What is the Samagi Balawegaya

For the past few weeks I have been asking people to join the Samagi Youth Corp, and rightly so many of them have asked me what exactly is the Samagi and what are the goals of the Samagi Youth.

I am taking this time to write a brief summary of what the Samagi is and how the youth corp will operate.

The Samagi Balawegaya (Force for Unity) is a coalition of civil society activists, trade unions, media groups, politicians and individuals who are concerned about and are dedicated to working towards a sustainable and all-inclusive future for Sri Lanka. The Samagi as a whole has agreed upon the ten principles detailed below: 

ONE 

Abolishing Executive Presidency 

TWO

Strengthening of Good Governance by re-installing the 17th Amendment to the constitution and removal of the obstructionist clauses under 18th Amendment

THREE

Affirming a united Sri Lankan identity by conserving the rights of every ethnic group in Sri Lanka’s diversity.

FOUR

Strengthening of Parliamentary democracy by repealing “Manaapaya” system

FIVE

Right to Information and Freedom Expression and Freedom

SIX

Re-affirming Rule of Law and Independence of Judiciary

SEVEN

Controlling Cost of Living and Implementing anti-corruption laws

EIGHT

Preservation and Strengthening of Universal Education and Healthcare benefits

NINE

Reducing the poverty and implementing a truly people-centric development plan for the country

TEN

Implementation of LLRC Recommendations

These ten principles will form the backbone of the Samagi as we continue to push the current government towards the change that the people of Sri Lanka are asking for.

What is the Samagi Youth Corp?

The Samagi Youth Corp is an arm of the Samagi that will work alongside the youth of this country who are committed to ensuring a future that we all agree upon. The main aim of the Youth corp is to demand from the government the necessary assistance in helping them build a future that is not only prosperous but also sustainable. 

Politics and politicians have, for too long, been allowed to sneak past the voters with the outdated populist methods. As the youth it is now our turn to take a step forward and start asking the hard questions and once again force the politicians to return to the role of being the representatives of the people. 

Asking the questions alone will not be enough, the Samagi youth will take upon itself the lead role. As we expand through the provinces, the corp will form a consensus among their peers over issues that our generation will be forced to inherit. The tough questions must be asked both of ourselves and the government. The traditional image of the role of the youth in society must be re-evaluated. 

While the demands are made of the government, we the youth must be prepared to work towards achieving the future that we want. 

The Samagi Youth Corp is throwing out an open invitation to all those who are interested to join up.

Palestine Given A Boost At The UN

Sixty-five years on since the United Nations General Assembly voted to partition a territory in the Middle East into a Jewish state and an Arab State, the state of Palestine has been officially recognised by the UN.

While the state of Israel was admitted as a member of the UN back in 1949, it took the very people that created the Arab state over 60 years ago to recognise their creation. In that time countless lives have been lost on all sides over a war that could possibly have been avoided (or at the very least contained) had an official recognition of the state been given.

It has to be mentioned that originally, when the UN voted to partition the region into two states, the Arab Higher Committee rejected it while the Jewish leadership accepted it.

Over the next sixty plus years several wars were fought in the region between the newly formed state of Israel and its neighboring Arab countries. As these wars progressed Israel continued to accumulate more and more land.

Fast forward to 2012 and the world is finally welcoming Palestine as an official state. In an overwhelming show of support; 138 countries voted in favour, 9 voted against and 41 abstained.

While the majority of the General Assembly showed their support for the recognition, it is of little surprise that Israel voted against. What is a little disappointing is the US’ decision to vote against Palestine. The US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, explained why the US voted against the resolution, “Today’s unfortunate and counter-productive resolution places further obstacles in the path to peace.”

Earlier in the year Barack Obama explained that they felt the recognition of the state of Palestine by the UN would deter future peace talks with Israel.

The office of Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said “by going to the UN , the Palestinians have violated the agreements with Israel and Israel will act accordingly.” Of course, what this means remains to be seen.

While Palestine has been recognised, they are still not a full member state but are instead bestowed with a non-member observer status. This will mean that they can, at any time, submit an application to the UN for full membership. Earlier in the year Mohammed Abbas, the Palestinian President, planned on doing so until the US promised to veto any such application.

