Time for Change in Sri Lanka.

The much awaited presidential election in Sri Lanka is just a few days away but unfortunately we the migrant workers who are one of the highest foreign currency earners for the country’s coffer are left without a voice.
All successive previous regimes have plundered most of the remittances, we earned by working in 50 plus Celsius degrees by spending them on many white elephant projects but never even considered giving us a voice, in return for our magnanimous contribution.
We do not ask for permits to import luxury cars duty free to the country.
Even if we ask it, I do not see there is anything wrong with it because many of the unproductive public sector employees, celebrities, sportsmen and many more (the list is too long to mention here) have already been granted this facility.
The universal suffrage is something we Sri Lankans have been enjoying from early 1930s.
All what we have been asking is to give the migrant work force also the voice but hitherto it has fallen in to deaf ears and I am confident that the situation would change after the 26th of January 2010.
Although we have been made voiceless by purpose, there are other ways that our pleas and aspirations can be conveyed to those who need them to be heard.
The upcoming presidential election is one of them and I am sure none of us want to miss this opportunity presented unexpectedly to us goes begging.
We still have our roots there in Sri Lanka and through them that the voiceless can be transformed in to a considerable real silent force.
Usually In Sri Lankan politics, the majority is always silent unlike the minority who are very vocal, boisterous and noisy, but do not be intimidated by their behaviour or the noise they make.
Keys to Public offices are not a birthright of any and it should never have to be so in future too.
Those who seek public offices must first prove beyond any reasonable doubts of their leadership qualities and most importantly the farsightedness.
Digging up a few dilapidated tanks, siphoning public money, professing others to grow Manioc & lentils in their own back gardens and embark on wasteful white elephant projects to glorify one’s image would not usher any prosperity.
This is the time for a complete overhauling of the system.
This is the time for change.
Please do not waste this opportunity but tell those who are back home to cast their votes wisely.
My guess is as good as yours that the choice should be impeccably clean as the colour of White.
Sasanka De Silva blogging from Oman.