Anjalika Silva, USA

As a Presidential Election prematurely tabled comes up in a few days, there are many arguments being made in broad and undefined terms as necessity for change. Corruption and Nepotism, two age old Sri Lanka traditions have suddenly emerged as important criteria in support of change. Looking superficially and delving into this deeper we need to become educated and impart depth to those who cross our path before sacred principles of a nation are sacrificed together with true democracy. There are invisible forces that have ruined nations throughout the world and sooner or later, it may be our turn.

The desire for change is being bandied around without much substance or a well defined set of criteria that encapsulate what is best for the country. The time has come to engage in a definition for change without taking into consideration personalities behind the scene who are offering change. The term ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-ChangeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ was used extensively in the US Presidential Election by President Obama. However, the change needed translated into tangible needs of the country taking into consideration 47 million people without healthcare, historically high unemployment nearing double digits, and the ongoing war that was crippling its economy.

As for Sri Lanka, the most important change has already taken place. The war that was the bane that we all waited so anxiously to end has ended. It must be noted however, that the enemy continues to be active and this time, we may not see the tangible forces that continue relentlessly to destabilize Sri Lanka. However, we choose selective amnesia with regard to facts in looking for change following the end of the war. This must be replaced with awareness and education about what goes on in the global arena that can come to roost on our doorstep too.

What really is the change needed in Sri Lanka? From all utterances and the arguments thrown around, there is no substantial action plan for the country. The election is being fought by undoing what the current regime has done, or changing actions of the other side to appease voters without regard for consequences to the country. The country is the least important in addressing ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-changeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ while the citizens who vote believing in change have different expectations that may never be met.

Do we just look for a different face with a different set of promises that cannot be delivered by personalities that differ being at two ends of the spectrum with respect to experience and political savvy. It does not take rocket science to determine that commanding an army with all powerful control is not the same as governing a nation. Especially a small nation such as Sri Lanka that is dependent on global influences while being mindful and aware to protect itself from global interference. There are invisible hands that reach out to vulnerable areas in countries like Sri Lanka because big powers that have lost empires make a global shift to control small countries as underdogs. The leadership of small countries is met with disapproval merely for standing on their own or developing their agenda in keeping with the aspirations of normal citizens if it differs from multinational interests. This is unacceptable to the new world. In the new world, there are many unobtrusive ways to remove leaders who do not tow the line.

Change with undefined goals that do not meet the expectations of its people can be dangerous to the very existence of a country. Although the voter “expects” some changes, there are no guarantees. At this critical moment, after the end of the war in May 2009, barely 8 months later which is shorter than the gestation period of a human baby, we cannot expect a 360 degree turn around of 30 years of damage. We cannot make decisions based on anecdotal references to corruption and nepotism until they are properly investigated and proven. At the same time, this is not unfamiliar to Sri Lanka or any other developing world. However, there is a difference when corruption has connections to the outside world and that is the area in which a majority of Sri Lankans are totally in the dark and need to be educated. When the debris on a road is cleared and the workmen are removed before the road is fixed, it is not a good scenario unless the next crew knows what to do. As far as the nation can see, the next crew is focussed only on one thing — eradicating corruption and nepotism while the road is heading back to a state of chaos. Nepotism is a necessary evil considering the very low trust threshold among Sri Lankans in every walk of life including those who hold the highest office in the country.

Reversal of the agenda of the ruling party to win an election is a childish game that can burn the country. Annexing the north and east of the country and reducing intelligence forces while releasing all terror suspects is a perfect recipe for disaster. These are the types of ludicrous actions that are promised by those who are used as go betweens to ruin countries and make senseless decisions as set ups that are well compensated by those who desire ruinous results.

Corruption in third world countries can take two forms. One being internal where bribery on a small scale can be considered a lesser evil. However, corruption at international level, and the participation of opposition politicians in willful actions to destabilize democratic governments that are trying to benefit the citizens of the country, is a phenomenon that has ruined many small countries throughout the world. The charges of bribery and corruption raised internally by citizens, is encouraged by multinational interests that encourage bribery on a large scale through incentives to corrupt nationals of third world countries with promises of first world lifestyles. Many such individuals cry wolf about bribery of their opponents but accept bribes outside the counties in secret accounts while the multinationals turn a blind eye Bartering state secrets for personal gain with mass scale international bribery is an invisible way of life among the rich and powerful and those who aspire to become that category..

In Western nations, ordinary citizens in significant areas of work handling confidential information are required to sign a confidentiality agreement to safeguard corporate secrets while in employment and after. The confidentiality agreements are binding legal documents valid for indefinite periods in most cases. However the leader of the armed forces in Sri Lanka divulged war secrets that are inaccurate by accounts that have been challenged by all senior officers, in a complete breach of confidentiality bordering on treason. This clearly shows lack of allegiance to the flag of the country by any citizen big or small. Without allegiance to your homeland, how can one lead the very country it lets down in the eyes of the world.

