Dear Mr. President
Dear Mr. President,
I’d like to congratulate you in advance for your impending victory of the Presidential election in the following days to come. With the SLFP consolidating their power through the provincial council polls in the aftermath of the war, a presidential re-election and another term with you as President seems inevitable.
The potential in Sri Lanka knows no bounds; therefore boundaries must be clearly drawn so that this potential is not exploited by a few for themselves and for their kith and kin. This has undoubtedly taken place in Sri Lanka time and again, with every administration that has governed the country. This needs to be addressed by the authorities and checks need to come into play. For example, it is not only unlawful but also very ugly to see policemen being transferred for obeying the rule of the law and for cleaning up the visual pollution that has plagued our country during the time of this election campaign.
Whatever the political outcome for the North and East, the citizens of those areas deserve a chance to embark on development with the rest of the country which I do not doubt would occur under the next regime. It is whether that development will take place while allowing those citizens to keep their dignity or whether they would have to go to the government, begging bowl in hand to request for the basic rights and security already promised to them through the UN convention and our constitution. For example, the number of those who go missing and finally arrested without warrant is a complete breach of human rights, yet it is a frequently occurring in the areas of Batticoloa and Ampara. The arrest of the journalist Tissanaiyagam is a clear example of an innocent man being kidnapped, then arrested and finally found guilty and sentenced to 20 years rigorous imprisonment for what the government feels are defamatory statements. His recent release prior to the election is another example of the ability by the government to manipulate the judiciary. A second example is of the reappointment of P.B Jayasundara who was ordered by court to resign, only to be later reappointed under the President’s orders. Yours.
The shockingly large cabinet that has grown under your previous term, 230 ministers to be exact, is another clear display of how citizens’ tax money is being thrown down the drain. With your entourage reaching a 2000 man squad, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Chamal Rajapaksa and Mr. Basil Rajapaksa at 500 each, Mr. Namal Rajapaksa and the ex-Col Karuna at 300 security guards each, the total amounting to Rs. 147 million a month for the salaries of security personal alone (at the rate of Rs.35,000 per Special Task Force soldier). This excludes the cost of petrol for the Rs.200 million rupee bullet proof vehicles that are used by most of those mentioned above. This does not go to say that security is not a necessity, I mean only to say that when this is the example set by the highest in authority, then it is inevitable that the rest of the 200 odd ministers will follow suit and continue to exploit the same system which they are meant to be protecting. The abuse of government property such as vehicles and labour are only two of things which are abused by numerous ministers to the knowledge of the public, judiciary and government. Sri Lanka is currently the 97th most corrupt country in the world according to Transparency International. The chairman of Transparency International has been threatened and even a grenade was thrown into his house where he lives with his wife and small children. Yet no one has been arrested. The varying types of corruption, from murder to theft is rife within the government departments in Sri Lanka, with those in the lowest of positions feeling the trickledown effect of corruption through the administrative lines and thus making the system inefficient and inaccessible to its citizens. More than ‘Mathata Thiththa’ it may be corruption that should be addressed with immediate effect. By empowering the citizens with the right to information is what will ensure that corruption would be monitored and then dealt with through the Supreme Court if no action is taken on corrupt individuals by the government.
According to PAFFREL, Caffe and the elections commissioner, the forthcoming elections have been rife with violence and irregularities. As of the 20th of January, 391 complaints have been confirmed. The elections commissioner has stated that he will resign after the Elections tomorrow.
Following the war, I feel we no longer need any more trouble. For the last 26 years Prabhakaran and his twisted political struggle was the blame for the deteriorating education and health services as well as other social services in the country. Billions had to be spent on the military while billions more was lost in money that was never made in the economy. Politically the focus, even in this post-war election, has been purely on defence and not on social development and empowerment. That work was left for the NGO’s to do and for some to abuse. However it was not only a few NGO’s who profited from crises like the 2004 Tsunami. Reports have it that USD$1 billion is missing to this day from the $2.5 Billion that was donated to the government.
