It Takes All Sorts To Make The World!
Memorable to most; exhilarating to some, boring to others. Mixed feelings due to the announcement made by the highest of the land — HRH — a promise for the repetition of an exercise that we Sri Lankans are in general tired of, though this time it’s a mother of all exercises.
The poor Sri Lankan has had to endure so many elections in the past that they are either annoying or a huge yawn.
Local news
The President announced that presidential elections will be held prior to parliamentary elections, and soon. He, his party, his cohorts and sycophants probably had mixed feelings too – why cut short by two years the status quo on a metaphoric throw of dice, when life at the top and surrounding the top is so lucrative and luxurious? Will he, won’t he win, and we swim or sink with him, will be the question in very many servile minds. The most active among his supporters will brush up their rhetoric, glean trash on the opponent and be ready to electioneer until victory does reward them.
Some others short on brains but heavy on brawn will be sharpening their knives, collecting buckets of mud and tar and readying themselves to hitch up their sarongs and charge like so many infuriated bulls at the sight of the tall ex-army guy. Still others, very close to the seat of power are nervous and show it. Perchance there are hurdlers readying themselves to judge which way the winning wind blows and sprint over and across.
The curse of the election billboards has already started. To the earlier ones jubilating over the war-win and proclamation of kingship have been added others, so much so that not only trees and buildings, but the sky itself is obliterated from view. The mugs seen drive one to long for a fistful of mud or dung to … (I dare not say what. My head is precious, I do not want it acidified or worse, cut off with one fell sweep.)
On the opposite side are the plotters and planners, those dreaming of piggy-backing to power, those willing to swallow vilification and join hands in the name of the Common Candidate. They are a mixed bag – blood red and pale-green, with a handful of in-betweens and tough Tamils. There’s the ace loser, bless him since losing is not all his fault. Beside him drools the ex-local Versace. Next stands pock-marked Asbee of sprinting behind fame.
Blood thirst
The rathu band seem to be saviours of our nation and its people while just two decades ago they killed indiscriminately for the second time the rich and poor, famous and unknown. Where has the blood thirst gone to – hiding within? They have already introduced the Common Candidate to the public via the print and electronic media, though he has made no pronouncement up until the time of writing this piece.
And what about this Common Candidate – a very uncommon man? A hero by all reckoning and a hurt man, physically of course due to a LTTE suicide bomber and emotionally by step-motherly treatment meted out after the impossible was made possible, mission accomplished. A Hamlet with an exploratory toe stepping gingerly on the political stage with a:
“To be or not to be – that is the question
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or take arms against a sea of troubles.”
He’ll hasten to add not arms, as in a coup, but arms at election hustings.
So there he is — handsome in civvies and a mite uncomfortable on a speaking platform. He is used to “do and die,” not talk and cajole a fickle public. He was addressing the media and came across as inexperienced in rhetoric. However his repartee was quick. To the question asked: “What if you lose?” His instant answer was: ”I never lose. I never lost.”
He is also Macbeth, the brave army general who won battles for his king, but in the end murdered him, due to vaulting ambition and false prophesies of the witches. He may ponder and exclaim:
“If it were done when ‘tis done. Then ’twere well
It were done quickly. If the election
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease, success…”
And later a soliloquy:
“Is this the president’s crown I see before me?
It marshall’st me the way that I was going.”
There have been innumerable letters to editors of the various newspapers; pleading with him not to contest the presidential election; not to lower his dignity, not to sully his hard earned honour. There have been articles with weighty arguments set forth so he does not contest.
But we thinking, feeling women decide he must come forward and give the incumbent a good run for his money. He, the Common Candidate, saved the country, so why not give him a chance to save the nation? He sure will sweep the perfidious rubbish of thugs and buffoons off the political stage. He might tackle corruption; he sure will bring in law and order. So let’s cheer him on.
The President convened a meeting of media persons, inviting all editors of local newspapers to Temple Trees. Monday evening television news highlighted the meeting and relayed some of what the President had proclaimed. One item grabbed attention. His Excellency said that he solemnly assures that forthcoming elections will be free and fair and that violence of any sort will be nipped in the bud and election malpractices squashed. That was exciting good news.
We do long for free and fair elections where the voter is free to vote as he wishes, feeling safe enough to go to his polling booth. We want to see contestants and their followers fighting a clean fight and eventually having a winner emerge who won the race fair and square. Most importantly, we need our fears that the opposing contestant will be done in before the day of voting, assuaged. The Common Candidate must be safe.
Foreign news
The most striking bit of overseas news for me was an email I received with a picture of four of the G8 leaders in it. The 35th G8 Summit was held in July this year in Abruzzo, but this photograph has perennial interest and value as it is a pointer to character, to the main interest of each of the four leaders captured by camera.
There’s the Canadian PM looking down at his tie and fiddling with it; US President Obama standing tall looking into the distance with a determined face but with humanity written all over him. The French and Italian heads look down to the right of them, towards Obama’s feet. I scrolled down quickly. Found they were gazing at a crouching woman picking up slipped papers. That was their prioritized area of interest. The Canadian is self interested; the American looking to the future of the world, the French and Italian finding a woman’s derriere eclipsing all other interests whether national or international!
Ah well, it takes all sorts to make the world!