Today’s vote means Palestine has access to numerous UN organisations including the International Criminals Court. This is something Israel has strongly opposed, while many Palestinians feel it is a step to investigating the allegations of human rights crimes being committed by Israel. The vote is an indirect recognition of Palestine’s claim of statehood on the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.

Regardless of what the future holds, the people of Palestine are out on the street rejoicing for what they can only hope will be a step towards permanent peace.

Goodbye To A Legend

Cricket has come to that period where a generation says goodbye to the legends they grew up with. A few years back the world said farewell, albeit a little later than they expected, to Sanath Jayasuriya. Last year India’s most underrated batsman, Rahul Dravid, bowed out of international cricket; and today the world prepares to say goodbye to Ricky Ponting.

Ponting has been in an up-and-down patch in his career for the past year. Averaging less than 15, he had a superb summer against India which included a double hundred before being shored up against the West Indies and now South Africa. While most supporters of the man have called for his inclusion, many others (including himself) knew that time was running out.

He did what all great sportsman do and called time on a career that was reaching its end.

Ponting can leave international cricket behind with his head held high knowing he was only second to Sachin Tendulkar in both runs and centuries, while he also has the mantle of having won three successive World Cups leading his team in two of those. He was also one of the most successful captains in test and one day cricket, and while people argue it was the team that gave him this, his record as captain speaks for itself.

Of course his career will be pockmarked with the three Ashes losses, including one at home, while a couple of hiccups against India and South Africa also surfaced in his time at the helm. His last bout as captain came in the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup against eventual winners India. Ponting shrugged off the criticism to play a great hundred, but was unfortunately unable to deliver his team to a fifth consecutive final.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ricky Ponting a couple of times and from a personal point of view was certainly impressed with him. Despite having a hectic schedule Ponting took time off to get a game of golf in during their World Cup campaign in Sri Lanka. Even better was the fact that I got to play with him. The game gave me an insight in to the man off the field and away from the public spotlight.

Friday will be his last test match, and ironically it is Australia’s opportunity to regain the number 1 mantle (a spot Ponting did a great deal to secure for Australia in the first place). I will certainly be watching the match, and no doubt be hoping to see him produce that great last innings (similar to Greg Chappell) to help his team take the series and the number one spot.

Morsi; The New Kid On The Block

Egypt’s newly instated President, Mohamed Morsi, successfully orchestrated a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel this past week. In doing so he has announced himself as a key player in the post Arab Spring Middle East.

For many outside of Egypt, Morsi was a relatively unknown character prior to the ousting of Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Despite being a political figure for the better part of the 2000s, he failed to make headlines until he contested and won the Presidential election earlier this year.

Love him or hate him Mubarak left Morsi with some big shoes to fill. While his success was greeted with much jubilation in Egypt the rest of the world was waiting to see what the new President of the Middle East’s most populous state was capable of.

His opportunity of a meaningful contribution to the region came on November 14 when hostilities between Israel and Palestine escalated to aerial bombardment.

The US, which has been a vital component in the affairs of the Middle East for the past decade, was quick to jump in. Barack Obama voiced his support for Israel, justifying their defence of their country.

Obama’s relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu could be described as formal at best. Support for this act of aggression is surprising considering the heavy criticism Bashar al-Assad has received for similar action. The recently re-elected President’s support for Netanyahu would have come as a shock and disappointment to many.

Morsi’s time had arrived. With many people questioning America’s stance, Egypt came to forefront by hastily securing a peace accord between the two groups. It avoided, what was gearing up to be, an invasion of the Gaza strip by Israel. Morsi was suddenly the mediator of peace in the Middle East. Had the Arab Spring produced a leader who was capable of leading the region forward?

Syria’s civil war, Iran’s aggravation of the West with threats of producing a nuclear bomb, Libya’s rebuilding and Afghanistan’s turmoil are just some examples of the regions crises. Morsi decided to tackle the longest running issue, that of the Israel-Palestine conflict. It was a success, not so much in that halted the conflict but rather it forced Netanyahu to agree to a highly unpopular ceasefire a mere two months before he stands for re-election.