Corruption continues to infest like a cancer in all corners of government at different levels and varying types of it. Whether it’s the drug market, commissions and sometimes thuggery or murder; sadly the finger always points towards government ‘servants’.
Sri Lanka has been given a new lease of life with the ending of the war but more importantly, we have been given an opportunity to finally divorce the political process from the military which had suffered due to the corruption and undisciplined nature of politics on institutions. Politics too has been given the opportunity to be separated from the military and be dealt with independently; therefore creating an effective and efficient system that is accessible to all citizens undisputedly. With these two issues settled, the single most important issue is corruption. An issue which ex-General Fonseka stressed on throughout his election campaign. An issue which got him neck and neck in these presidential elections.
As the government servant in the highest position, I ask you Mr. President to please put in place the tools such as the freedom of information Act and the 17th Amendment with immediate effect of your new term since transparency and the establishment of good governance is the need of the hour. A clean, independent police force is a requirement in order for us, the public to prosecute those violating our fundamental rights by using state resources and abusing state power for their personal benefit. Without these instruments in place, the ordinary citizen is powerless, leaving only you responsible for the losses made.
I wish you the best in your next term in office. I look forward to seeing real change and progress in state, society and the economy.
Kind regards,
Samath Gammampila
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Thank you Mr. Samath Gammampila for your input. Yes we all agree that Mr. Rajapakshe has a lot of challenges to go through from now to next six or seven years. I am quite confident our newly re-elected President has a strong desire to bring this country as one of the best place to live in the whole world. He has remarkable all the qualities a great leader should have such as true vision, hardwork, honesty, sacrifaction, creatavity, bravery , humbleness and yet a simple human being. As citizens of this country we are fortunate enough to have a rare kind of a leader like him. Threfore that is our duty to make constructive critizisms while admiring the service that he is rendering to this country.
Dear Mr. President (Maharajanani),
I totally agree with Mr Gammampila who has written a good thought to think further. I think you will implement these in near future. Majority of people expected while voting to you. It is significantly increased. Please please ensure democracy then nobody can point out your rule. I wish you all the best of your future government.
Hemantha
A message from the winning politicians to the voters of Sri Lanka who were king-makers on January 26:
You did your job, thank you. You saved democracy.
Now go and sit down, and be good girls and boys. Please behave (or else).
Don’t ask any questions, and speak only when you are spoken to. Voters, like well mannered children, must be seen and not heard.
And don’t call us; we will call on you when we need your vote next.
Dear Mr. President Mahinda Rajapakse,
Congratulations! You have won the Sri Lanka Presidential Election 2010. You have been rewarded by the people of Sri Lanka for the promises you delivered. You deserve that. You have been a great leader to the nation by delivering promises you made and defending us not only from the most ruthless terrorists but also from foreign intimidations. We elected you as our next president because we thought you stood out of other candidates. You are more resourcefull serving the national interests. The most of the people endorsed you as the president because you eradicated terrorism in Sri Lanka. You have won the trust of the people. We admire you for restating democracy and reuniting our country.
It s also worth looking at past term (2005-2009) and reflect on shortcomings. Among other issues constant criticisms and allegations about media freedom, corruption, nepotism, political harassments, thuggery, murders, abductions and abuses of state media take significant impact on our people. People tolerated, sacrificed for the sake of war. We do not consider “war crimes” allegations of west during last stage of war since it was not intended but happened in a war situation. But we do aware that there is room for improvements in maintaining law and order in the country and democracy, tolerance for criticisms and opinions. The hard earned tax money of poor people needs to be utilized for the betterment of very same people and not for a group of people. We overlooked those allegations because you showed us how steady you are in decision making on national interests.
Today is the moment of glory, the moment of a birth of a national leader; one country, one law and one president. A leader, not for one group but to all the citizens despite to whom they have voted.
When it comes to “all”, it means different interests and needs, young and old, Tamil and Sinhalese, Christians and Muslims. A good leader would choose what is best for all.
The most important priority at the moment are the development in the North and East, national reconciliation and a political solution has to be taken within undivided Sri Lanka. There are people who have suffered three decades of war and their lives have to begin from scrap; from zero. Providing them basic needs, such as; food, clothes, shelter, medicine, health care, jobs and education will help them to understand us as a nation and seek their help to rebuild the nation.
