Adieu 2013, the year of the VVIP Citizen

A customary salutation to the year gone byDecember 31, 2013

Well, at least for the sake of nostalgic continuity (if nothing else) I must en!"o#n my t#o cents #orth on the e$e of yet another year, articularly in "eference to those "ear frien"s #ho constantly bombar" me #ith sentiments like %&hrishi, #hy aren't you #riting no#()* it's not that I'" gi$en u you see, but I +ust "i"n't think anyone care" anymore, but lea$ing all that asi"e momentarily, here goes, 2013 in a nutshell I guess for most of us the year has seen the customary %une$en cur$es) of regularly fluctuating $ariables on the hori-ontal a.is of life, #hen lotte" on the $ertical a.is of olitico!socio!economic (or % olisocionomic) as #e calle" it) gains or losses, not that "issimilar to other recent years* of course I s eak of my %or"inary) fello# /ri 0ankan #ith the constitutionally guarantee" status of %citi-en) (#ithin the contem lation of Article 21 of the &onstitution) an" not of the recently eru te" a" hoc class of su er!citi-en sur$i$ing mainly on olitical atronage ( aying olitical homage mostly), #hich funnily enough a ear to e.ten" to e$en some fractions of the o osition, #ho are also %#ell looke" after) by those reten"ing to be their ri$als2 3hese %4I5 citi-ens) erio"ically grace us #ith an au"ience, either at the higher echelons of social acti$ity like night car races, or e$en on or"inary "ays the occasional buffoon is seen careering "o#n our roa"s at the same breakneck s ee"s #ith uniforme" i"iots #a$ing their arms (I mean both kin"s 6 biological as #ell as automatic firearms) frantically, sirens blaring, running e$en the re" lights an" breaking all kno#n traffic la#s* some e$en ha$e self! rinte" 44I5 signs rou"ly "is laye" large as life, most of this at our ta.e" e. ense2 7o# #e #ere taught at that ol" school this tale of the monkey in raise of his o#n tail,

so #hy not "is lay %859:3) on their #in"screens instea"* but then the monkey at least ha" a tail to tell a tale of, I ha$e no# lost my atience #ith these %security sho#! offs) an" "eci"e" ne$er to gi$e #ay to such moronic beha$iour on the roa" until such time a ublic roclamation is ma"e, officially, as to the nee" for such s ee" (an" en"angerment) or security2 3his of course has one e.ce tion, that it "oes not a ly to security assure" to the 9ea" of /tate, as 9is ;.cellency is +ustly entitle" to such status e. officio as the first citi-en an" it is our "uty to ensure his rotection* all others ho#e$er (the last time I checke") fall un"er Article 12(1) of the &onstitution, #hich ro$i"es for e<uality an" e<ual rotection before the la#* I'm more than #illing to face arrest, trial or e$en im risonment (if "uly con$icte") for stan"ing my groun" on this, I maintain that no one else is %more e<ual) than the rest of us, Declination of our so$ereign status If you're feeling the anger by no#, I can assure you that this is share" commonly amongst many of e<ual min"set, but #e someho# "on't say or "o anything about it* e.ce t erha s #ithin the sanctity of our safety net of e$ening cocktails #hen the bubbly gets the better of our tongues2 It has ersonally been the greatest test of atience to su ress these frustrations an" remain silent, an" e$en these fe# #or"s no# o#e its origin mainly to a recent $isit to the beautifully lan"sca e" uni$ersity remises at 5era"eniya* #here I "eli$ere" a guest lecture to young la# stu"ents raring to take on the challenge of rotecting an" reser$ing #hat they ha$e rea" to be fun"amental to e$erything else* the rule of a society go$erne" by la#s a lie" e<ually to e$eryone2 I #ish them all the best as they assume office this year an" thank them, an" their intellectually stimulating cam us en$ironment for ins iring an %ol" en that ha" almost lost its ink)2 We a ear to ha$e lost track someho#, of the fact that the so$ereign o#er of this great nation rests #ith us, the eo le, e<ually an" it is inalienable2 3hough this o#er of the eo le is meant to be e.ercise" through the three organs of go$ernment (e.ecuti$e, legislati$e an" +u"icial), e<ually lace" u on the rinci les of %se aration), a keen eye #ill note that through #ell mani ulate" mo$es such as the cross!o$er (some allege %buying o$er)) of o osition members an" unla#ful interferences #ith the +u"icial rocess* a gra"ual "e$aluation of these t#o organs of go$ernment has been achie$e" #hilst further strengthening an" ele$ating e.ecuti$e o#er2

