Help People Make Balanced Choice, Empower People With Information.

The Presidential elections are over; the next significant event will be the parliamentary elections the results of which will foretell the course of Sri Lankan future.  It is essential to consolidate the victory of the forces that came together to reinforce democracy, to prune the powers of the Executive in order to remove the authoritarian moves that the system had hitherto permitted.    To successfully implement these changes, it cannot come only through parliamentary decisions or judicial verdicts. Those working in these institutions have been bribed, intimidated and allowed to make money in a variety of ways and given the liberty to enjoy their ill- gotten gains. The correctives have to flow from the assertiveness of the voters.  Therefore, the voters have to be empowered with the necessary information not only in the context of the elections but also for the people to make their position clear on issues that come up for discussion /resolution on other future occasions. People will then be equipped to make their stamp on policy matters and be stakeholders in the decision making process.

Voters in general do not invest in gathering information for evaluation of any sort. They rely largely on village gossip, if lucky on a few snatched moments listening to the Radio/TV.  Newspapers have priced themselves out of rural homes, in fact from many middle class homes in the urban areas. Independent sources of information have to be made available to civil society as they are generally busy struggling to keep the home fires burning.  Since Sri Lanka has a mature constituency that is deeply conscious of their franchise rights, there had always been a high voter turnout at elections. But this is not to say that the voters are an informed lot.  This has to be rectified if meaningful studied choices are to be made enabling informed participation especially at the coming elections.  Interested contestants and parties must vest plenty of time not just on circulating their political manifestos but by working with the people at the grass root level in the villages to give people access to issues on which the campaign will be conducted.  It can then be left to the people to make the choice they want.

Right to accurate information is a fundamental right of the people. It is a part and parcel of the information package.  Today Sri Lankans are faced with a complicated situation where a few leading politicians are seen with a multiplicity of roles.  For example, we have a President who snowballed an opposition to successfully win the Presidency and is today the Executive Head of the government with a Prime Minister from the UNP and Ministers from the different coalition partners.  But we also have the self- same President against whom many from the SLFP of the then regime actively campaigned against, acknowledged as the President of the SLFP a propos the elections.  Some had commented that this is the last laugh by the then President, Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse who had made a simple victory situation complex, and left the parties to work a way out of the maze.  We are living in a period where change is happening and novel and experimental scenarios are being played out.  Regardless of how the President is going to balance the UNP and his partners at the Presidential election with the SLFP’s  acknowledgement of him as their President, the voter who faces this rather unconventional situation will have to have some explanations as it is the voter who has to make a choice at the parliamentary elections.

However, what has to be got across to the people is the advantage in the present process of synchronization among the political parties holding a variety of political ideologies that came together to form a coalition against the then government, and subsequently in the formation of a unity government. Convincing strategies must be planned to dislodge the archaic belief that political parties by their very nature should be antagonistic to one another.  People must be helped to think in novel ways to stabilize the government.   It has to be effectively put across to the voters that confrontational politics is not for a small developing country; available resources, human and economic need to be conserved to maximize its potential. The present acrimonious preoccupation with majority minority perception must also be substituted with the welfare of the community of people of this country.  Tolerance and cohabitation are skills to be developed for coexistence by parties holding different viewpoints.

The new configuration of forces drawn from the two major political parties, the UNP and some of the other coalition members in the government along with the support of the minority political parties portend a much better future for the country.  For the first time adversarial politics had been put on the backburner by those voters from all parts of the country to elect a President raising a glimmer of hope for the emergence of consensual politics.  The viability of a unity government must be encouraged and strengthened, the message passed to the people. What the future political formation will be is not clear except that a government will be formed based on the results of the elections.

Issues Raised by the UPFA during the Presidential Election Campaign

At the last Presidential election the UPFA based its campaign on emotive issues such as the fear psychosis against the Tamil minority, end of the thirty year war, sacrifices by the security forces, the need for military presence to prevent recurrence of terrorism, suspicion and mistrust of minorities encouraged to keep the races apart, fears of a truncated Sri Lanka that would reduce the available land mass to the majority Sinhalese. The intention was to create distrust to polarize people on ethno religious lines. It is up to those investing on spreading corrective measures for reconciliation and greater resilience to build an inclusive society, to inform the people of TNA’s declared position to work within the unitary system. It is true that fissiparous tendencies can neither be totally arrested nor their potential to create ethnic polarization curbed as is evident in the events that are unfolding since the presidential elections. 

Conflicting Position among Tamil Political Leaders

A more studied approach has to be made to curb the divisive political thinking evident in the post-Independence Day celebrations gaining currency in the North amongst the Tamil leadership. It is more than likely that the silent passive individuals form the majority who would like to relax “in the little bit of the peace” that had come their way after the end of the war. Some Tamil leaders had stayed with old positions of confrontation. To plan strategies for a better quality of life for the Northern Tamils calls for hard work and a definite vision. There had been perhaps uncharitable suggestions made that it is easier to adopt a confrontational line of action than to work at the grass roots to satisfy peoples’ everyday requirements.  People in general want to live and let live. Conditions of ideal peace may have eluded those in the North, yet anything must be better than the battle cry they faced from the State and the Tigers. The people in the South must be made aware that some of the non- conciliatory political leaders from the North do not speak for all the Tamils and there are many among the Northerners who want to stay in peace with the rest of the country. Mr.Sampanthan and Mr Sumanthiran’s attendance at the Independence Day celebrations was an acknowledgement of the positive attitude of the new government towards reconciliation. It also exemplifies a definite stand taken by them, perhaps at the expense to their leadership position within the party.

