Shenali D Waduge

The voting public of Sri Lanka whatever their political colour or preference of candidate must firmly say no to any move or agreement attempting to destabalize the country, divide its territory or create an atmosphere of chaos. No election campaign or coalition understanding should be allowed to bargain with the national security of the country in particular promise to reduce or remove strategically placed military bases and military personnel as election promises. National security is not a bargaining tool. Political debate in the West never use national security as bargaining tools for their election campaigns. As a priority voters need to first identify and eliminate political parties attempting to weaken national security as part of their agenda for providing political support. However, bad a local leader is, he cannot be as bad as those attempting to rule Sri Lanka through proxies and puppets. It is the patriotic duty of the masses to overrule any attempt to gamble with the national security of Sri Lanka.

The choice of Common Candidate

Whatever the coalition claims, the choice of the common candidate remains secret. No one has so far come out to say why they proposed the name of Maithripala Sirisena as candidate. These details remain very much secret from the public. Moreover, if we are to believe Colombo’s anti-MR chants and the English social media and conclude that Mahinda Rajapakse is unsuited to lead, UNP could have easily contested as a single party and fielded a UNP candidate to win the elections. Why was there any need to hire someone for a 100 day role?

If Ranil was not the choice it is so because of his own failures, and it is on that ground that he is rejected by the voters. Thus, the selection of Maithripala as Presidential candidate is based on the reality that Ranil Wickremasinghe can only command urban votes where non-Buddhists dominate. It is to fill the void and to either break or take the Buddhist votes that Maithripala has been brought into the picture. If this argument is to be believed coupled with the slogan of pluralism that Wickremasinghe preaches and promotes, Maithripala should be considered no hero of the Buddhists for he would by complicity help push the Buddhists further into oblivion and gradually remove their power.

While Mahinda Rajapakse is judged on accusations of corruptions by a select few surrounding him, the Coalition is being judged from multiple fronts all of which lead to the fear that the country would fall into neo-colonial hands or be earmarked for division. If Maithripala is a proxy of Ranil and Ranil is a proxy of Western Christian nations this reality is more than possible and the manner that Ranil led the UNF in 2002 is prime example of what to expect. Link this to the manner CBK led throughout her 12 year rule and what is in store for Sri Lanka rings alarm bells. The allegation of Ranil being a Western proxy is proven by Ranil Wickremasinghe’s membership in the IDU – International Democratic Union – made up of Christian political parties. It is alleged that the UNF Government formed in 2001 comprised 60% Christians and visas were granted to Evangelists to spread their faith while Buddhists were given step-motherly treatment. http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items06/061006-4.html

The current revelation of a pact signed secretly with the TNA giving assurance to remove military bases, reduce military personnel in the North as well as remove non-Tamil settlements deserves the attention of the voters. There is also the assurance to carry out a war crimes inquiry which as an election manifesto does not convey much faith in our forces. Ideally what should be said is that our forces did not commit any war crimes and those that accuse so must produce the evidence first, and the reality is that for 5 years apart from accusations and editing film clippings nothing to substantiate war crimes as being produced as evidence.

The exposure of the secret pact comes in the wake of numerous other pacts signed without the contents being disclosed to the public. We have had the Indo-Lanka Accord signed in 1987 under emergency with Ministers having to hand over signed resignation letters. Then came the 2001 Cease Fire Agreement that placed LTTE and a sovereign government as equals and legally demarcated territory as ‘LTTE-controlled’. The period saw LTTE putting up its own courts, own police, own civil administration and openly amass weapons through Sri Lanka’s customs! The next set of secret pacts came in the form of the ISGA and PTOMs – these agreements were signed by Ranil and Chandrika Kumaratunga now the shadow-leaders behind the common candidate. Should the voters not have a right to question what their actual plans are? Are these concerns not more important than simply wanting change? What assurance can they give when the corruptions under UNF and CBK rule are nothing they can debate in public? The public is well aware that ALL POLITICIANS ARE CORRUPT. However, what is more important is the stability of the country. As citizens and stakeholders of the nation do we not have a duty and right to wonder if the country is likely to fall to peril because of the same people that betrayed the nation not too long ago? To reverse the damage they did thousands of soldiers had to lay down their lives.

