Sunday Times 2
My face is my identity
The story where Colombo’s Mayor, M.J.M. Muzammil, was refused the ballot paper at the Polling Station in Colombo, because he did not carry a valid identity document as required by the election law, initially came to us as gossip, but finally turned out to be true.
Reports published in the newspapers have now clearly set out the sequence of events. According to these reports, the mayor was requested by the polling booth officials to produce his National Identity Card or his passport or a valid identity document for him to be given the ballot paper to cast his vote.
To go to the polling booth, Mr. Muzammil had accompanied the Prime Minister as has been the practice in the past. At the polling booth, the Prime Minister having produced his National Identity Card, cast his vote and walked out. On seeing the Mayor not coming out with him, the Prime Minister is said to have requested one of his security officers to check as to the delay. After a check, the security officer told the Prime Minister that the mayor had been held up because he had not brought his National Identity Card. The Prime Minister is then said to have told the mayor to go to his house and bring his National Identity Card.
One must commend the elections officials manning the polling booth for strictly adhering to the rules and regulations, irrespective of position or personality. This brings to my mind an incident which occurred during the Non-Aligned Conference in 1976 at the BMICH. This was a hallmark achievement by the then government headed by Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Many heads of states attended this summit. Shirley Amerasinghe, the highly respected ambassador to the UN, was one of those invited for the summit. The security arrangements at the BMICH, hotels and the Airport were the responsibility of the Police Special Branch which was also known as the Intelligence Services Division (ISD). It was headed by Cyril Herath.
I was placed in charge of the BMICH. As a security measure all who had come to attend this meeting from different countries and different organisations were issued with security passes with their photographs. The heads of delegations were not required to possess the security cards issued by the (ISD). Mr. Amerasinghe was also issued an identity card for him to wear on entering the BMICH. He arrived for the opening of the Non-Aligned Conference without wearing the identity card. The police officer who was stationed at the entrance to the BMICH saw Mr. Amerasinghe and asked him to produce his identity card. Mr. Amerasinghe is reported to have replied, “My face is my identity”.
On being informed by the officer over the walkie-talkie, I came to the scene and accosted Mr. Amerasinghe and politely requested him to wear the identity card. In reply, he said that his identity card was in the top left hand side pocket of his coat, but he could not clip it as the clip was not of the required standard. Since he mentioned that the identity card was in the coat pocket, I asked him whether I could take it out and clip it. Before, he could reply, I picked the card from his coat pocket and clipped it on to the flap of his coat. Mr. Amerasinghe was a well-known diplomat. He was once acclaimed as the best dressed diplomat. Though well known worldwide, he was expected to adhere to the rules and regulations stipulated by the Sri Lanka authorities when he had to come to the BMICH for the NAM summit.
Both incidents clearly show that irrespective of position or popularity of individuals, one has to abide by the rules laid down when it comes to the common law. The law is equal to the low and high and it is expected that all who hold public office conduct themselves in a manner respecting the rule of law.
(The writer is a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police)