Features
Sickening tedium of political conjecturing; fate of some leaders
Cass watches/listens to News First on MTV Channel. Their introductory opening to news relays on the forthcoming elections and politics is a chorus of voices asking the q ‘When’s the election?’ This reverberates in Cass’ head most of the time and is certainly not a pleasant reverberation, since it is perception associated with political mugs, meaning faces of politicians, some sad to report, not at all pleasing. So, we are in the muggy, squashy bog of political conjecturing.
Parties
The fate of parties is upfront and surprising. Both the SLFP and SLPP G-strings seem to be fast crumbling; the former due to internal significant squabbles and the latter with rats leaving the sinking ship who have even formed a separate grouping but are still considered SLPPers. The bud came into prominence by winning in a local government elections soon after the Party was formed by Basil Rajapaksa, not many years ago. Bud bloomed but now it is cancerous, showing decay and fading fast. Namal has no charisma like his papa had but that too has waned.
Cartoonist Jeffrey of The Island very succinctly depicted the cracks within the SLFP by showing cleavages and lost parts of a hand. Chief protagonist in this tragedy is shown to be Maithripala Sirisena since his statue alongside the damaged hand is also showing cracks and even shed parts.
The UNP was greatly diminished in the 2019 election. However, it has held together even with many deserting the Green Elephant and taking hold of a Telephone. The UNP seems to be a phoenix, rising from the ashes. And that solely due to its leader on whom was thrust the presidency of the country by the Prez who was chased out by the unity within the Araglaya and fled for dear life by boat, ship and aeroplane from one country to another, no longer a respected visitor but barely tolerated.
The JVP or NPP – National Peoples Power – given birth in 2019 by the JVP leadership, is rising meteor like.
These changes and break-ups are tedious to follow to an ordinary citizen like Cass. She is most fatigued by the fact that all steam given out in speeches, press interviews etc., said to be for the good and benefit of the people are all for the good and benefit of the individuals who assume pseudo nationalism.
Cass used the word ‘sickening’ in her title of this Cry. She does not retract her statement. It is truly sickening to see the manoevering within parties that is taking place and consequent in-fighting. All because of selfish concern; self-centered motives. Almost all politicians are believers of “me, long before country”. There are more than a handful of admirable persons too in politics, so mercifully all is not lost. Furthermore, many good persons stand in the wings, ready to come forward to save Mother Lanka from its ignominious position in the world order as of now. Voters are also more circumspect and wise now. They have been cheated and led up the garden path by political rhetoric and false promises. Wiser now, we hope.
Another massive perk for MPs
Most of the denizens who spend their working hours (some sleeping, some phoning, some just registering their presence and then vamoosing), and those who argue screaming their heads off are once again united in a demand for another perk to their already big bag of special goodies. They have signed a demand for tax free car import licenses. Cass hopes she got that right.
She is sure not all asked for this; the few realizing how unrealistic, how unjust, how insensible it is to ask for a duty free luxury car or the license to be sold at a fabulous price at this stage of the economic depression of the country. There are a few members of the present Parliament who are honourable, national minded, concerned about the people and willing to give of their service to the country for which they entered Parliament. Theirs is not to make money, to benefit unfairly, but to help improve the condition of Sri Lanka and its people. We can identify them; much more easily the greedy, the corrupt, the utterly insensitive and selfish MPs.
Cass’ question is why on earth duty free cars for MPs when their span of life in Parliament is drawing to a close with elections, maybe, held next year. She saw on TV that one reason for the demand is that the vehicles they now possess are 12 years old. Goodness, that’s comparatively new to the ordinary man in a bankrupt country. Cass supposes that the CB showed an improved balance of payments or money in the national kitty or outside. Hence the quick cashing in for personal benefit. They are also cashing in on perks being given to win votes.
The Speaker of course would allow this request but he has to pass it to the President. Cassandra uses her power to glance at the future and foretell, prophesy. What she discerns is that if the President allows duty free vehicle licenses to MPs to gain popularity with them, he will lose a hundred times more popularity with the people. Very many will be the votes he loses on this one issue, if he gives into the greed of some MPs.
May Day rallies are going on as Cass rounds off her Cry. She is not one bit interested in what the many-hued Leaders promise, or in the size of throngs present at the various venues. Much of the hinterland must have been conveyed to Colombo gifting them a free ride; a half day of entertainment, a buth packet and tot of arrack.
Her reason for non-interest is that a day dedicated to workers; the welfare of toilers for their daily rice; and their problems; has been high-jacked by politicians and it is a purely political day of display of crowds and loud speeches with some venue stages featuring singers and dancers. We hope ordinary life prevails after the high jinks of May First, May Day!