For your kind perusal and comments please.

Sie.Kathieravealu

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Respected Sir,

Please accept my Salutations, Greetings and best wishes for the dawn of a bright future to everyone.

In my humble opinion, Peace is neither elusive nor evading us, but on the contrary we are evading Peace by not viewing the problems sincerely in the correct perspective and with the correct attitude that will automatically take us on the correct track to reach Peace.

Please consider the view, attitude and the track pointed out in the extract given below – not thought earlier by any of us as being available – for its ability to lead us on to the correct track to peace. I am sure we will be able to meet peace in double-quick time since no sooner we get on the correct track towards Peace; Peace too would automatically start traveling towards us on this track.

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Sharing Power is essential
for Peace and Democracy in our Country

It is not the impossible which gives cause for despair
but the failure to achieve the possible

The conflict arose, in my humble opinion, due to the turmoil in the country. This conflict is often portrayed as a bi-polar conflict between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority by-passing the substantial minorities like the Muslims and Upcountry Tamils. This sad state of affairs has to be changed. All efforts must be taken to change the mindset of ‘dividing’ the people as “majorities” and “minorities” not by words but by deeds. It is a well-known fact that these “majorities” and “minorities” are living together in many parts of the country as kith and kin, helping each other in times of need. So it is the duty of all rationale minded people of this country to converge this idea to integrate the nation if we are to end the turmoil in this country and forge ahead as a nation.
Everyone agrees that power should be shared as a means to end the present national crisis. But the stumbling block is in the way the power has to be shared. The various suggestions proposed centre on a system with a central government and other governments under it, with the central government holding wide powers.

But the need of the day is a system of governance that will truly portray the sprit of democracy, while preserving the sovereignty and dignity of the people. These people should be empowered at gramasevaka area level so that even a small area will be able to project its needs without going through others. It is to this extent that we should go, if sustainable peace, solidarity and development with a pleasant living to all inhabitants, is our goal.

Therefore, a suitable system of democratic governance that would be acceptable to all rationale minded people (or one that cannot be rejected by these rationale minded people), must replace the present system of governance.

“My notion of democracy is that under it, the weakest should have the same opportunity as the strongest” so said Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela for his part said, “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”

Keeping the above views in mind, a democratic system of governance that is rationale and based on equality of all has been developed on the basis that all powers flow from the sovereignty of the people. The peculiar concept in this system is an unprecedented mode of sharing power –horizontal and not vertical – developed in the true sprit of democracy. This system would unite all the divided communities and resurrect the “Paradise Isle” that existed some time back.

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In the present system the people cannot elect their own representatives but have the option of electing one set of party representatives who are empowered by the party to participate in the governance of the country. But in the proposed system the people have the option to elect and empower different sets of their own representatives based on different extent of areas (villages and villages grouped) to perform defined, distinct and different functions of the same parliament through different segments of that parliament like the different organs of our body – brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, eyes, nose, ears etc – performing different functions and helping us to govern ourselves. To be more explicit the concept is as follows:

1. Segment A – a group to enact laws for – good governance, defining policies, collection of revenue and other connected affairs – with the concurrence of all the groups in Segment C, but excluding implementation of any policy (at National level and consisting of 10 members elected from each district area, 100 members elected nationally on trade basis and 50 members elected nationally on ideological basis).

2. Segment B – a group to coordinate the activities of all the groups in Segment C, manage the country fiscally including collection and disbursement of revenue, foreign affairs, national planning in consultation and with the concurrence of the concerned groups in Segment F and the like and complying with all policies laid down by Segment A and implementing its proposals through concerned groups in Segment D by directly providing them with the necessary funds (at National level and consisting of not more than15 members elected from each regional area).

3. Segment C – Groups to administer different regions of the country based on the laws enacted and policies laid down by Segment A with the concurrence of all the groups, maintain law and order, approve project proposals submitted by concerned groups in Segment E and to obtain the necessary funds for expenditure from Segment B and allocate same to concerned groups in Segment D for implementation (at Regional area level and consisting of 04 members elected from each divisional area within that regional area).

