Date of LG election from tourism point of view

Wednesday, 2 October 2024 00:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake

By Saranga Dananjaya

Dear Mr. President,

Congratulations on your victory which not only belongs to you, but it is a very strong demonstration of how powerful the democratic process is here in Sri Lanka. Now the field is wide open for any underdogs to enter the race in the future. It was truly ground breaking in every possible way.

It was said that the just completed election was the most peaceful. Erik Solheim, former Norwegian Minister said, this election is a lesson for Western nations. Yet we all saw just a couple of days before the election US issued a travel advisory for its travellers. Just imagine that! People of this country completed the most peaceful election in the country ever had, yet US issued a travel advisory. Thankfully that advisory came in the last minute and the rest of the nations did not follow. Anyone dealing with travel advisories knows that they are contagious, when one country imposes them, other countries follow soon. As the saying goes “beggars can’t be choosers”, this is sadly our state.

Knowing the chance that you would actually likely come to power, I followed your campaign very closely. It was amazing for me to see that Tourism was the FIRST in your agenda. Thank you for that and thank you once again for solving the visa issue within 72 hours.

Mr. President, given the US advisory on the Presidential election, I was very keen to know what the General election date would be and I was so glad to gear that it was set for 15 November. Which means, we can have a very smooth winter season.

Given the details of the recent visa fiasco, regardless of the “criminal nature” of the affaire, it just shows how much they don’t listen and don’t care! However, in this short period of time, something tells me that you listen and you do care. So, I wish to beg you to hold the Local Government Elections towards early or end March, that gives us a good three months to finish the winter season. Let me repeat, none of us are expecting any violence and we all know who will win, but given the travel advisories are sole discretion of the respective country, we have no say over what they think, regardless of what the ground reality is. So please consider this, Sir!

(The writer is a small hotelier for 14 years. He can be reached via [email protected].)