There is increased violence, thuggery, intimidations, murders that need your immediate attention to bring perpetrators to justice and make Sri Lanka a better place to live. The bureaucracy of civil administration, murderers who walk-free because of corrupted system, decades dragging civil law cases sucking money out of poor people etc are burdens to poor people and are more important than banning adultery movies. We assume you are smarter than Taliban extremists, we do not wish to have extreme restrictions, we as Buddhists, respect freedom of speech and beliefs. In short we are thirst of democracy. So please educate every citizen about laws, rights and obligations, so you can reduce abuse of law and violence in the Country.
Mr. President, do not take extreme paths; neither extreme Buddhism nor extreme Islam. Stay in the middle path, the path where we all can walk freely! Then you will find hearts of all people, and we shall treat you as our king!!!
We sent you this message not to humiliate you but to congratulate you and to let you know that we love our president and our country. We hope you have an ear for us to listen what we got to say! We wish you all the best, the strength and the determination to deliver the promises you mentioned in your 2010 manifesto!
Subha Anagathayak!
NoEalamInSL 27.01.2010
Thank you Mr. Samath Gammampila, Its is serious problem in Srilanka, why 40 % poeple voted for SF for exactly the same reason.
If anyone point the finger to this goverment for the same reason.
I hope, as an experinced politican, Mahintha will understand this issues.He has no problem for another term what his son and whom he likes to groom will be ignosed if he fail to address this issue.
Just he need to look at basic issues, he will be successful inhis second term.
Good Luck Mr President.
Well, govt reflects the will of the people. People of Sri Lanka approves corruption, nepotism and waste. It is our way of life. I can not understand a person in sound mind votes for Mahinda. We have to wait and see. It is going be more of the same and now MR can do anything without impunity or accountability. Mahinda has politicized all our civil institutions and either you have to be with him or you become a traitor. A really a sad day for Sri Lanka and forget about media freedom, accountability or social justice- this man has not vision only interested in fattening his wealth and welfare of his extended family. Mother Lanka, you will be sorry…..
Dear Samath Gammampila
Kindly go out and fly a kite without preaching Bana to the Devadaththas in Sri Lanka. How many people have raised the problems, which you have pointed out to the govt. Just you and me are wasting time. If possible plant a tree or just wipe a public road instead wasting times for useless advices like this.
Kevin in USA,
What you taliking is rubbish [Edited out] and the same talk that came from SF’s propaganada machine!! Get a life. Sri Lankan voters are intelligent enough to realize what is best to the country by selecting a patriotic, and not a traitor who was ready to sell even his mother to come into power.
Dear Mr. President,
My warmest congrtulations!
Buy selecting you the people of Srilanka have sent a stong message to military elite that there is no room for military rule in Sri lanka and no to militerization of politics.
You have to make bold and tough decission to bring SL out of this mess;
1. An accepteble solution for tamils/muslims with in united SL
2. Zero tollerence for corruption and no family politics
3. Ensure full press freedom
4. Create more jobbs
5. seperate religion from politics and introduce english medium for tamils and singalese as well as muslims to get mixed and integrated. We are becoming alience to each other in our own country where we have lived to geather for 1000 of years!
6. Get rid og executive presidency set up.
If you ensure the above the people of SL will be behind you take our country forward.
I wish you all the best
Regards
Siva
This is a good example of Sri Lankans are being Sri Lankans. We all have short memories and relatively lazy people. We allow corruption and we talk a lot and we play cricket by mouth. Even SF talked a lot but nothing concrete. So he deserve a loss rather than MR deserve a win. MR will be a leader who did something to the country, rather than crushing LTTE, only history will tell. Buddhism doesn’t suit the Sri Lankan context.
What need is there to congratulate a crook? We should feel pity for the majority of Lankan masses, honest and hard-working, who will never experience the true benefits of democracy. I believe they have been conditioned by the State-owned media, over a period of two plus decades, into accepting this nationalist charade of Tamil separatism and ownership of the island by the majority community. When people are not sufficiently educated, when they are not properly presented with alternative points of view, they are liable to be exploited. That is the real meaning behind this election.