4. Segment D – Groups to implement all project proposals approved by Segment B or by concerned group in Segment C and with funds provided by them – Segment B & C (at District area level and consisting of 03 members elected from each sub-divisional area within that district area).

5. Segment E – Groups to coordinate and confirm project proposals submitted by concerned groups in Segment F and forward them for approval to concerned group in Segment C (at Sub-divisional area level and consisting of 03 members elected from each gramasevaka area within that sub-divisional area).

6. Segment F – Groups to prepare project proposals for their area and approving concerned proposals submitted by Segment B and submit all proposals to concerned Segment E for confirmation and overseeing all the proposals that are implemented by concerned Segment D (at gramasevaka level and consisting of 05 members elected from within that gramasevaka area).

7. Segment G – Groups to monitor the functions of all the Segments for transparency, accountability, and take necessary action to curtail irregularities with an eye on the elimination of bribery and corruption (at Divisional level and consisting of 02 members elected from each gramasevaka area within that divisional area)

In these proposals, gramasevaka (G.S.) area is the smallest unit and these gramasevaka (G.S.) areas are grouped to form sub-divisions, sub-divisions are grouped to form divisions, divisions are grouped to form districts, districts are grouped to form regions and the regions grouped to form the country.

There would be only one institution – the Parliament with seven different segments with different functions that do not overlap –to satisfactorily govern the entire country. Presently we have the presidential secretariat, cenk

Due to the fratricidal violence that we are now embroiled in, it is far too easy to lose sight of these matters, so much to rob us of the very ideas that can be our salvation.

For further details and clarifications of this unprecedented concept for good governance, please contact: endingturmoil@yahoo.co.uk or sie.kathieravelu@gmail.co.uk

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If your good self is of opinion that this system merits consideration, please be good enough to render moral assistance by promoting the idea through the internet, print and electronic media and create awareness among all stake-holders that there is an easy way to solve the national crisis – by sharing power in a way that will satisfy the aspirations of all the people.

In promoting and discussing these ideas, it is my humble opinion that we make use of the email in addition to the print and electronic media as it would save money, time, and the environment and reduce the workload of the postal department.

Thanking your good self in advance in anticipation of an early response,

Yours in Service,

Sie.Kathieravelu

IF THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything but I can do something.
And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something I can do.
What I can do, I should do. And what I should do, by the Grace of God, I will do.

– Edward Everett Hale (1822 – 1909)

NB: The above proposal was published in the “Sunday Island” of 8th June 2008

Men are judged by what they do, not by what they believe or by what is written in their scripture

Please read the suggestions with an OPEN MIND as real patriots of Sri Lanka and send your comments and clarifications. I am a peace activist and a patriot with a passion for development of the country. Terrorisms of any kind have no place in Society.

I am in full agreement with the last few sentences “I hope and I pray and I work for the day when there are no refugee camps, anywhere in the world. Until that day comes, until you can return to your homes, please accept this gift of food as a sign that you are not forgotten.” Give me an opportunity to work with the author for “the arrival of that day”

In the mean time I would like to record a few words of how to get rid of these “refugee camps” all over the world. Very simple. Get rid of “corruption” and you have got rid of “refugee camps” all over the world.

To get rid of corruption you will have to go through a difficult path. We will have to “close” the path constructed by the Western democratic governments. It is that path that has been used by shrewed politicians to “bring down” the development of the Eastern countries and “bring up” the fortunes of the individual politicians. To put it more plainly “the Western system of democracy is a CURSE to the Eastern countries”.

So if the author can contribute his mite in my campaign in changing the system of governance in the Eastern countries he can realize his wish of “not seeing refugee camps anywhere in the world. I have vision of a truly democratic system of good governance that will not create a “ruling class” and a “corrupt society” but allow the people to decide their destiny in the development of the country for them to live in serenity. Please do contact me for further details of this unique and novel idea for an alternative system of democratic governance that will really empower the people to carry on the governance of their country for sustainable peace, prosperity and a pleasant living for all the inhabitants of that country.

In this situation the need for a refugee camp will not arise