The first to betray the nation was Don Juan Dharmapala ready to function as a puppet of the Portuguese – incidentally Ranil wanted to celebrated the arrival of the Portuguese forgetting the thousands of natives the Portuguese brutally murdered and converted. In fact the common candidate as General Secretary of the SLFP refered to Ranil as a traitor coming from the lineage of the Dharmapala clan though now the common candidate promises to hand over to Ranil the leadership mantle after 100 days. The betrayal of the nation began on 2^nd March 1815 with the signing of the Udarata Givisuma and ever since numerous other pacts necessitate the nation to remain on the alert against traitors.

The Colombo coterie eternally complaining may like to respond to what their contribution was to ending terrorism when they join the UN bandwagon not wanting the people to remember the war victory. They do not want the people to recall the war victory simply because they played no role in it.

Terrorism has to remain on our minds primarily because the deals being struck is with the same political party that was created by the LTTE, the same party that is linked with the Diaspora organizations that the GOSL has banned, the same party that even the EU Elections Monitor Cushanan claimed was the mouthpiece of the LTTE and the nation seriously questions why the GOSL does not take legal action against this party without allowing it to do the damage it is doing using its political privileges?

The memoirs of Nevil Jayaweera (handpicked to be the GA Jaffna in 1963) are referred to recollect and show honor to Mr. N Q Dias (father of Mr. Gomin Dayasri) for his visionary plan to set up military bases in the North taking stock of the possibilities of Tamil Nadu illegal immigrants pouring into Sri Lanka. Again, for petty political motives the reduction of these military bases by JR Jayawardena drastically undermined the national security of the country when Tamil militants began their terror. What Mr. N Q Dias envisaged for which he drew counter measures was proven when in November 2003 the LTTE declared that 35% of its cadres were from Tamil Nadu! http://www.island.lk/2003/11/11/

Mr. N.Q. Dias, CCS (civil servant) then Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defense & External Affairs under Sirimavo Government knew exactly the importance of placing the country’s armed forces at strategic points well ahead of any calamity which the present Defense Secretary Mr. Gotabaya Rajapakse realizes too – what right do politicians have to bargain with the national security of the country? Thus, the GOSL is questioned on why it should give in to demands to reduce and curtail security presence instead of remaining firm on the threat to national security. The GOSL is next questioned on when it will take legal action against all those that have directly and indirectly contributed to LTTE terrorism over the years. For victims to be given any justice people who were linked with LTTE terror needs to be identified and placed before the courts.

The announcement of a secret pact with the TNA to remove or reduce military bases is connected to India’s claim that LTTE continues to fight for an Eelam that includes Greater Tamil Nadu, though it does question why India insists on the implementation of the 13^th amendment and full devolution unless India too plans to compete for a separate North that the West would like to use as a base for itself in Asia. It also raises the question why India celebrated the 1000^th anniversary of the ancient Tamil King Rajendra Chola (1014ce – Rajendra Chola I was the first Indian king to take his armies overseas and make conquests of these territories). India must realize the message it sends out in being proud of ancient Kings that invaded neighboring nations and questions the relevance to the current context of things.

These angles may be headaches for a lot of voters in Sri Lanka in particular those in Colombo, but their future depends on a secure Sri Lanka. There is nothing more important than the national security of the country. Everything falls into place only when the country is secure and stable. People can enjoy comforts only when the country is safe. The other issues all are secondary and this is why the voters must view how far and who can keep the country stable and the stability comes in ensuring that there are no deals struck with parties that are out to divide the country, dilute the sovereign powers of the country and create chaos thereafter. The examples of Libya, Kosovo, Iraq, Sudan may differ because they are Muslim, located in Middle East/Africa /Eastern Europe but the same players that broke up and have created chaos in these nations are now looking East towards Asia and this is why national security should become the key election pledge by the candidate. Assuring national security by forging secret pacts with players that are working towards dividing the nation has to be firmly rejected in the same manner that people should reject leaders who have secretly signed pacts without divulging its contents to the people and not even to their party members on previous occasions.

No one should be allowed to ridicule attempts to secure the nation’s borders and secure the country. No political party should be allowed to bargain and compromise the national security for petty political gain. Agreeing to dilute the National Security of Sri Lanka cannot be allowed to become as a political propaganda tool. The price of peace remains eternal vigilance and vigilance does not happen without preparation and processes.

In the end every voter has selfish reasons that determines who he/she casts the vote for. That decision must be based on who can provide peace and stability in Sri Lanka while not undermining the national security of the country. No person or organization can hope to live in peace or prosper if there is no peace in the country. Let us be reminded that all those that profited during the 30 years of war were those that were party to the terror and the rest of the country is only now picking up the pieces and it is just 5 years since the end of 30 years of LTTE terrorism.