Well! done Mr. President(Dear Mahinda)
Somehow or the other you have kept the THURSTAN COLLEGE COLOURS UP>
Its really great!! and am proud of it.
NOW you have lot of things to do in order to that the WORLD will appreciate you
and I MEAN GOOD THINGS.
FIRST of all bring in a NEW RULE to prosecute anyone big or small who should be taken into custody for spreading communal hatred whther against Sinhalese/Tamils/Muslims or any other community.
This RULE should apply to all inluding passengers in buses/trains/planes/TV Channels/NEWSPAPERS/Political Meetings and Publications etc. etc.
Seconds as the GREAT LORD BUDDHA said “VAIRAYEN VAIRAYA NOSANSINDAEY’
apply this GOLDEN RULE in your life and lead this great country ruled by RAVANA long long ago to become Golden with all riches and wipe out poverty.
THIRD you can forgive the General SF and appoint him as your DEPUTY to carry out all the good thisngs so that you have a Strong man behind you. YES! Mahinda you have to do it. THE FIGHT is OVER and you have won andnow you have to be good friends. Let him wipe out all corruption and bribery and clean up the country on your behalf. Yes! you should have a DEPUTY PRESIDENT.
This is your own decision, there is no need to ask your party or brothers etc. as this is a NON-POLITICAL APPOINTMENT and he should all ,powers to clean up all the mess.
FOURTH you have declared General Election immediately and that’s good. You should see that an election FREE from VIOLENCE be conducted and have International Observers. LET any PARTY win BUT see that honest and good people with real intellingence occupy the Parliament- Even you can pick up the Ministers whther they be in the Opposition or not and from all communities.
MAKE SRI LANKA A PUNYA BHUMI and you SHOULD GO on the PATH followed by ARHAT MAHINDA the great. YES! ITS TIME NOW fof you to wash all your sins and follow the path of the LORD BUDDHA and let there be religious harmony.Anyone creating violence should be put behind bars and for hard-labour in paddy fields,construction etc. and train these criminals. Thsi rule should also apply to your own realtives. NO BODY IS ABOVE LAW & RULE – APPLY THIS PRINCIPLE.
FIFTH -
Mr.Gammanpila’s comments truly reflect what most of law abiding citizens of this country hope and wish for under any Government.Now that Mr.Rajapakse has received a very clear mandate for a second term it is up to him to deliver what is expected of him.The question is whether he would now have the will to be apolitical and be the President of all the citizens of this country regardless of their individual political views or affiliations.”Good Governace” which has been the rallying cry of Gen.Fonseka’s campaign which for most of the voters apparently was not an critical issue,indeed is the need of the hour.Let not the nation wait for another 6 years to find out that it is so and it is the duty of all citizens and political parties alike to support the President in working towards this common goal.
Why are all the patriots keeping silent about the multiple explosions in the North on election day? I thought we had won our freedom from the ruthless terrorists whose hallmark was spreading terror through such bombs and explosions? No questions as to who was responsible? Is it not a serious national security threat that there is a group, after the defeat of the LTTE, that can so easily cause such havoc?
I am truly confused about our country… We use bombs and explosions to fight those who used bombs and explosions in order to bring us our freedom, which now means using further bombs and explosions.
!
FIFTH- KEEP GOOD relations with all neighbouring countries and DO NOT have conflicts and DO NOT side ANY COUNTRY and SRI LANKA should be a FREE country and this should be appreciated by all coutries all over the world. BRING UP THIS COUNTRY AS A MODEL FREE FROM ALL TROUBLES>
SIXTH- OPEN UP the conuntry for investment BY ALL SRI LANKANS who are living outside so that they could come and INVEST and the country will progress rapidly and become the HUB of ASIA as you wish it to be.
SEVENTH- WIPE OUT GAYS & LESBIANS as we DO NOT want Gay & Lesbian Tourists to spoil our country and all types of PONOGRAPHY should be OUT at any cost. THIS will eradicate all bad behaviour in our future generation.