A cursory glance at the morning a er cartoons #ill sho# the utter contem t an" ri"icule our electe" legislators are sub+ecte" to in the ublic eye an" there is a similar loss of ublic faith in institutions a"ministering la#* #hilst e.ecuti$e o#er is image" an" ortraye" to be the singular source of strength, the anacea for all ailments2 Whilst such orchestrate" mo$es may $ery #ell ser$e short term olitical gain for one arty or a regime to remain in o#er, the longer term sustenance of olitical system in a nation!state cannot be achie$e" by such "estruction of ublic faith in institutions of go$ernment* a "emocratic rocess must gro# an" be nurture" in a citi-enry, it is only then #e #ill learn to un"erstan" an" a reciate the $alue of institutions, not ersonalities, :h #hen #ill #e e$er learn( I ro ose that the year in its totality be "e"icate" to a great #arrior for the cause, 8a"iba #ho some ha$e e$en e<uate" to the titanic statures of =an"hi an" 0incoln, consi"ere" fathers of their o#n res ecti$e nations an" "early lo$e" by their citi-enry as such2 3hough o inion may remain "i$i"e" on this, let me sim ly carry my $ote an" <uote :"ysseus (of 3roy) an" say 6 %if they e$er tell my story, let it be sai" that I li$e" in the times of giants that I li$e" in the times of 7elson 8an"ela)2 We must thank him for much, a great lesson amongst many being his % olitical "etachment to the lures of office), that he kne# #hen to lea$e* he "i"n't sacrifice the interests of the eo le for his o#n ersonal gain, or that of his family an" frien"s an" seek #ays of e.ten"ing terms of office, We #ere at a recent ceremony to mark the retirement of a great la"y after se$eral years of "e"icate" ste#ar"shi , #here similar sentiments #ere e. resse", that she ha" icke" the right time to go, #hen the <uestion #as %#hy are you lea$ing() rather than %#hen are you lea$ing()* but I guess they "on't make them any thicker than our brethren in olitics to"ay, :ne can only mar$el at their $aliant efforts to remain in office "es ite all but the kitchen sink being thro#n at them* some e$en artially "isable" me"ically, gone #ell ast retirement age or suffere" continuous losses at their $ote bases (#hether in go$ernment or o osition)* yet their singular commitment is to someho# stay an" %ser$e us)* ho# noble, aye(

:f course #e must engage in the reci rocal <uestion as to our o#n thinking as a citi-enry, for min"s far su erior than ours in the science of olitics, such as the great Aristotle himself ha$e long establishe" the rinci le that in a "emocracy, % #e shall be go$erne" no better than #e "eser$e)* meaning it is us, the eo le that elect our re resentati$es2 /o e$en if #e ro$i"e for me"ia s in!"octoring of certain arties an" can"i"ates, carefully e.ecute" cam aigns (see abo$e) to change the ublic min"set or e$en the arties themsel$es substituting %their choice) for ours (as at an election our choice is actually rece"e" by the arty 6 the eo le elect from those liste" by a arty)* lea$ing allo#ance for all of that I am yet con$ince" that shoul" a massi$e ma+ority of eo le truly #ill it, they can kick!out e$en the most corru t regime2 3his in fact has been a rimary ersonal reflection of recent times, self!e.amination of sorts, as to #hat seems to %bother) me #ith the status <uo a arently "oesn't seem to matter for the ma+ority( I am yet gra ling #ith <uestion an" one that I "aresay those of e<ual min"set #ho are genuinely "isturbe" #ith %the system) as it functions no# must try an" ans#er* #hy %bother) #hen the ma+ority "oesn't seem to care( I'm "ue to artici ate in an %International 4isitor 0ea"ershi 5rogramme), on in$itation by the >/ go$ernment in ?ebruary @am * 8arch ne.t year2 3his %I405) is to be con"ucte" by the >/ De t2 of /tate on the theme %Aule of 0a# @am * Bu"icial Aeform) commencing in Washington #ith sche"ule" $isits an" meetings in a fe# other states2 If things flo# as ro ose" an" I e$entually "o cross the Atlantic, it #ill be $ery interesting to see if I can fin" some "irection from that "emocratic system, to assist me to ans#er at least some of these <uestions, so I can at least com are to my o#n %home system)2 Whither 201C( 3alk is ri e of elections to come, the ro$incial ones confirme" #ith yet others (general or other#ise #e are yet unsure) being s oken of2 3here are also "iscussions of another +oint coalition to face these elections, an a" hoc set u ma"e u (a arently) of se$eral %forces) #ho commonly share a $ision to o$erthro# the seemingly unshakable regime of the "ay2 I am ersonally not con$ince" #hether this is the right ans#er, for it looks more like another %<uick!fi.) attem t to hi"e a greater sin* the im otency of any o osition grou to sustain itself an" mount a real challenge2 3he long term solution to the real issue, #hich is the inability to form an" reser$e a functional o osition (a con"icio sine <ua non to a functional "emocracy) is #hat must be tackle" s ee"ily an" effecti$ely* one that is rea"y an" geare" at any time to ose

a cogent threat to a go$ernment of any "ay2 I s eak of course of a classic "efinition of an %o osition) #ith sha"o# cabinets an" ministers foun"e" on a #ell structure" country#i"e net#ork arme" #ith alternate olicy an" constructi$e criti<ue to lace before the electorate, to kee a regime in o#er %in check) at any time* "o #e ha$e that( At resent #e ha$e the ma+or grou >75 in tatters unable to sol$e their o#n internal issues an" as a result losing both their electe" members #ho continue to cross!o$er an" se$ere "ro s in their numbers #ho tra"itionally sho#e" u at the ools2 3he %3r" force) that #as, B45 #ho a ear to talk sense most of the time are unable to con$ert that to a "ecisi$e $ote #ith the electorate2 3he recently emerge" D5 le" by former =en2 ?onseka #hich a eare" on the scene #ith a giant lea at the election #ithin +ust a fe# months is yet to ro$e itself ca able of sustaining that momentum* no# that they ha$e been aroun" for a #hile an" the electorate has ha" a chance to see an" hear them, can they buil" on that gain or #as #hat #e #itnesse" sim ly a re etition of that ol" clichD of the %ne# broom)( With all these <uestions remaining 201C a ears to be certainly a %ha ening) year, olisocionomically s eaking, 3hus on that relati$ely cheerful note (amongst all our other #oes) may I #ish all of you a eaceful an" content ne# year, an" this lan" that #e all share a common lo$e for, the best of fortunes ahea" for the greater goo" of its eo le,