A Provincial Council election is in the air. Posters are defacing walls, public property and garbage bins. The airwaves are polluted with insincerity. Sundry delinquents and dregs are creeping out of rat holes seeking public choice. Millions are being expended,no doubt as an investment to be duly (or unduly) recouped, under the patently false pretext of "serving the people". Disgusting banners and cutouts leer at one, illustrating that despite the technologica advance of digital cosmetics, even the most flatteringly handsome mug shots  become repugnant through repitition and hideously inappropriate positioning! 

Cannot something be done to protect the public and to give our nation a chance to appear a notch above becoming a banana republic? Perhaps it can..

For starters, it can (or perhaps it already is) be deemed an election offence on pain of disqualification to display a poster, cutout or similar material promoting a candidate? This could be effected by allowing any member of the public to present to the Election Commissioner, a photograph endorsed by the local Police OIC to support a complaint on such an account. One objection to this might be that a rival could easily put up offending posters to disqualify an opponent!  Sure, but  is it not a wonderful thought that candidates would then use their current hordes of goons to go around removing posters promoting their patron, rather than pasting them! 

After all, we are said to be a politically mature electorate hardly likely to be swayed by professed claims of excellence by parties or candidates. But will our authorities take this obvious step. Likely not - as we are not serious as a nation!

Incidentally, it is significant that during the last two (Wayamba and Sabaragamuwa) and the current (WP) campaigns, not an iota of discussion on the single most important issue, namely, - has the devolution (or decentralization) of political authority improved governance or benefited the people ? - been evident. Rather, the electorate is fed on tiresome electoral arithmentic and cheap propaganda.

The content of meetings hardly justifies the enormous risk of death or bodily harm that audiences who perhaps have nothing better to do are being exposed to. Will we ever learn?