EIGHTH- TV & RADIO Channels should have good programmes and avoid SEX and Ponography
NINTH- SEE THAT the POYA DAY is observed prpoperly by ALL and there should be no DRUNKARDS on the road. Whether they are Ministers or not shuld be arrested and put behind for ONE WEEK.
TEN- As far as possible see that the BANKS and other SOCIETIES give all help and support for the POOR Sri Lankans who are sending their hard earned money back to Sri Lanka.
ELEVEN – SEE that Foreigners DO NOT settle down in SRI LANKA as all lands are being sold to FOREIGNERS and because of this HIGH INFLATION and LAND PRICES GO up. GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONTROL PRICES ON LAND & PROPERTY as well as FOOD and other items within the Country.
FINAL : LET there be a Religious Leader from each community be a Member in the PARLIAMENT and should be elected by people on popular VOTE without favouritism. ALSO SEE THAT BUDDHIST PRIESTS DO NOT COME INTO POLITICS AND SHOULD THEY WANT THEN THEY SHOULD GIVE UP ROBES AND ENTER CIVILIAN LIFE. BUDDHIST PRIESTS SHOUD NOT HOLD TRADE UNION OFFICE LEADERSHIP TOO. THEIR DUTY IS TO PREACH THE RELIGION AND NOT SELL KASSIPPU AND HIDE FIRE ARMS LIKE THUGS AND RESORT TO THUGGERY AND ALSO TRAVEL ABOUT IN BENZ CARS OWNED BY THEM. THEY SHOULD GO BACK TO THEIR PRIESTLY LIFE WITHOUT GIRLS.
IF ANY RELIGIOUS LEADERS/PREACHERS ARE UP TO MISCHIEF THEY SHOULD BE STONED TO DEATH so that everything is cleaned up in the country.
WISH ALL SRI LANKANS GOOD GOVERNANCE FROM MAHINDA WHO WILL MAKE A VOW TO BEOME ‘ARAHAT MAHIND’ SO THAT HIS NAME WILL BE THERE IN THE GOOD WORLD.
WISH YOU GOOD LUCK MACHANG MAHINDA.
I GOT MY WIFE TO TYPE THIS AS I DICTATED TO HER.
WE WELCOME ALL COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS AS I LOVE MAHINDA AS MY BEST FRIEND FROM OUR COLLEGE DAYS.
I agree 100% with NoEalamInSL, what ever he/she says is right.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Mr.PRESIDENT!! We love you and we honour you!!! but only if you fulfil the wishes of your votees. Bring the country to another Singapore in Asia.
God bless you!!!
“FIRST of all bring in a NEW RULE to prosecute anyone big or small who should be taken into custody for spreading communal hatred whther against Sinhalese/Tamils/Muslims or any other community.
This RULE should apply to all inluding passengers in buses/trains/planes/TV Channels/NEWSPAPERS/Political Meetings and Publications etc. etc.’-
well said I am in total agreement with you.
The issue of race has totally got out of hand in Sri Lanka. New laws are needed to fight racism.
I do not think Mahinda Rajapaksha did win.his guilt one day will punish him.watch your space.I am gutted about sri lankans who voted for him.cry yourselves now.there is nobody for your cries anymore.
Dear Friends, Relatively we all are just simple people who like to see something good happening to our country. We don’t mind who does this task as long as if somebody do that. At the same time we all have our own pricipals, likes and dislikes. That is where the problems arise. Personaly I like to have a leader who wants to stop all these curruptions. Not that mean we allow anybody to come forward and say Yes I am going to do all these things vote to, and make me the President of this country. It may be sounds nice but we don’t that kind of offers.The way Mr. Rajapakshe does things have a Sri Lankan content. We see him as a Sri Lankan man much more than Fonseka. Fonseka content is look phony. He may be a good man. But the people of this country have spoken loudly No, we don’t like the way you entered to the politics. Did he have any other qualification other than his vindictive motive. Although many of our Srl Lankan people are not highly educated people they are not ignorant either.Every citizen of this country knows better what is good and what is bad when we compare with people in the most other countries. Specially our rural people have more values than our people in the big cities. If Ranil had contested he might have got more votes than this guy. Don’t forget the UNP party is a very popular party in this country. It is in blood for some people. That is the reason at least Fonseka got this much of votes. That means I don’t think that anybody has been educated by Mr. Fonseka and made him to vote. In case if there were to be a fresh face at least one of Late Gamini Dissanayake’s sons were in the game might have seen a better competetion. It is a crime that somebody might have given the wrong advice to Mr. Fonseka. That man has lost so much, his popularity, his smartness, his authority and his all future seems to be destroyed. Ranil may survive and hang around in the political field for another few more elections although he is politically dead.
