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Sirisangabos, Vessantaras and the hoi polloi
Tuesday, 17 May 2005 - 2:08 AM SL Time
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Those who have heard of Sirisangabo (the pious king with boundless generosity who in the end gave away his head) may have recalled his selfless sacrifices, on hearing what Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse is reported to have told President Chandrika Kumaratunga following a meeting with the JVP over the controversial joint mechanism and the restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). Efforts by the President and her lieutenants to sell the two projects to the JVP having come a cropper yet another time, the Premier had said the only thing the UPFA was left with was to hand over the reins of government to the Opposition.
'Cum grano salis!', one may say. Politicians never want to give up power and the Prime Minister is a politician. But reflected in his reported rhetorical outburst is the desperation of the government, being mired in a politico-economic imbroglio with the JVP and the rest of the UPFA pulling in opposite directions. No headway is possible for the government at this rate and the situation is sure to take a turn for the worse, if the President goes ahead with her plans for the CEB and handling tsunami relief disbursement in the North and the East. She is trapped between the devil and the deep 'red' sea.
The UNF government was dislodged at a time when it, too, was beset with similar problems. The ISGA demand of the LTTE had become an insurmountable roadblock at which it baulked. Restructuring of the CEB and privatisation of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) were also extant at that time albeit without so much of pressure from the donors. Had the UNF government continued until now, it would have been in the same predicament as the UPFA today. And, perhaps, the UNF leaders must be heaving a sigh of relief on seeing how hard the government is struggling to keep its head above water.
Even if the government and the Opposition were to switch positions as the Prime Minister is said to have suggested, could the UNP fare any better' And would the country gain from such a change'
In such an eventuality, the UNP will have to implement the restructuring of the CEB and the privatisation of the CPC. The trade unions of the two institutions having joined forces, such a move will prove disastrous in both economic and political terms in that the country will be plunged into darkness and transport will come to a standstill due to protracted strikes. The same goes for the joint mechanism. The economic performance of any future government will depend on how it settles these issues, on which hinges the flow of aid.
That is a hypothetical situation but the fact remains that in managing the affairs of the state what matters is not so much who is at the helm; rather it is what they are doing. The UPFA came to power promising to be different from the UNF. But today it is doing more of the same that the UNF did and was voted out for in so far as the so-called national question goes. The country did not want a UPFA government to do that. It could have been left to the UN itself. Similarly, the country does not need a different government to do what the present dispensation is doing.
Unfortunately, the policies on vital sectors like education, healthcare, agriculture that need to be consistent don't get carried forward in this manner after a government change. Only those that are beneficial to the international lending agencies and the LTTE and detrimental to the national interest, do!
The people (or the hoi polloi'), on the other hand, elect governments to face challenges and solve problems in a way that is beneficial to them as well as the country. They don't need a set of political Houdinis who wriggle out of difficult situations or a set of fatalists who keep their fingers crossed. And at elections, they judge the Sirisangabos and the Vessantharas in politics not by their words but deeds cum ability to come up with solutions to their pressing problems.
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Popeye
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 241
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18 May 2005 01:37:16 GMT Report for Abuse
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HOI POLLOI has come of age
Hoi Polloi has nothing to look for in day to day living. CEB CPC CWE and most of the corporations are where they are today because of the same set of politicians who instigated the downfall of these institutions through looting these state owned enterprises. How on earth CBK talk with a conscience when her 11 year history is plagued by her hand picked cronies who were instrumental in this plunder.
Was she a Vessanthara when she looked the other side when challeged and stuck to the point of sending BAlapatabendi as her emissary to Australia with a blatant theft of our treasury? Does that mean that she too have a share in this and many other robberies running to billions. So the hoi polloi has every reason to keep a close look at her so called moves she is painstakingly trying to show as a lover of the country. Her crocodile tears at the aid forum made her the biggest laughing stock.
The man she has selected to run the Min of Finance was in print media for giving this Shylock the Solheim a foothold and character certificates awhile ago and the same man calling the hoi polloi Kalakanniyas. When he was challenged by qualified engineers to prove the attractive price of an electricity unit he forwarded through his proposal didn?t he go into hasty hiding ? his doctorates in schemes that are primitive for modern world? With the UNF he brought the abhorring Water Management Bill and even laid the foundation to sell universities to Aussie unies not many moons ago.
Now with the IMF Sanyasis he is on another unholy mission. JVP JHU may have very bitter pasts but with ulterior intentions if anybody is trying to betray the nation then it?s the turn of Hoi Polloi to obstruct such heinous scheme tooth and nail. |
anizam
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18 May 2005 02:01:50 GMT Report for Abuse
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For past year NOTHING CONSTRUCTIVE has happening in the country. ALL we have is Strikes, mud slinging, price hikes and a pack of monkeys shouting on stages.
The president who fired a STABLE Government, accusing it of betraying the country to the LTTE, is today promising to sign a JM with the same Terrorists.
The Big mouthed JVP hooters who promised to 'UNPLUG' the SL economy from the rest of the world are attending IMF and World Bank sponsored donor conferences, wearing TIE AND SUIT.....
Who is to blame form this situation?? Its the Fools in Srilanka who voted for this pack of dirty Parasites (JVP and the SLFP)....
People of SL - you voted for this pack of jokers, now live with the consequences. You deserve every hard ship you are undergoing today. Its all your fault. Hopefully you will come out of this and learn a lesson you will never forget - but till then, suffer - its all your fault. |
tusker
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18 May 2005 03:53:11 GMT Report for Abuse
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Anizam - common man, dont be so bitter. we all know you are so in love with the UNP so take it easy dude, after all we are all sri lankans (Kotiyas excluded!) arent we?
Good luck to the UNP, the next time around. They couldnt survive one round but lets see what happens at the next!
cheers mate. |
anizam
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18 May 2005 04:02:43 GMT Report for Abuse
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Tusker:
U never fail to put a smile on my face :).
on a more serious note - this is what i think should happen...
I think the people are aware where each parties stand on the issues.So
1. Have an election.
2. and who ever wins should be allowed to carry out there policies with out distruption for the next five / six years...that means if the UNP wins, the JVP and the SLFP will allow them to do what they want with out interuption. And if the JVP wins the UNP and SLFP allows them to do what they want with out any disruption.
what do you think mate? |
tusker
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18 May 2005 04:07:57 GMT Report for Abuse
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I dont agree my freind, that's not democrasy at work - that's blatant foolishness. What if any one of the, then governing parties are about to committ an obvious grave mistake - so we just stand still and wait for the six years to pass by?
We might not have 06 years to wait buddy.
Naaahhh.......I dont think so mate! |
samanj
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18 May 2005 16:18:01 GMT Report for Abuse
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Its better to privatise everything the country has to offer & just have civil service to monitor..
Let the country run by itself rather than by a bunch of greedy politicians.
It will yeild better results. |
Bonggo
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19 May 2005 12:47:32 GMT Report for Abuse
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| CBK will give or take anything to stay in power, thats for sure! |
Bonggo
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19 May 2005 12:58:20 GMT Report for Abuse
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| CBK will buy or sell anything to stay in power. WHo else will take Jantha Virodhee Peramnua to grab power at the expense of the Nation? |
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