Letters to the Editor
View(s):Parliamentary election 2020: In the eyes of the voter
In the presidential election in November last year, 13.38 million (83.72% of total votes) exercised their franchise. In the August 5 parliamentary election, only 12.34 million voters (75.89%) voted. Voter apathy is further vindicated by the number of rejected votes. Rejected votes at the 2019 presidential election was 135,452 . At the parliamentary election earlier this month the third highest polled was the rejected votes 744,373 (4.58% of total votes). That is 600,000 more than the presidential election.
Effectively, 1.6 million voters (10% of total voters) who cast their vote in the presidential election chose to stay at home or spoiled their votes.
Can this be due to;
- complications in the ballot paper,
- deliberate manipulation
- too many independent groups
- voters being unaware of how to cast their vote especially the elderly
- being at quarantine centres
- stuck out of the country due to the pandemic
- OR a protest vote – anti-government or anti other parties
Electronic voting technology
Those in quarantine centres couldn’t vote and we should look at bringing about a mobile voting system or an electronic voting technology. Electronic voting technology is ideal for Sri Lanka to speed up the counting of votes (especially the preferential votes) and to declare results faster. This would reduce the cost of paying staff to count votes manually; and provide improved accessibility for disabled voters; Voters save time and cost by being able to vote independently from their location. This may increase overall voter turnout; citizens living abroad will be able to cast their votes.
Proportional Representation System
The Proportional Representation system was introduced to ensure broader representation by candidates from political parties and independent groups and to avoid any party obtaining a majority so that Parliament will have an equally vibrant opposition to check and balance the government. In 1970 – Sirimavo Bandaranaike ruled for seven years because of the majority won. In 1977 J. R. Jayewardene won a five-sixths majority and brought a new Constitution to introduce the Executive Presidency which has now become a bane to this country. In 2010, the Mahinda Rajapaksa government received a strong electoral mandate and they introduced the 18th Amendment. In all these three instances, democracy was doubly challenged.
Minority parties
With the Proportional Representation system many small parties were formed based on race, religion, language and other identities. Currently it’s a norm that these parties contest as an alliance and go solo in areas they have a majority voter base. i.e. SLMC and ACMC contested alone in Batticaloa and Ampara districts respectively while being part of the SJB alliance in other districts; the SLFP which contested as part of the SLPP led alliance in most districts contested separately in Jaffna and got a seat; SLMC and ACMC forged together the MNA and won a seat in Puttalam. This may be a way of collecting more seats and having an eye on a bonus seat.
Magical figure
The SLPP was fortunate to receive a strong electoral mandate in the recent parliamentary election. If by chance they had fallen short of the magical figure of 113 seats then the bargaining would start with loads of paybacks to buy over parliamentarians. In similar situations the minority parties hold the carrot to break or make governments. Parliamentarians too once elected forget to voice the aspirations of their vote bases and settle for plum luxuries.
Lineages
In Sri Lanka, DNA studies reveal that the major ethnic groups in the island namely Sri Lankan Tamils, Sinhalese (Upcountry and Low Country) and Veddahs are genetically related. Therefore parties based on race, religion, language or other identities should be discouraged. Every citizen must breathe and think as Sri Lankans. In such inclusiveness, politics based on petty agendas that have sown division in our society will be a relic of the past and a national undertaking to develop our country will be visible.
Majority
In the parliamentary election the people have spoken loudly and clearly and given the SLPP power with 145 seats. With power comes great responsibility and we hope that the President and Parliament will deliver this to the people so that this victory sets the stage for an era of reviving the economy from the present plight so that all citizens can enjoy a peaceful and prosperous life in Sri Lanka.
Economic revival
The government needs a team of experts to develop a recovery strategy. The team should comprise qualified and credible experts, with international experience, who can provide the government with independent advice on formulating an economic recovery strategy, monitor outcomes and suggest short term and long term policy corrections. The opposition too should put petty agendas aside and co-operate with the government and similarly see that the rights of all people are respected through implementation of good governance measures.
Vinodini Jayawardena Via email
Is it fair to limit the term of presidency?
I fail to understand why the President’s term is restricted to two terms. It has been proven beyond doubt that if this rule prevailed in Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew would never have had the opportunity of steering the country to be a major force in the world. It should be left to the choice of the citizens to decide, especially as it was proven recently that we have a mature electorate and they have given the necessary power to the most stable political party to make the necessary changes in the form of amendments and a new constitution for the benefit of all.
My argument is that if a rejected presidential candidate has the right to contest several times why is a person who has completed two terms successfully deprived of contesting again. As a result, we, the voters are put in a quandary having to choose the best out of the candidates, who may have been rejected by the voters previously or some unpopular person, while the more capable person is deprived of contesting for the third time. In fairness, this rule has to be changed where it clearly defines that all citizens have the right to contest the presidency any number of times. It is up to the voters to decide whom they want as their president for the next five years and vote accordingly and allow any citizen the basic right to contest any number of times. The other alternative is to bring in the clause that any person has the right to contest the presidency only twice.
If the term of office of a President is restricted to two, in that case the term of office of a Prime Minister also should be restricted to two terms. However, under the present system, while a person who has served two terms of presidency is ineligible to contest again, a Prime Minister who has held that post for more than two terms is eligible to continue, regardless of any restrictions. Isn’t it unfair that a President who has been directly elected by the people is restricted to two terms, while a person who is elected by one district is eligible to continue as Prime Minister for many terms? Therefore, it is high time an amendment is passed in Parliament restricting the term of Prime Minister also to two terms regardless whether he/she has served consecutively or not.
This amendment will provide frustrated young members with leadership qualities an opportunity to serve the country better. They will be given the opportunity to practise their new ideals and principles without having to spend many years under the thumb of one person. Thus it is more important we amend the constitution to restrict the period of office of a Prime Minister to a maximum of two terms. Or in fairness to all citizens, the people should have the right to serve the country as President or Prime Minister for any number of terms. It is unfair that a president who is elected by the electorate directly is limited to two terms due to no fault of his/hers.
R. W. W. Via email