoy the luxuries that go to fall on their heads from heaven for doing nothing in return) are strongly against the Provincial Councils. They all vehemently oppose it and want the PCC to be scrapped and they have already threatened to get on to the streets as  you yourself did in 1987 where three patriotic people had to sacrifice their lives  on behalf of you and the country.

Reason 3    Extremely prohibitive cost, problem of procurement of funds and repayment

Firstly, the extremely prohibitive cost of such an Election at a time like this when the country needs billions and billions for the current Covid 19 expenses with a pending third wave on the way where the financial commitments are unpredictable.

This is not the time to go for another useless Election after two National Elections just concluded at exorbitant cost with a staggering figure around Rs 30 billion

A PC election at this moment will cost more and it will be at least double the amount needed for one election, or at least RS 25 billion the minimum in view of the prevailing Covid 19 disaster. With the threat of a third wave on the way it could be even more.

From where are you going to get this money? Borrow from whom?  And how are you going to repay it when we are already struggling on the rim

Reason 4 PCC for whose benefit and what gain to the country?

What is the benefit the PCC have brought in for the country or the general public for the past 33 years other than the wastage of billions of public funds and disrupting and confusing the District Administration affecting the governance in the whole country.

Reason 5 Putting the people from the frying pan to the hearth”

As PCC have completely disrupted and killed the once efficient district Administration under GAA and made delivery of services confusing and inefficient due to overlapping, confusion and conflict between the District administration and Provincial Administration

Reason 6

Paving the way for complete disintegration of the eksesath Sinhala Buddhist State that had been protected and defended by our ancestors for the past 2600 years and destroying the Sinhala Buddhist State by dividing the country in to 9 independent Governing units with some of them mono Tamil and some mono Muslim,  finally heading to mark the end of Sinhala Buddhist civilization in this country.

Reason 7 Finally