The Rhetoric gets hot and the abuse and flouting of election laws gathers speed.

Just as the merciless beating of UNP supporters by UPFA supporters in Kalawana, while the police watch, as I write this article does not get a hearing or is reported in the instant breaking news for security reasons, the UPFA has no qualms about breaking all laws to achieve their ends.

With the foundation stone for the Batticaloa Airport set for today, to impress those voters, to a series of other flagrant violations, surpasses all the attempts by the elections commissioner to stop these violations. Small actions like stopping the recruitment of graduates in the Provinces where elections are held is hardly any comfort to gauge impartiality.

After all the sealing of ‘Berti Premalal’s goodies warehouse’ was done with the ulterior motive of reducing his preferences in the Government eyes, sanctioned by the Govt. and not for any love of breaking the Election laws.

I do not wish to go into the history of the Elections Commissioner, which will always show him as impartial despite all the historic facts to the contrary. These are mere smoke and mirrors to fool the unsuspecting public and most of the readers to paint him in a good light.

There are a few more days to go and the rhetoric will rise with amazing promises meant to fool the public. Furthermore, bringing the Sacred Kapilavasthu Relics from India in this period of election fever was at best an indignity on the part of the Govt. towards Buddhism, but no one dare point that out for fear of being hounded as anti Buddhist. When the Govt. in the name of religion abuses and demeans it, when no one dare tell the truth, it further fools even the rational thinker, that somehow it is justifiable.

I do admit that the Governing party has all the cards stacked on their side in this campaign and it is with great difficulty that the Opposition parties carry out their campaign. A staggered campaign further hinders the opposition as their resources are stretched even further. It nevertheless must hold true that we owe it to the citizenry of this country, especially if we are patriotic, to explain the inconsistencies in what is said and done, and that if a Government continues to engage in rhetoric meant to fool, it has no intention of keeping to the letter or the spirit of the promise. I appeal to the reader or the voting public to be cognizant of the pros and cons of my argument.