All-out war has been avoided, at least for the time being, which has been a shift in the pattern of events seen in the Middle East. The Arab Spring, while signalling a change, was marked with US support of potentially violent actions (as was seen in Libya and now in Syria). Obama’s vocal support of Israel could be seen as following a similar vein.

Morsi has instead diffused the situation and shown that continuity was possible through peaceful means. Supporting Gaza, and by doing that open warfare, was avoided through the Egyptian President orchestrating a ceasefire that benefited the Palestinians. While rumours circulate that a deal has been made with Israel to ensure the ceasefire, on the surface Morsi has championed the Palestinian cause.

The result was a showering of praise from the international community. From being an obscure figure Morsi was now being labelled as the regions much needed driving force for sustainable peace and democracy.

Twenty-four hours after brokering the deal Morsi passed a string of decrees back in Egypt. The image was destroyed. Supporters of Morsi were suddenly torn between loyalty to the Muslim Brotherhood and a wish to see their revolution completed.

Morsi came in to power on the back of one of the longest running dictatorships in the region. He was looked upon to lead Egypt, and be an example for the rest of the Middle East. Instead he has now given himself powers which are further reaching than what was seen during Mubarak’s time.

While dividing the country over his new decrees, Morsi has also left the Obama administration embarrassed. A day after singing his praises the White House was forced to sit quietly and observe as, who they thought would be, the newest leader for Democracy take on a dictatorial stance.

He garnered admiration from the international community, he strengthened his standings in the region and now he has moved to cement his position as the undisputed leader of Egypt. Morsi is taking all of the right steps in announcing himself as a heavyweight of the Middle East, and from the early signs he is on the right path. However, it remains to be seen whether or not this will be a lasting reign.

Test Cricket Is The Ultimate Test

He stood at the top of his mark, barely able to hold himself upright. A deep breath was taken and he came charging down, an in-swinging yorker upended middle stump and suddenly the crowd was brought to its feet. There was a sense that he had got something out of nothing.

On the other end a man stood on his own fighting off cramps and back pains, he had been a wall blocking everything that was thrown at him. He too felt a sense that the improbable was now within his grasp.

As with all sports there had to be a loser, and on this occasion for Peter Siddle, Australia being unable to draw the match would have felt like one.

Australia-South Africa encounters have always produced nail-biting matches (a clash of the titans if you would). It was around this time last year that these two teams were locked in another struggle, on that occasion Australia walked away victorious (with only two wickets in hand and time not on their side). In Adelaide, once again it was not until the last ball of the match that a result was confirmed.

Australia dominated the first day of the test match, South Africa fought back on the second day before the hosts wrestled the initiative back on the third. The forth was a see-saw affair before the fifth was a display of test cricket at its best.

The cricket audience around the world have been “treated” to an overdose of twenty-twenty cricket, so much so that even the players have found it hard to readjust. Over in Bangladesh, last week, Chris Gayle decided to start a test match by hitting a six, on Thursday in Adelaide David Warner and Michael Clarke chose to rack up nearly 500 runs in the first day.

By the fifth day of this match all of that was forgotten, the big shots had been shelved and a solid defense was being employed by those in the middle. The bowlers knew wickets would not be easy to come by, they stuck to their plans and ran in every ball until they had none left. To add a little more spice to the game, both sides were a player down (South Africa without their star batsman Jaques Kallis and Australia without their key bowler James Pattinson). It was a game of attrition, both sides looked to etch away at the other’s mental make up.

Australia knew a win would go a long way in regaining the number one position, South Africa was out to show they deserved to hold on to that label.

As the day went on the weariness of both sides showed on their players’ faces, but ever so once in awhile a a deep breath was taken and they plunged back into battle. Faf du Plessis showed immense concentration, something that has abandoned most modern day players, while Peter Siddle brought out that trademark Aussie grit as he never gave up.

Fittingly it was these two who would see off the end of the day (and match). Siddle looked a spent force, yet he found the energy to produce two more probing and fiery overs. Du Plessis was close to collapsing from exhaustion, but, as he had done all day he continued to fight through the pain to ensure the Proteas walked away with a hard fought draw.

