An Island Life: 08/07/15

The general Sri Lankan believes about government service is not positive. They are well known for being inefficient. I too have unpleasant experiences in some government offices.But we cannot forget that we have free health care, free education that all government services. To be honest most of educated Sri Lankans are products of free education.

During the colonial period In Sri Lanka we had reputed civil service, if we are blaming to the civil service today we blaming to ourselves. After the long years of free education which includes university education as well if someone not doing his job properly it’s a personal problem. Nothing wrong with the country. We can pointed politicians for appointing unqualified people to the high rank of the government service, but again most cases they have fairly good education qualifications. But their performances are not quit acceptable. Well educated people kneed in front of politicians those who not even got through grade 8.That’s why I think this is a personal problem, but after long period of education if it is the result that is a problem with our education. Did our education system provide scholars without personality?

Professor Nalin De Silva bending over ex parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksha. Professor Nalin De Silva former university professor in Quantum Physics. Few Sri Lankans who obtained a doctorate degrees in quantum physics. Where is the problem? Education or person? I don t know….

But out of all there is a still one person in Sri Lanka which we can be proud. That is no other than our commissioner of election; Mr.Mahinda Dehspriya.He is a complete Sri Lankan Product.Studied in government schools and being graduated from University of Peradeniya.

The Department of Elections was created on October 01, 1955, amalgamating the then existing two Departments of Parliamentary Elections and Local Body Elections.

But during the time of President Chandrika Kumaratunga ,the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution was enacted to provide for an Election Commission appointed by the President on the recommendations of the Constitutional Council. This was in October 2001,

Actually Sri Lanka got influenced from India, somehow this was a one of the best things that CBK did during her period.

We had several commissioners of election, including one who suffered stress during his period and got retired giving that excuse in 2010 .Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya was appointed after that by the President. The first time when I saw Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya I understood that he was a complete different person.

Generally all Sri Lankan government official wear white collar dress with suitable tie, it does not matter even if it’s sweating outside, because their offices’ are have air condition. The other dress is which Sri Lankan known as” Kapati suit” (cunning dress).this is an adaptation of both European and Asian .It is trouser and the shirt with a Chinese collar. A lot of Sri Lankan politicians wear this specially those who wanted to show that they hate western influences in this country. Our beloved politician who called to prime minister by using nicest filthy words in the parliament wears this “Kapati suit”.

Actually we have funny clothes, during the colonial time some Sri Lankan wealthy people worn the Sarong over the trouser, they were showing while they are serving to British Still BE Sri Lankan by wearing the “Sarong”.

Somehow Mr.Mahida Dehapriya also wearing this and the first press conference with Medias for me he did not sound nicely. He has very sarcastic loud way of talking. Sometimes he stood up and demonstrated how vote correctly. During his period we had several local elections and former presidents party got landslide victories most of the time. Those elections were reported to be extremely corrupted.

The government with the power used everything to win those elections, they were distributing goods targeting votes, using government vehicles so many misuse of government property etc.

The last election before the presidential election was in Uva province, Sri Lanka .Badulla is the capital of the Uva province, Ex-president’s nephew, was running for the post of chief minister and he was the chief minister of the Uva province over five years, But it is the poorest province in Sri Lanka.We can imagine what kind of election happened and how they won it.

But before the election, commissioner of election been to the area and he address the media. With his loud casual voice he told there are not any significant violations of election law to be identified in the Uva province. But it was not true; everybody knew that it was not true.

Even I thought Mr. Mahinada Deshapriya, no any different from other government workers, but I was wrong. Most of us were wrong .Really appearances are deceptive. It was the presidential election that Mr. Mahida Deshapriya prepared for.

Mr.Mahinda Deshapriya with his brothers,sisters,three generations of his family.

He was far sighted not to lose his position on trivial matters such as local election, he knew if he speak against the existing governments that time he will be at home in few days. So he waited till presidential election making government to believe he is only a moppet.

During the time of presidential election he used his maximum power to have fair and non-violent election. It was not easy, at one point he had to openly said shoot straight to the head if someone comes to vote forcefully.

Mr. Mahinda Deshapriya is the brother of journalist Sunanda Deshapriya, now who is seeking political asylum in some western European country.Mr Sunanda Deshapriya was an very active member of the 1971 unsuccessful revolution in Sri Lanka.Then he turn in to a journalist and most of his life he spent with lifelong struggles to keep this country on the correct path. But finally he had to leave the country.

There are some dark areas in his role as a journalist but he tried most of the time .Mr. Mahida Deshapriya was unaware of most of Sri Lankans till he become commissioner of election, but what he did to this country is remarkable. If there is no fair election on 8^th of January things would have been changed so many different ways of this country.