The Western world finds it extremely difficult to accept the success of a third world leader President Malinda Rajapakse who crushed terrorism while resisting extreme pressure and conniving plans from Western sources. At this time, to fabricate and offer fodder to the western adversaries is unpatriotic under any circumstances. The current election scenario is about a few angry western leaders determined to undermine Sri Lanka, a commander who has fed them with all the ammunition they need and a minority among minorities being favored as the injured party when they do not even hold citizenship in Sri Lanka. An entire nation of free voters are left out of the equation in their will to exercise a vote for democracy. This is an election that may result in an outcome that will kill Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s hard fought democracy, its independence and the long struggle against terrorism. Among these free voters are grieving families that sacrificed life and limb losing their loved ones not only in the uniformed forces, but as civilians senselessly brutalized in villages and blown up by LTTE suicide bombs. They deserve the greatest right to freedom and power for their sacrifices to the motherland.

Norway, Britain, Europe or the UN offers no credence to those who died at the hands of terror. The hue and cry for living IDPs who look well fed and clean and allegations of war crimes in the struggle against terrorism, became a leveraging force for critics of a democratically elected leader while glaring examples of war crimes take place elsewhere daily, to a far greater and proven degree without much argument. Obviously, the freedom of civilian life is on the back burner for this election that is being fought based on anger, crude criticism and hand outs from enemies who are freely pouring funds into the country to undermine the current elected regime and the sovereignity of Sri Lanka.

We must not forget the plight suffered by many nations before us that fit the same glove that is about to be dressed to the hands of the people of Sri Lanka. The elite groups talk of change based on one or two anecdotal incidents which may not provide all the accurate facts. They must stop to think of the large scale ramifications. When larger nations with multinational corporate interests want a regime change in a small country that stands up to them, they find the most cruel means to depose such regimes. If unfavorable to them they have no qualms about plunging nations into anarchy, poverty and chaos for their own financial gain. The goal of large nations is profit and power; building empires of a different nature to oppress and exploit people in poor nations. Globalization has a dark side too. Part of this is the ability to dictate to other sovereign nations using Economic Hit Men. These are devious means that do not require actual invasion. All they need are a few ambitious, greedy, unprincipled, corrupt individuals who can be manipulated with handsome monetary rewards.

They become a part of private armies paid to be traitors to their own countries. Many do not realize they are being used as pawns while they have clandestine meetings and hefty payments made to secret banks. The elation obscures their vision beyond a first world life as its reward.

In the world today, there is a surplus of petrodollars as all oil is controlled not by the countries with oil beneath their soil but by powerful western nations and their large corporations. Some oil rich African nations whose leaders chose to nationalize oil for the benefit of their counties met brutal ends either by military coups or assassination. These were replaced by those who for large rewards, followed the path beneficial to large multinational companies. Oil rich countries lost billions of dollars while the profits funneled to foreign companies that flooded the funds back as loans to Third world countries. The wealth of these countries is lost to multinationals while the citizens languish in poverty. This is exactly where the multinationals want to keep the natives in the oil rich countries while they enjoy the benefits. The much sought after aid to poorer countries is only one twentieth of what these countries squeeze back from poor countries in servicing debt. Poor countries are riddled with debt not based on whether they can pay back but by their debt servicing payments that keep them indebted forever. This is their way of keeping small countries under control by crushing them economically. This is achieved by using professionals well trained in international banking the way the multinationals want it done.

In reality loans to third world countries were supposed to result in progress for the countries. However, the world has seen elitist traitors who pave the way, amass fortunes while the loans given to the small counties smother them with undue debt part of which finds its way to personal accounts with the awareness of those who lend as long as their goal is met. Forced debt servicing out of small countries keeps the big guys rich and eternally in control. In the process, all the development plans never produce expected results due to corruption encouraged by the rich and powerful nations.

Corrupt elite from third world countries live like their first world counterparts and they enjoy being used while amply commensurated. In the process the poverty and frustration among the people of these countries lead to more insecurities, insurrections, crime and a sense of hopelessness. Iran saw this happen to their country when Mohammad Mossadegh a democratically elected leader in Iran nationalized oil in Iran for the benefit of its people. For this he was not favored and was replaced by the Shah who reversed the nationalization for the benefit of the multinationals.

