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| Sunday, 2 October 2005 |
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Voters in for good time Campaign Trail by Ranga Jayasuriya
Feminists will be impressed. So are thousands of aging women whose marriage is delayed by financial constraints. The UNP presidential hopeful Ranil Wickremesinghe plans to ban the dowry system. Wonderful times are ahead for these women who have for years been eagerly waiting for the comfort of a man and marriage. Mr. Wickremesinghe is planning to reshape the socio-cultural landscape of the country. But, he needs to be aware, he could lose promising Tamil votes from Jaffna. Even the LTTE, despite its totalitarian approach could not root out the dowry system, which is deep rooted in the psycho of the Tamil community. It is hard to think that Mr. Wickremesinghe would impress elites of Jaffna Tamils with his new electoral pledges. But perhaps he would be the saviour of thousands of young Tamil girls whose parents could not amass jewellery and money for their dowry. That is an unexpected achievement for Mr Wickremesinghe. He is filling a place in the mind of girls usually reserved for Shah Ruk Khan. There is also one stern message in his manifesto: no bail for rapists. Only last year one youthful Provincial Councillor of the UNP, made a big controversy, raping an underage lass. Now, he is out on bail. Bad news for him. And interestingly this promise comes in the wake of the mounting public criticism at the failed and later withdrawn attempt by the Justice Ministry to reduce the age of Statutory rape to 13.
Back to the UNP manifesto. Mr Wickremesinghe promises a minimum price of 17 rupees for every kilo of paddy. There is also a promise for a price ceiling on all kinds of fertilizer. The maximum price of a 50 Kg bag of fertilizer is 550 rupees. Also, there are some interesting promises to the farmers, which were not mentioned in the manifesto, but were said at press briefings of the UNP presidential campaign. In the vision of the new UNP, the future Sri Lankan paddy farmer would be a little different from a hip hop guy, clad in T shirt of Nike franchise and bell bottoms. That is what UNP stalwart Rajitha Senaratne, MP, told at one press briefing. Only a week ago that Mr Wickremesinghe pledged to usher in a Parakum era. One interesting email circulating among local internet users has Rajitha Senaratne and Hemakumara Nanayakkara, MPs, clad in trendy tee shirts, of course of Nike franchise, toiling the field, with Ranil Wickremesinghe carved to the rock in a caricatured form of the statue of Pulathisi, or of King Parakramabahu looking at them. On the other side Wickremesinghe's main rival, Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapakse is now a host to all sorts of people. During the last two weeks, he entertained three wheeler drivers, pavement hawkers, newly employed graduates, teachers and many more. The PM is known to be a generous host. His campaign is aimed at winning the support of every possible segment of people. He has pledged a gamut of welfare measures, one of them is reinstating the pension scheme, which was abolished a few years ago under an Agreement with the International Monetary Fund. But, in real economics, everybody can't be pleased all the time. There is an opportunity cost for ever choice. How will the Prime Minister manage the economy at large?. Definitely, the current economic backdrop does not allow him to go on a spending spree. The economy is yet to recover from the full brunt of the tsunami. Perhaps, the Prime Minister should rationalise the welfare state, ensuring that those who really deserve government assistance receive it. The Prime Minister will announce his election manifesto once the nominations are submitted. All eyes are now on the SLMC and CWC. Mr Wickremesinghe in his election manifesto promised for a separate Muslim delegation at future peace talks. This is a promise he could not fulfil last time as the Tigers insisted on two party talks. The LTTE would not be happy with Mr Wickremesinghe's pledge. But, banned from travelling to the European Union the Tigers have other worries. Only seven weeks to go for the election. Let's hope that the Tigers would be engaged with other issues and would not move suicide cadres to the South in repetition of the previous election. |
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