The combined spend by candidates vying for the Western Provincial Council is estimated to exceed Rs 1.5Billion for the first time!

And that does not include the direct cost of holding the elections and the ongoing policing and security costs up until that time.

This when compared to the new Colors of Courage Cancer Hospital that will opened in Jaffna, by the President on 19th Janaury, that is said to have cost one sixth of that figure, with funds raised by a charity. We can therefore put that cost in perspective as an utter waste of money.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=95925

I am totally against Provincial Councils, and at best wish to see all Councils have the elections on one day Islandwide. They don’t appear to have much teeth and the Central Govt. does not wish to devolve any more power than they have to. Hence with Councilors who can do little to change the lives of the people they serve, spending so much to get elected seems an utter waste.

The fashion parade within the party is just as bad as between parties and sometimes worse. So people spend money just to get the preferences, and NOT attempt to get flagging voters, or new voters to their cause, and instead fight their colleagues in the same political party to get a greater share of the party’s voter base! This very fact alone, is sufficient to damn this whole charade.

Put simply it is wrong, for the Country, to waste money on an end that only carries on personality cults, and political positions from which to exploit the citizenry, rather than as servants of the people elected to serve their electorate.

Given at least that there is nothing anyone can do about it at this time, let us try to rationalize what is at stake. The ruling coalition Govt. want to increase or at least maintain their base, the opposition wants to win, and the minor parties are jockeying for a level of votes to justify their third party status, and all others will just as well bite the dust. 

Given those objectives, the candidates instead want to show that within their party they are the most popular and as only a certain number get elected, fight to get at least the minimum necessary to be elected. This latter fight destroys the credibility of the election itself, as issues are NOT discussed, and only why they are as people the most eligible to be elected, in short a fashion show. 

We therefore don’t know what anyone of the parties will do if elected, and the voter does not seem to demand that from the party either. There is NO manifesto or anything similar making this election, ONLY a test of the Govt.’s continued popularity. Even the latter presumption is called into question as it is a test of who can spend the most, have the most cutouts put up illegally and paste as many posters so that their names are in the mind of the voter, to cross them on voting day. Theoretically, the voter is bought, unless he is cunning enough not to be swayed by pretense!! 

So VOTERS it is down to you to seriously think about how you wish to affect the outcome. A difference, the same or apathy, your vote Counts. Express how you really feel, don't throw this chance at democracy however flawed it may be. Go and vote, otherwise someone else might use your vote, spoil it if you must, just do it!!