Guatemala’s President Jacobo Arbenz nationalized unused land owned by a large US fruit growing company to provide for independent farmers. He was overthrown in a coup and thousands of his supporters were killed . Ecuador’s President Jaime Roldos and Panama’s President Omar Torrijos were assassinated. Panama was invaded and Manuel Noriega captured, a coup was staged against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. These are some of the lessons we have seen around the world. Globalization has not benefited many millions whose livelihoods were destroyed while their countries are plundered.

Those who help to deceive ordinary citizens of nations through corrupt practices amass their wealth in secret bank accounts. It is known that in some multinational banking circles, ill gotten wealth from third world country elitists are so large that banking institutions fall over each other to manage their accounts. Some corrupt African leaders amassed wealth in international banks to the tune of US$15 million in transfers per day helping to appease multinational interests. The banks in turn fought each other to manage his portfolio. The source of such money coming from a poor country was of no consequence.

We in Sri Lanka talk of corruption. We need to look at the ratio of debt we carry to the aid we get. This will confirm the actions of powers who may be interested in reducing Sri Lanka to ashes. What is more corrupt than these organizations that merely recycle their wealth through these corrupt elitists and turn the other way when these are siphoned out of poor countries into first world lifestyles in secret bank accounts. This is the largest and most disgusting act to encourage corruption and deceit against their own nations. This is also a dangerous form of corruption that destabilizes entire nations. Internal corruption in Sri Lanka that has continued for decades is far less dangerous than fickle leaders who accept illicit money from big powers in return for creating national disasters.

Sri Lanka may not have oil but there could be other interests that are making it attractive for disrupting our democratic process. Corruption should not be the only excuse for seeking change if those who supported eradication of the LTTE terror now believe a change of leadership is necessary. The follow up to developing the nation after eradicating terrorism is a far cry from running a war time army with unlimited powers. The power mentality does not work in running a democracy. Before the next wave of development helps to uplift Sri Lanka, there are interested parties who want to breakdown what we have built on the blood sweat and tears of our soldiers who fought so valiantly for our freedom. These are the people who are hardly mentioned or compensated.

If corruption is within the country, and the individuals are not working as puppets to western big powers, then we could consider that home grown corruption is an inevitable part of our culture. Every regime since Independence in 1948 has lived with this menace. The danger to the country is Globalized corruption which is a complete sell out of the sovereignity of a nation. We are on the brink of this happening to Sri Lanka if we do not educate ourselves and make at least a cursory study of the experiences of other nations that have been ruined beyond redemption and far worse off than Sri Lanka. Take the Congo, the poorest nation in the world as an example. Take the case of many other nations that have the first world elitists among their people who have drained their countries dry in connivance with global corruption for the benefit of multinationals.

When casting a vote for change, it must be remembered that the prime factor to consider is what is good for the country. A part of our Sri Lankan culture is entrenched in names, personalities and hearsay, rumour, baseless assumptions with no knowledge of global trends that have put small countries in jeopardy.

The gullible and ill informed decisions behind the hands holding that vote need to think further than just the assumption of change. Promises may never be kept. The political scenario of the past 30 years saw the same trends continue. That is not to say that we did not have change in its process. The change came about only in the players but they played the same game. Ultimately, we almost lost our sovereign land to manipulating conniving terrorists who have tapped into the global pool of corruption. With each change, our hopes dimmed. The most significant change is that we are FREE of terrorism. Not even the USA, UK, Europe, Pakistan, Iraq, Israel, Afghanistan, and the list goes on – are in a position to say they are free of terrorism on their streets. What ever the Sri Lankan political games may be we can walk the streets as free people not fearing that we may never awaken to another day. We have been redeemed from being slaves to terrorism the cancerous menace that has traversed the world and continues to do so. Terrorists are terrorists what ever the brand name they all come in the same package. Their causes may differ but the causes are only flimsy fronts for feeding the inhuman thirst for disruption of civil life and their thirst for blood and senseless killing.

Many of those who supported MR and his stand against western pressure are now looking for change in SF. In making a change, the most important factors to consider should be the leadership qualities in the contenders. Leaders must be authentic and have the ability to serve as well as lead our nation. At the turn of events and the path chosen after the end of the war, our future leader should exhibit qualities that give people the confidence that their leader has natural abilities and qualities that express a passion for what they want to achieve, compassion for its people and lead the people with a purpose and meaningful values. The relationships they build with people and other nations and how they handle difficult situations is a critical quality we need in our leaders. Leaders are born and made through a lifetime of experience and growth. This cannot be achieved overnight by slogans and vindictive statements on election platforms. Change is not doing the opposite of what is in your opponent’s agenda. Change for Sri Lanka at this time should be to continue on the path that was cleared of the debris from disaster over the last 30 years to many centuries of freedom and pride for ALL our people and not a few with short term aspirations at great cost to the country.