It is now clear that the “morning star’ will not dawn in the present darkness of the island of former Ceylon.
The politicos “Buddhist” priesthood and the Sinhalese masses, corporately and foolishly, have affirmed by their voting choice this week for the presidency of Sri Lanka(SL), that they are determined to follow their wickedness and cruelty, worse than apartheid, against Tamils, with no concern whatsoever for their spirituality.
Sinhalese have shown that they prefer corruption and nepotism; adore anti-Tamilism and Tamil subjugation and will permit “no justice”and non accountabilty for Tamil lives.
They do not want to allow Tamils to enjoy their legitimate right of Tamil Eelam(TE) and self governance, yet the president elect is playing the rhetoric game of “unity”, played by Sinhala politicos for the past 50 years, for international deception.
Tamils in exile in Norway, France, Canada, Germany, Switzerland and Holland have excellently expressed democratically, by more than 95% votes, that they want an independent and sovereign TE. Ultimately, the UN will be asked by the world to hold a referendum in the TE itself.
Tamils value the independence of TE more than economic development.
If the Sinhalese think that the Tamils will shut up or evaporate from their demand for TE they are living in a dream-land.
Strife is the end result of wickedness and lack of spirituality. Sarath Fonseka, ordered a siege of Tamil civilians and LTTE combatants about eight months ago. And yesterday, he and his men were facing a similar “soldier siege” in Colombo. It should be an eye opener to those who plan wickedness and cruelty against humanity and think they are alright.
I forsee more strife coming unless there is mass remorsefulness and heartfelt repentance from the Sinhalese, followed by restitution.
During the third week of this month, the War Crimes Tribunal conducted by Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal(PPT) in Dublin, found from the evidence placed in front of it, that the Government of SL is “guilty of war crimes” and “crimes against humanity”. Eleven intrnational jurists gave this verdict.
Soon, the International Community will bring economic sanctions against SL and war crimes charges against the president of SL, his cabinet ministers, soldiers and the “Buddhist” priests who “blessed” the war and instigated war crimes.
Perhaps then, the eyes may open wider and the ethnic Sinhalese may seek to practice spiritual values and standards aggressively.
They will then start from the bottom of the bottom line and make the correct political decisions for peace and stability in the island.
It is not the matter mainly winning the election Mr. President next step you have to do many promises how you going to develop north east and the rest of the country.
Can you do things as promise to the people oppositions parties are always accusing the government because of so many relatives are been benefited by the government and they miss use the government facilities more thane it requires we are away from home but we can see things clearly still your not late you can do things more thane any one to the mother land we still expected more good and respected achievement to our land help every one equal no racisms and religions every human can be treated equal so you will never loose.
Congratulations for the second term of presidency.
This takes me back to a forum where i expressed my views after the war. when i said the government should take necessary measures to ensure the safety and the well being of the refugees a sinhalese guy said ” don’t be another Ravi Karunanayake” and ironically the very person voted for SF this time.
I’m sure most of these people who voted for MR will be dissapointed in the days to come. I feel sorry for my country.
Being a good democrat is honorably accepting a democratic endorsement. Some people shout high and mighty in the name of democracy. Yet they don’t even have the decency to accept an outcome respectfully when it doesn’t go their way. It’s not hard to see that they’re not shouting in the name of democracy, rather for the sake of being a sore loser!