In four days’ time these two teams will be back out on the park in Perth ready to battle once more for the mantle of the number one team. Their clothes will be be clean, their energy back and possibly a few new faces in the lineups. Yet they will know that five days are before them, five days for them to suck in deep breaths, five days to run in hard and ignore the pain and at the end of those five days the number one side will be crowned.

Twenty-twenty cricket has the glitz and glamour, but for all of its dazzle it lacks the heart and fight which is shown in test cricket.

Speak Up Before It Is Too Late

I wrote an article the other day about religious intolerance around Asia and it prompted discussion both online and among friends. 

One of the interesting comments, which can also be seen on the article, was that I had been making “a mountain out of a mole-hill”. Now obviously I do not agree with this otherwise I would not have written the article in the first place. 

But I will admit that while religious violence in Sri Lanka is not a grave issue it certainly is something that is unfortunately sprouting up from time to time. Furthermore for those who live in the country would no doubt be aware of the growing sense that a section of the Buddhist population are looking to overshadow the other religions. 

Last Tuesday was Deepavali and when I was driving around the city in the morning I was treated to a sight of a temple hosting a Perahera. Now these are usually held back for Buddhist religious occasions  so I was a little confused as to why this priest decided to hold one on this day of all days. 

The fireworks and colourful celebrations seen in the Kovils was my answer celebrating Deepavali.

This is of course not the first time I have seen this. Last year on Christmas the temple near my house decided to hold a Perahera. Earlier this year before Easter, a section of Mount Lavinia was decorated with Buddhist flags.

So while religious violence is thankfully not a major issue in Sri Lanka, all signs are pointing towards a growing degree of dominance by the majority. I am not saying that all Buddhists in the country support this, or even the majority of them, I am saying that a section does. This needs to be countered and quickly otherwise we could open ourselves to situations as is seen in Pakistan and other such countries. 

The complaint of me making a mountain of a mole-hill reminded me of a quote by Martin Niemoller, a Pastor who opposed Adolf Hitler.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out– 
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out– 
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.

Voting Closes In Key Swing State

Polling stations have closed in Ohio and now the public eagerly awaits the results of the key swing state.

Ohio has 18 electoral votes up for grabs and whoever wins the state has been predicted as winning the 2012 Presidential election. To make matters more interesting, no Republican candidate has won the Presidential election without winning this state.

Republican candidate Mitt Romney and his vice-Presidential candidate Paul Ryan both broke tradition and continued campaigning in Ohio on election day. An indication of the importance they have placed here.

Polling stations were open from 6:30am and by 7:15am the lines were growing as voters came out to cast their ballots. Initial indication of the voter turnout (12:30pm) was of a sizable support for the Democrats. By mid-morning in West Toledo, numerous stay at home mothers had turned up to vote. There was also a large number of African-Americans who expressed support for President Barack Obama.

However, by afternoon this changed rather dramatically. The Republicans started coming out in force with many middle aged white men leaving work early to cast their votes. They expressed confidence that they would win the state, despite early voting results having Obama ahead.

The length of the voting lines continued to remain the same, so it is difficult to comment without official figures on which candidate had a higher turnout.

While the voters split the day between themselves, it was clear that they all were not impressed with the time spent at the polling stations. One voter, Harry Johnson, stood in line for over two hours before he was able to cast his vote. “This is a big day for Americans and we would have hoped that the authorities would have been better prepared. These long lines are off-putting to voters”, he said.

Regardless of the complaints by voters about the length of the lines, there has been no serious issues around the state. Unlike the malfunctioning voting machines in Pennsylvania or the disregarded absentee votes in Florida.

While polling booths closed at 7:30pm around Ohio, those voters still in line braved the cold and stayed on to cast their ballots.

With news arriving that the provisional ballots in Ohio will not be counted until November 17, both the candidates and the public will hope that the result will not be dependent on this.

Early Voting In The US

Election Day in the US will see millions of people around the country line up at polling stations ready to cast their vote. Unlike Sri Lanka, something I have noticed in the US is that the number of polling stations are far fewer and casting the vote itself would also take up to ten minutes. This means that people are left standing in line for hours. So the US election authorities have made it easier by making use of “early voting”.

