A Means To Restore Sri Lanka To Her Former Resplendence.

These are difficult political times in Sri Lanka where the forthcoming elections have presented more than one area of challenge for the contestants to secure victory as the ballot which is the ultimate decider seems to have many circumspect entities jockeying for its acquisiton where the only viable victor will be the party whose manifesto will be convincing enough towards redressing the nation's woes, if not all of them at least the core issues which have not really been settled.

Ironically enough both the Peoples Alliance of President Kumaratunga and the UNP of Ranil Wickremasinghe have had their opportunities towards restoring to Sri Lanka, what should have been a normal order and have not delivered fully where delivery has been no mean task given the circumstances and dealing with a terrorist entity has been a key item on the agenda which has not been accomplished by either party to the desired effect as envisioned by the Majority Sinhalese nor the minority communities and has gone to neglect due not only to wrong direction but also to prevarication on moves which have not been made within an infrastructure of defence which should have been pressed home when an advantage was visible but squandered due to the petty mindedness of wrong individuals given the wrong powers, bungled strategy and the enemy gaining unnecssary confidence as a consequence. Hopefully a quick implementation of the planned Regional Defence Agreement with India will be the firmest affirmation towards the resolution of any LTTE problems foreseeable in the future and something which must not be shelved as an unimportant anomaly.

There is the usual mud slinging and slander taking place which seems a normal course of actions in a Sri Lankan Election though not far removed as part and parcel from any election anywhere else on the planet but the incessant name calling, accusations of impropriety, bribery corruption and speculations of indulgence in nefarious activities have reached a crescendo of unnecessary proportions, inevitable to a degree and to add colour to the political scenario there now exists a likelihood of a contingent of Buddhist Monks joining the fray which has rendered the expectations of the outcome of this election somewhat humorous and kaleidoscopic in perspective as election day draws closer leaving the more discerning to wonder where Sri Lanka is headed as an aftermath of April the 2nd ?

This election will be an exercise in determining the will of a Nation fed up with political parties which have had their chances where once elected little has been done by them to address Sri Lanka's real issues. while forgetting their pledges and in the privileged slot of representing the ruling party more often than not over exceed their rights, mandates and helped themselves to a generous skimming of the nation's coffers which is hoped will be a responsibility of whoever regains the reins of power towards thorough investigation and punitive action apart from dealing with the terrorist issue involving the LTTE and rebuilding the Nation which they as a terror group all but devastated economically and needing legal confrontation through the norms of International Law!.

Somewhat unfortunately despite the huge adulation of the President by a vast majority of Sri Lanka's masses , someone whom they have come to consider being their redeeming matriarch President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge who was voted to power in 1994, pledged to abolish the executive presidency and turn around many areas of Administrative irregularity has not been implicitly dedicated to her pledges. Consequently she was voted out of office and somewhat problematically due to the extraneous nature of having to cohabit politically with the UNF which was returned to power one of the key factors contributing towards many grey areas consequently has been her tolerant attitude towards the ruling UNF of Ranil Wickremasinghe and the direction in which his cabinet was moving until eventually his Administration was sent packing!and could only augur well towards the re building of her political vision.

As the analysts define it" Tolerance towards the Inroads of the LTTE, brazen misappropriation of the Nation's Finances and effects by some of his cabinet and other ministers while maintaining an "Emperor With No Clothes " mentality in the manner many excesses were either covered up or justified through glib tongued responses and hardly confronted as part of the issue and most importantly the conciliations granted to the LTTE which endangered the Nations Sovereign and Territorial Integrity has caused Ramil Wickremasinghe's demise which finally was effected through Presidential foresight!

All in all as Presidenther tenure of seven long years has been a trying one though acquiting herself creditably and is now seeking a mandate to change the what was improper in the smooth functioning of Sri Lanka, its constitution and handling of its administration. urging political leaders to support only cultured and disciplined intellectuals as candidates and discard selfish thugs from politics as part of her manifesto and perhaps a righteous one which has been affirmed by important areas of the Buddhist Hierarchy, the General Secretary of influential Sri Lanka Buddhist Congress' Venerable Yassasi Nayaka Thera has been quoted as saying, "Over the years, politicians have made Sri Lanka a country of theft, bribery, vice and corruption and the time is opportune to wipe out corrupt politicians and reverse this trend." end quote and an axiom which has been taken up by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) alongside of the other supportive political parties with whom the President appears to be heading towards the mandate asked from the Nation as the need restore the needs of the Nation imperative while learning from mistakes made in the past which hopefully will never be repeated.

The platform of the President's alliance with the JVP and other supportive parties to resolve issues such as an open economy, the gap between the rich and poor, the rich super rich by virtue of high office , and the hopelessly poor who got abjectly poorer, the disposal of state owned areas to foreign investors ,the alarming rise in the cost of living, unemployment, the quelling of trade unions and their direction of workers' strikes crippling essential services and student unrest, increasing crime and a breakdown in law and order. appears to be an alternative to the voter which may result in a complete change of face of the political climate within Sri Lanka in recent times and benefit the entire nation rather than a collective few!.

The burning ethnic issue involving the re-settlement of minorities and dealing with the LTTE as a terrorist entity within the norms of international justice, the maintenance of a free market economy and a positive move to change the 1978 Jayewardene Constitution possibly the source of much of Sri Lankas' dilemmas and restoring Sri Lanka' to the better times of no conflict of a permanent nature (taking a few veiled and desperate sounding threats emanating from the LTTE Camp as being circumspect yet conspicuous enough to ponder upon) into consideration and a time of permeating freedom and Joie de Vivre which going back in time was enjoyed by all and no reason towards not making a positive attempt of restoring to this once beautiful land.

Sadly all of this could have been accomplished through an avenue of National Unity by all parties which was woefully rescinded by the UNF and its affiliates whose personal directions seemed to take precedence over the needs of the Nation!

It is now upto the political forces of credibility to render unto the Sri Lankan Nation what is an inherant right and a simple one though confused by the interpretations of certain convoluted human minds whose perceptions of righteousness are far removed from reality and the truth!
The greater benevolence of selfless patriotism perhaps will be the key to victory in the forthcoming elections and the Resplendant Isle Will Once More Be Resplendant!