Fast trains, highways, tall buildings clean cities are no
more unrealized dreams to the people
of Sri Lanka . The inter city train takes you from Kandy to Colombo in a matter of
three hours. Kandy
is just beginning its beautification program while Colombo is already into it.
There is in the mean time a wide disparity in the thinking
of the people in Kandy and those in Colombo , so much so when it comes to elections, which is uppermost
in the minds of the people today. The
Presidential elections not being too far away, one has to be cautious in
bringing people into a conversation on
politics.
In Kandy
there are those who speak of corruption and thinking of voting differently this
time though they had voted twice to the President Mahinda Rajapakse. But when they are asked whether they could really expect a change
from the opposition, they admit they do not believe that neither Chandrika nor
Ranil Wickramasinghe could bring any
change but they think Maithripala may be able to. But on second thought they think perhaps they should give the President Mahinda
Rajapakse a third chance. So said a man seated next to me when he was getting up to get down from the bus.
Some of the women voters
said they would definitely not vote for
Maithripala Sirisena who for them is a traitor who cannot be trusted.. A
fishmonger taking fish on his bicycle while selling fish said he would not
waste his vote on any one as he is certain if there is any one who could make changes it is the President Rajapakse as he has already the experience of making changes.
A young Muslim boy when he was asked who he thinks would be
elected, he said though he does not know much about politics he thought it
would be the President Mahinda Rajapakse as he is already well known. When he
was asked what the Muslims think about him, he said according to his parents
President Rajapakse is accessible to all
without distinction of race and
religion.
Another man in a bus
wondered what had happened to all the gold that had been taken by the
Armed Forces. When he was told that the government is of course answerable and that the gold would be handed over to
owners. He said that if that were to happen the President will definitely clear the doubts the people have about the corruption of the government.
In fact it was reported recently that at a function held at
the Temple Trees, some of the gold seized from the terrorists were handed over
to the respective families. It was said
that further investigations are being carried out to search for the owners of
the gold still remaining with the government..
The Colombians are another kettle of fish. There are some who
are very critical of the President Mahinda Rajapakse yet remain doubtful
of the
alternative candidate presented by the opposition. The several MoUs that the Common Candidate of
the opposition was made to sign with UNP, JHU, TNA, Chandrika and Sarath
Fonseka are not to the liking of some of
the Colombians. Nevertheless, they seem to agree that handing over the
executive powers to a Prime Minister would be a good beginning even though the
time frame of 100 days for the purpose has been rather exaggerated to please the crowd. But as time goes it appears that there is a
change of hearts even amoung the Colombians.
Srirsena the common candidate makes far too many
contradiction changing what he had said a while ago to some thing entirely
different from what he says later. The
TV channels are profiting from it to portray Sirisena as an unreliable
political element.
Tissa Attanayaka`s cross over to the government side
followed by Gamanpila of JHU leaving the party is a great deception for those
who were critical of the President , now
they are beginning to have second
thoughts. One complained that the
government of the President is turning out to be oligarchic, but nevertheless
he said he sees no alternative but to
vote Mahinda Rajapakse.
A young man in a restaurant inside
the Arcade in Galle Fort said that lot of persons he has come in contact with
will surely vote for the President. The Common Candidate he said has not proved
to be a challenge to the President both
by his personality and by his inability to explain what new changes he proposes
if he would come to hold the reins of the Government.
He says that many of the Europeans
who frequent the Restaurant express
their admiration to the President who has made remarkable changes in a very short time. They some times act to
show how they traveled in vehicles on the
broken potholed roads that existed then
, and said how comfortable it is to travel now on carpeted highways.
A three wheeler taking us from Maharagama to Ratmalana showed
the pavement around Bellanvila and said
that he never expected such development.
It is thanks to the President’s brother
that they see beauty and cleanliness in towns now and said there is no
question that the people should change this President to another for some more
time.
He scolded UNP and Chandrika Kumaratunga saying that
they had failed to give some thing
similar to what the President Mahinda Rajapakse has given to Sri Lanka , and said that their
attempt to replace the President
will never materialize.
From what one can perceive and
hear from random discussions of ordinary
people are that the President Mahinda Rajapakse has not lost his popularity
amoung the people despite all the talk
of corruption, and the executive power he derives from his position. The chances are that the President Mahinda
Rajapakse may win the presidential elections with a greater percentage of
votes.
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