Another Day, Another Election
Mano Ratwatte
There are Democracies and there are Democrazies. One person has already lost his life in Nivitigala in this cycle. In Hambantota, Mr. Premedasa’s facebook page shows torn down posters and banners. Why is there so much personal animosity between partisan supporters that the same people who go to Temple, Mosque, Church or Kovil regularly then start getting mad at each other and start beating people up and even killing them over a damned ballot?
Masses are ululating again. “Apey mahathaya, Apey Ranil haamu, Apey Mahinda Raja” whoever that Apey person is going to win is secondary to the massive drain on public resources. Consider how much money all parties and candidates will burn (and houses); some will win and recoup their expenses, getting high interest returns on their investments; others will lose; but in modern times not one candidate of UNP, SLFP, UFPA will go bankrupt unlike in the good ole days where people ran for office to serve the people and not serve themselves. Partisan hacks vociferously only attack the other side.
Typically, in a capitalist society like US, more money pours into the winning side or the side that is trending towards winning; the odds are, Lankan bookies already know which side is trending.
The US Supreme Court ruled Corporations are people too and lifted the limit a company or person can contribute to a campaign. In 2014, January the Supreme Court removed the limits on corporate spending in political campaigns, paving the way for unlimited corporate influence in elections.
Republicans praised the court for a monumental decision toward restoring the First Amendment rights for corporations and unions. Democrats have asked for legislation to reinstate the ban on direct campaign spending by corporations.Read More