Early voting is very simply an opportunity for voters to turn up before election day and cast their vote either in person or via mail.

Each State in the US has a separate time period for early voting which is determined by the state authorities. It can run from anywhere between a week to ten days. This election has seen an unprecedented prediction of over 46 million people casting their votes early.

The idea behind early voting is to ensure that on election day everybody can cast their vote before the polling stations close.

However, despite the opportunity to vote early the majority of the country still choose to come out on November 6.

Visiting the polling station at Elmhurst School in West Toledo, I was greeted with the sight of long voter lines. Speaking to the people I learnt that they had been in line for over two hours. Jessica Litzch said she had been in line for almost two hours and was tempted to leave and try again later.

“I never got down to voting early simply because I never had time with work. My boss said I can take time off to vote today which is why I am here”, she explained. Litzch added that she has to go back to work and will not wait to vote now but would try again in the evening.

Frank Bedford left the polling station complaining that he had been standing in line for 2 hours and could not afford to spend anymore time there. “I run my own business and cannot afford to keep it closed for too long”, he said.

Bedford added that it was unlikely he would come back and vote since he does not leave his shop until 7pm. He admitted that not making use of the early voting was a mistake.

Judging by the news from elsewhere in the county the lines seem to be even longer. One report suggests that in Florida voters are having to stand in line for almost 3 hours. Despite these time constraints the voters are, by and large, choosing to stand in line.

Of course a surprising aspect is that traditionally voter turnout in the US is not high. An interesting development considering all the assistance voters are given.

Democrats have complained that their voter bases are lazy and do not often turnout in full force on election day. Early voting would no doubt assist the Democrats.

The US Electoral System; No Simple Process

While the whole world prepares for the United States presidential election, many, both inside and outside America, are still unsure how the system works. The 2000 presidential election debacle involving George W. Bush and Al Gore fueled this confusion with Gore winning the popular vote but still failing to win the election.

In the US, despite a candidate winning the most number of votes he or she can still fail to win the election. This is due to the use of the electoral votes, which was designed to give all 51 states an opportunity in having a say in the election.

To understand how the US election system works, it is essential to understand the electoral college system.

In order for a candidate to win the Presidential election, he or she must obtain 270 votes out of a total of 538 electoral votes.

Each state in the US is assigned a certain number of electoral votes depending on the number of Representatives and Senators in the House of Congress. While each state has two senators, the number of their Representatives is dependent on the number of districts in the states.

Each state has one representative for every district in the region. This means that those states with a larger population have a higher number of electoral votes as they would have a larger number of districts.

For example the state of Wyoming has a population of 568,000 and so has only a single district. This means that it has in total of 3 electoral votes (two senators and a representative).

The largest state in terms of electoral votes is California, which currently has 55 electoral college votes (2 senators and 53 district representatives).

Each state is based on a winner takes all system, this means that if a candidate wins 51% of the vote in that state he will take all the electoral votes from that state.

It is through this process that allows a candidate to win an election but still fail to win the popular vote. All of the states a candidate wins could be by a small margin, while the states he loses could be by a large amount. If this was to happen, provided the candidate wins the required 270 electoral votes, he can win the election but not win the most number of votes. This happened in the 2000 election between Bush and Gore.

This will mean that states with a larger number of electoral votes will be focused on more by the candidates than those with fewer votes.

In the unlikely event that at the end of the election the candidates are tied on 269 electoral votes each, then a second vote will be taken from the electors in the state. This means that each state has a single vote, and whoever gets the majority will win.

This would mean that each state has equal say and the candidate who has won the most number of states would win. If this was to occur this time around, judging by the polling maps Republican candidate Mitt Romney would win as there are currently more states supporting the Republicans.

This complicated method adopted by the Americans has left both political commentators and it’s voters highly critical of the process.

