The 13th Amendment was forced
on Sri Lanka by the Indian Government of the time as a means to solve the
prolonged ethnic issues, mainly as it relates to Tamil grievances. This created
the Provincial Council System, which to me is an added and unneeded layer of
bureaucracy that is wasteful and counterproductive. It was meant to solve the
problems of the North and East and it is in those very same provinces that the
Amendment has NOT been effective for various reasons. In the other areas, it
has created local lords, who have ruined, and politicized local government and
have nothing to show as a positive in all the years of its existence.
The PR fights in the elections within
the parties and huge amounts of money wasted as well as the caliber of donkey
elected to these Councils call for its immediate demolition. In the related
areas of the North and East it has created further divisions amongst the ethnic
minorities as to who really represents their interests and there is no real
answer to that despite the polls showing TNA to represent the interests of the
Tamil speaking people in the North. It is really for want of an alternative.
I know this stand lies contrary to my
other stand in regards to the ethnic issue, and I seem to side with some of the
extremist parties, but my conclusion is based on the years of enactment NOT
achieving the original desired result, and like the PR system is time to be scrapped.
I believe the level of autonomy rests at the District levels, in Districts that
are currently demarcated and using the existing local government structures. I
also believe with some minor tweaking the problems can all be solved speedily,
and the people will also feel some entitlement in their governance.
I for one looking at the North Central
Province, strongly feel that the Polonnaruwa District gets step motherly treatment
from the larger Anuradhapura District, and can only be truly run as one district
and not part of the NCP, where decisions taken by a majority form Anuradhapura affect
the people of Polonnaruwa.
Given to me I can run Polonnaruwa better
than anyone who has yet attempted and the people will get a better deal. The rich
resources of the District will be shared amongst the people of the District, and
not squandered by a few political henchmen. The quality of life has not improved
in 50 years despite the phenomenal growth most of the rest of the country has been
fortunate with. Run well as a District, there is no reason why in 20 years Polonnaruwa
can lead the quality of life index of Sri Lanka with all its residents content to
live there not elsewhere!!!
2 comments:
sounds like a sales pitch to the people of Polannaruwa. How many readers do you figure you have out there? Why not start a Polannaruwa circular that is distributed only to people of the area? you can have a column and also feature daily news. just an idea.
I agree.
We need less government, not more. Reform should not stop at the 13th amendment, it is best if we can get back to 1972 constitution. (1948 would be even better).
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