2015 – Government Initiates Policy of Reconciliation

It must also be noted that appeasement had produced quick results after the new government was elected. Removal of the military governor and, in his place, the appointment of an unobtrusive peace loving person who would by all reports be responsive to the Tamil cause, the removal of the Chief Secretary, the lifting of the ban on travel by foreigners to the North, government’s call to return lands acquired from the owners by the military, and government undertaking to look into the position of detainees under the Prevention of the Terrorism Act.  The courage to appoint the Chief Justice from the minority community and the renaming of the Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha are indeed positive signs towards reconciliation and it is time that the Tamil leadership has the grace to acknowledge the steps taken to build bridges.

The Opposition Campaign Issues at the Presidential Elections.

The opposition on the other hand, campaigned on the prevalence of large scale corruption, politicization of governance, family bandyism, killings and disappearances of ‘non- conformists’, the absence of a rule of law, transparency and accountability,  the removal or clipping of the excessive powers of the Executive Presidency, the repeal of the 18^th Amendment to introduce the 19^th Amendment with revised clauses from the 17^th Amendment to ensure the neutrality of the institutions of governance.

To those who voted for the former President none of these governance issues seemed to have mattered. The state media and the former President’s propaganda machinery concentrated on fear of the minorities, the revival of the LTTE and its consequent impact on national and personal security.  But most importantly the voters of the UPFA divided on the traditional party divide against the UNP reducing the contest to a simplified SLFP vs UNP contest. The diehard party membership just stuck with their old political party allegiance.  It is understandable that the general voter should vote as he did but what is strange is to see the Left leaders fighting to have the old regime back regardless of the ‘revelations’ of ‘bad’ governance and corruption that are unfolding. In order to prevent the recurrence of such occurrences people have to be empowered with information.  There can be no compromise on corruption, family bandyism or politicization, lawlessness or the eclipse of the media for whatever reason – be it for political exigencies or real politick. Information on These maladministration and corruption has seeped into the knowledge fund of the people and there is a certain amount of restiveness and out cry against the so called culprits.  This is the strength of the information flow to people.

No doubt it was the fear of the LTTE revival that allowed the UPFA constituency to remain comfortable with a third term for the President. The UPFA campaign was ably aided by an extremely partisan media and the State TV. The UPFA supporters did not have the entire picture unraveled before them and they were swayed by emotions of gratitude to the government that triumphed over the Northern terrorists.  It became they, the minorities and us, the majority. The obvious gap in the information flow to the people in some of these areas is apparent and need to be corrected with urgency.

Hostility towards the Muslims

Special mention must be given to the need for disseminating vital information to the people about the other minority, the Muslims. Historically verifiable fact is that the Muslims had integrated through their participation in national politics, accepted the Sinhala Only Act by sending their children to study in Sinhala while they continued with Tamil as their mother tongue.  Yet, despite their cooperation with the majority, they were attacked and some of their economic interests destroyed. No help came from the law and order forces nor did the previous government do anything to censure the extremist forces led by the Buddhist clergy. The public has to be privy to these facts to bring about changes in attitude for the tensions in society to ease off.

Another matter to be raised relate to minority support for a person of their choice. It is quite out of order to question the choice the minorities make as they are citizens of this country as much as the Sinhala majority.  It is most certainly out of order to attribute base motives and suspect secret pacts etc. People must be advised on the concept of pluralism and how different communities must recognize the rights of the other in the conduct of their daily lives.

What has to be transmitted to the People?

The starting point is to give people unbiased information.  Let’s forget the war, the military as an occupation army in the North, the Diaspora, the BBS with their vey anti -social image; indeed let’s forget the past with all the recriminations it entails and look to the future.  Let’s not give negative statements coming from whatever quarter publicity. It does not help anyone except that it acts as a corrosive in the body politic.  Let’s move away from acrimony and suspicion; let us help the good and positive features in all of us.  Let this be the message to the people.

Some specifics in information have to be given to keep the people informed of the grounds in which choices can be made to select parliamentarians. With the availability of modern technology it is easy to share information with the people.

Disseminating information for consensus building and to maintain democratic values

1. Shared democratic values for a healthy life style, freedom of opinion, discussion, assembly, free media and free internet; urge Right to Information Act to maintain good governance with a strident call for responsibility, transparency and accountability; justice and fair play; equality for all under a rule of law. Sovereignty – it must be clearly understood rests with people and no other institution.
2. Explain the concept of pluralism with the understanding that it represents “divergent views”. Rights of minorities to be enshrined in the constitution. Majoritarianism viewed as question of numbers and not a call for special status; majority/minority role one of co –existence and not one of belligerence.
3. The Legislature, The Executive and The Judiciary and other administrative organizations to be independent and be free of politics and patronage.
4. Corruption among politicians and government officials to be prosecuted on detection and acted upon with urgency. Public overview, media surveillance and features of good governance. Transparency and accountability in all spheres of work integral to good governance
5. People’s voice to enhance quality of life through better facilities for education, health and housing and adequate income support to the needy. Development must be considered viable only if its features are encased within a democratic value system.
6. Civil society – responsibilities for a responsive democracy: distancing civil society from State intrusiveness; vital role in curbing abuse of power; a role for initiating micro initiatives for self- development both economic and community welfare, societal sanction for ‘elites’ mushrooming through ill-gotten gains.
7. National security should not be confused with expansion of the military. The latter should not be permitted to grow into an ogre but remain responsive to civil society.
8. The role and responsibilities of elected representatives to the people.
9. Careful screening of candidates for integrity and capability.

These are some of the areas in which people must be given access to information and elucidation so that people can understand and expect to be governed by these ideas.