Advertise for nominations

By T. E., Kotte

Ludicrous as that may sound, think about it! We already have two significant firsts under our belt. A President who relinquished power and a minority-led Government which theoretically should have been the Opposition. We have progressed from a wonder of Asia to a wonder of the world!

Finding honest candidates from the current lot of Parliamentarians is a no brainer. They don’t exist. The seniors entertaining party nominations from among known devils are themselves the worst offenders!

Is it really so preposterous that parties advertise, calling for suitable candidates with clear, complete CVs? Just because it has never been done before? Time for a hat trick Mr. President.

The two major parties probably have 40% of the voter base each. That should hopefully approximate 3.5 million plus of the voters base each. Is it really beyond the realm of imagination that this country can’t find 1,000 individuals of all castes, creeds and religions who would be immensely more suitable to represent the people than the current lot of pompous, self-indulgent, asinine bigots now in Parliament? Time for a Parliament with pedigree. What have we got to lose? Nothing. Only gain. Nothing can be as bad as we already have; septic raptors and senile dinosaurs.

The country needs new blood in politics. Tell me, good people, how else would you find new, good blood to populate what is now a zoo passing off as a Parliament; than to advertise? If one resorts to advertising for a house or a car or a bride or groom and everything else in between, why not for prospective nominees to contest the elections.

Is the idea as outrageous as it sounds or is it that nobody thought about it? Desperate situations need innovative solutions. Alternate suggestions anyone?

Raise your voices as one in any language you can before it is too late. Write to the newspapers in all languages and demand new candidates in your respective areas, irrespective of the party you support. Make your collective voices heard. It would strengthen the President’s hand and allow him to extricate himself from the minefield he finds himself in. He will be forced to nominate the existing rogues unless he has alternatives offered by the people with the might of the people.

This remains the only worthwhile ‘Bala Vegeya’ available to the people. Choose the people, you the people, wish to have as your representatives and have them nominated as candidates for the elections. Otherwise you will have only yourselves to blame when your choice is limited to the same lot of rogues who have forced themselves into politics. 

This is the time for the entire country to help the President to clean up the mess once and for all. Adequate choice of good candidates would probably eliminate the dishonest diehards. The bonus: The President can deliver on his promise of 25 ministers.

The Government should be by the people, for the people, of the people of their own choosing. Not be forced to vote for nominees of the establishment who have only their interests at heart, as should be obvious to all reading the newspapers and listening to the TV debates.

This is the last and only chance that we the people will get to free ourselves from a political machine that exists only for itself. 

Rise now and demand that nominations be called through the public media for people who will truly serve the people. Let us surprise ourselves by people of the calibre of W. Dahanayake, D. Senanayake, R. Premadasa and L. Kadirgamar who may emerge to serve their country as statesmen like our current President.

If we do not rise to the occasion now, we will have no honest candidates to vote for. An election will be a farce with more of the same corruption and violence for the next five years. Haven’t we all had enough?