Voter fatigue - and apathy finally took its toll. Since last year, the Government has wanted to plan its strategy by hitching its wagon to the military defeat of the LTTE, but the voter turnout at one of the most important elections - the election that chose the country's next set of lawmakers, on Thursday set a new record. This was for the lowest turnout ever for a general election, even surpassing the elections of 1989 during the reign of terror.
The aim of the ruling party had been clear. It wanted to wear down the Opposition with win after win at the Provincial Councils. With almost unlimited financial and State resources at its command, it wanted to have the Opposition expend its meagre resources at these elections; then at the Presidential election and finally be left thoroughly demoralised by the time the general elections came.
The Government succeeded in this ploy; but the results show that if only around 56 % voted i.e. 8.3 million voters, and the Government received 63% of the votes; then, the mandate the Government has is only from 38% or 5.3 million of the 14 million voters of this country. If the voice of the people is the voice of God (vox populi vox Dei), then the voice of God has hardly been heard, and the mandate of the people that the Government claims it has remains an arguable point.
But the people have spoken nevertheless, however mute the overall voice has been. Those who did not wish to cast their votes cannot complain. Some of those elected, and the popularity they command among the voters speaks for itself. There seems to be a marked shift in the calibre of those who will be the people's representatives in Parliament. This then is democracy.
Political analysts will give varied reasons for this; but what is clear is that the voters were election-weary and election wary. They were weary of trekking to the polling station to vote for a poor set of candidates; and after the gymnastics of the Presidential elections, many were wary of what they felt was a pre-determined result.
That the voting percentage was what it was in the North (23%) indicates that the defeat of the LTTE militarily has not translated into a political victory for the Government, or the country.
That the election campaign was not contested on an equal playing field is a fact. Many will argue that a ruling party always has the advantage in such contests; but in this case it was a David and Goliath battle with the sling in Goliath's hand. State machinery was abused with impunity by Government Ministers. Undeclared monies were pouring into campaigns mainly of ruling party candidates. There are none so blind as the Inland Revenue authorities.
The Police were aiding and abetting the lawbreakers provided they were from the ruling party. Those who tried to be impartial during the Presidential elections have now gone to the Supreme Court claiming that they have been victimised for not being unbiased towards the Government. Polling agents were chased away from booths. And the Opposition lacked both the organisational capacity and the stomach to stand up to this avalanche of abuses.
These abuses were not new. The trend began at the Provincial Council elections. These incidents occurred and the Elections Commissioner made feeble noises that fell on deaf years. One almost thought he was part of the drama because after all his complaints, he would duly declare the election properly conducted and issue his certificate declaring the winner.
This time though he has suspended the Nawalapitiya and Trincomalee counts. Nawalapitiya has always been a den of thuggery unleashed by the goons of the ruling party.
The Elections Commissioner could have used this weapon long before if he was bold enough to ensure even a semblance of free and fair elections under his watch. Instead, he appeared a man who wanted it all done and dusted so that he could go home early and smoke his pipe, so to say. He admitted that he didn't have the strength to face the challenge; but then, he had that weapon in his hand. He spared the rod and spoilt the elections.
That being said, the ultimate result is still a resounding defeat for the Opposition, especially the United National Front, that has been left as a rump in Parliament, paving the way for a one-party state. Our Political Editor explains this defeat in greater detail, but the fact is that the Opposition saw this overwhelming defeat coming, a steamroller majority, a political tsunami that would sweep them away from the centre-stage; but they could never get their act together.
The Government asked for a vote for defeating the LTTE while locking up the Army Commander who played a major role in steering this historic victory. And it talked of economic development while borrowing from foreign banks and living on borrowed time, pawning future generations. In neither case was the Opposition machinery able to criticise the Government. Long years of abject neglect of the grassroots machinery and internecine clashes on who should hold what office within the party have seen them sinking together.
Elections alone do not constitute a democracy. In nearby Myanmar they are preparing for elections; but that it is a sham democracy is well known.
The last Parliament did little work, and what work it did in the form of oversight committees that investigated public corruption, waste and inefficiency was ignored by the Minister of Finance who is the President of the Republic; who nevertheless kept the economy afloat and successfully prosecuted the 'war’.
There was much pre-polls rhetoric that Parliament and the President would work closely in a new Government under the incumbent President. Clearly we see the Government targeting a 2/3rd majority (150 seats) in Parliament for its road map for the future.
We have often said that a modern country needs strong institutions not governance through a personality cult. Strong institutions can be a nuisance to an elected Government, but countries with such institutions are real democracies where the citizen is King or Queen; not a coterie of those exercising the powers and influence of the rulers.
Once again, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been afforded an opportunity to make or break Sri Lanka. Opportunities are there aplenty for a new Sri Lanka. We can only hope the Government will not squander this opportunity in the flush of this electoral victory. It must know that higher the victory margins, higher are the hopes and expectations of the people. |
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