What would our politics be if the 2M disenfranchised citizens overseas had a vote?

There are approximately 2M Sri Lankan citizens who are living and working overseas. Just a few of them about 5% are currently minors, under the 18 year voting age, but the vast majority would be eligible to vote if they were living and registered to vote in Sri Lanka. There currently is NO intention of either of the main parties to include them in the voting register, at least for that of the President.

Sri Lanka has one of the highest percentages of citizens of one country who live overseas. They currently contribute approximately US$8Billion to the Sri Lanka economy directly through the banking system and outside of it. Therefore they form a disproportionately high economically active section of the population who SADLY DO NOT have a say in who gets elected to the most powerful position in this Country. Just imagine how different our future, let alone our history may have been if that were the case!! After all in a heavily politicized country, the person at the helm has a hugely disproportionate influence in how the country’s wealth is wasted. There is no one currently living except for the leaders themselves who question that the waste is of historically humongous proportions!!!!

I believe the citizens who go overseas are the most enterprising and risk taking people we have, and who are able to use what skills, god has given them and acquired both at home and overseas for their personal benefit. I believe someone who benefits themselves first is someone the nation MUST value, as it is that individual who can help the nation benefit as much if not more, and we need to find a way to cultivate that talent for the benefit of this country.

As someone who wakes up everyday wondering how I could make a positive difference to this country, who after 33 years overseas decided it was time I came to my country to do whatever I can to assist it in a positive way feel I am very fortunate in being able to do my part.

The work I have done since my arrival in Sri Lanka, much of which is documented in the various blogs I keep, including but not exclusively in www.rajaratarala.blogspot.com and www.villagerinsrilanka.blogspot.com They are opinions of someone fortunate to live out looking in at the idiosyncrasies within.

I have shown in my own limited way what I can do, question some of the behavior of people within Sri Lanka and have suggested ways of improving the way we live, do business, educate, care for, treat patients and improve governance here in Sri Lanka in www.kalapanakaranna.blogspot.com.

If not for a wasted accident caused by the Cabinet Minister of Justice, in January 2011, who accepts full blame, where I was completely disabled and my whole vocation destroyed, I would have been able to finish where I started, however we do not have complete control over our destiny and this is an example of how badly the powers of this country abuse their authority against the interests of Sri Lanka, in case someone was looking around to find fault with the way this administration behaves!!!!

Anyway I have been able to put my disability aside as something I have to live with which has not received any compensation from the uncaring state apparatus that caused it. I have had to change what I am doing to work in the opposition as a Secretary to a Member of Parliament to do whatever we can in Social Service and use my knowledge and skills to assist him in empowering our youth to rise from the depths to which this administration is bent on taking this country to one of a new plan full of hope and enterprise, looking beyond the petty and greedy administration which while it is cheating the people by misinformation on what it is engaged in is actually engaged in daylight robbery of especially the huge funds earned and brought by these aforesaid 2 million productive workers.

It is therefore just a matter of simple deduction, that no one would like their life-savings being destroyed by an administration for personal greed and would like to have a say in how the massive foreign exchange that they remit is spent.

It is to these people that I address these comments as they form a large portion of my readership. Please have faith in us we will do our utmost to give you your vote, as that is the right thing to do. There are no ifs and buts. Our embassies have the capacity to do so, and we will use the latest voting techniques including the electronic voting procedures as well as the internet to garner your support and ensure that there is justice and fair play in giving you a say in the affairs of your country.

I with years of work overseas, putting up with the numerous hardships, which I was able to overcome, have a spirit that most of you overseas have, in order to make a change for the better in Sri Lanka, with many of the worst excesses being committed in the name of politics by politicians. You will then be able to effect change in this mentality as they will HEED your advice also and not waste your money and ensure you obtain a fair reward for your labor and safeguard your savings once you return, be it in the form of say, housing education or other investments in the financial sector or elsewhere.