Neal Carruth, supervising editor of the National Public Radio, described the electoral system as being flawed and not truly representing democracy. He said that the disregard of the popular vote in the US is in contradiction to the idea of Democracy. “You could have a situation where the President is not the popular choice, yet is able to win enough electoral votes to win the election. This was seen in 2000, and led to some very serious questions about the system”, he explained.

Carruth did admit, however, that the likelihood of the system being changed was very slim.

Criticism extends to the voters who, unlike the political analysts, cannot understand the process. Mark Duggan, a shop owner in Washington D.C, explained that he supported Romney and could not understand how the possibility existed that the Republican could lose. “When you watch the news and talk to people it is obvious that there is a larger support base for him than there is for Obama. Yet our system somehow could allow the unpopular candidate to become President”, he said.

If Obama is be re-elected but loses the popular vote he will be the first ever President to do so.

Duggan admitted that he did not fully understand the electoral process here, “the idea of electoral votes is too confusing. It should be a simple situation of the candidate with the most number of votes wins”, he said.

With several key states still undecided (swing states), both Romney and Obama are in with a chance to win. On election night both candidates will be keeping an eye on the all important 270 electoral votes, knowing that will be all they need to secure victory.

Volunteers; Backbone Of A Campaign

At 64 years, Marie Jenson has been a volunteer for the past 6 presidential elections in the Democrats’ camp. Back in 1988, while Democrat candidate Michael Dukakis was soundly beaten, winning only 111 electoral votes, Jenson was bitten by the election bug.

“I was forty years old and a stay at home mother when I first volunteered. Elections were not the most important thing in my life, but one day I decided I wanted to go out and help the Democrats. It had been a tough 12 years for the Democrats, Jimmy Carter had been a flop and we needed a boost”, she explained.

She believed that if the Democrats were to come back in to office, they needed the people to reignite the voters passion for victory, “something volunteers had to do at the grassroots levels.” During her first campaign, Jenson spent three months handing out campaign buttons, ever since that election Jenson has made it a point to turn to volunteer for the Democrats at every election.

The 92′ election was where Jenson tasted victory as a supporter, and she says that it was at that point she realized how important the role of the volunteer is. “Clinton’s campaign had us out in force, I was volunteering in Ohio and I travelled all over the state urging people to come out and vote for him. His margin of victory is indication that we were successful”, she said.

In 2012 Jenson is back in the Democrats camp having spent the past three months canvassing on the ground. On the day before the election (November 5) she spent her day walking from house to house in Toledo, along with dozens of other volunteers, urging Democrats to turn out and vote. “By now we know where those who support the Democrats live, it is of utmost importance that we get them out to vote”, the volunteer explained.

Her work as a volunteer has seen her carry out work ranging from calling up registered voters urging them to vote Democrat, to sitting outside shopping centers handing out Democrat badges. “It is the job of the volunteers to remind the voters why they should vote for the candidate, President Obama has spent the election period telling the country what he will do in the next four years. It is our job to remind the individuals and ensure they all hear his message. I was in Columbus Ohio a week ago and a man told me that seeing how tirelessly the volunteers were working had convinced him that turning out to vote was important. That is all that we can do” Jenson explained

Of course it has not always been thankful work, often Jenson has been forced to listen to Republican supporters run down President Obama’s policies, while also having undecided voters flat out refuse to vote. “It is frustrating when a person refuses to vote either way, this is their opportunity to make a change if they are unhappy. Sometimes I have had doors slammed in my face, other times I have had to stand next to a republican volunteer trying to convince an undecided voter. This is all worth it, if at the end of the day we know we have done all we can”, she said.

Her brightest moment during the campaign came a few weeks ago when during a campaign rally in Cleveland Ohio, President Obama personally thanked her for all the work she did. “The President asked me about myself and my family, and thanked us all for the hard word we were doing for both him and the party. It is a small gesture like that which is thanks enough”, she said.

Election day will Jenson’s busiest, “I will be traveling to the houses of those we know who will be voting for the Democrats urging them to get out there early and cast their ballot. It is our last opportunity to ensure we win, this will be a fight but I am convinced America will make the right choice.”

For Jenson, and thousands of other volunteers, all their hard work will come to an end on November 6. Yet regardless of the result, most of them will be back in four years trying once again.