The record number of 7620 candidates from 36 political parties and 301 independent groups participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections has created a near-farcical situation in some respects, which could affect people’s perceptions of this election as being free and fair.
The clamour from this multiplicity of political parties and groups to submit nomination lists does not as some might be led to believe, indicate the working of a robust participatory democracy, with the involvement of all sections of society. Many of these candidates it turns out represent “dummy” parties that are in fact unofficially aligned with the main political parties in the contest.
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| Nomination lists being exhibited at the Gampaha Elections Office |
The percentage of such “dummy” contestants is probably over 75% of the total, according to Rohana Hettiarachchi, Executive Director of the election monitoring body PAFFREL.
This phenomenon was observed at the recent presidential election as well, where Hettiarachchi says although there were 22 contestants, his organization observed only the agents of the UPFA and UNP at the polling stations.
Fielding lists of candidates in as many districts as possible by means of newly formed political parties (duly registered and recognized by the Commissioner of Elections) seems to have become a device used by the main parties in order to have large numbers of their agents present at the polling stations and counting centres on Election Day.
It would appear that the thicker spread of party loyalists on the ground gives them more muscle on the all important Day. According to the Elections law, a recognized political party contesting the elections may nominate two polling agents to be present at each polling station, and up to five counting agents at each counting centre.
The upcoming election will see 12 more political parties and 109 more independent groups respectively, than the number of parties and independent groups that participated in the general elections of 2004. In the Digamadulla district for example, where there are 18 political parties and 48 independent groups contesting, the Commissioner will have to accommodate 330 party agents in one counting centre.
The large number of candidates has also necessitated the printing of ballot papers several feet long for some districts, and the procurement of possibly thousands of extra ballot boxes to accommodate them. Contesting parties are also entitled to their share of airtime for propaganda purposes on the state media. This means, the more unofficially “affiliated” parties there are in the race, the more air time the main party (to which the “dummy” is affiliated) would indirectly have access to. All the “dummy” candidates of course will lose their deposits, since they have no genuine vote base. But from the point of view of their ’handlers’ it would appear that Rs. 2000/- is but a small price to pay for the advantages gained.
This situation of course poses logistical problems for the Elections Department, on whose time and resources it places heavy demands. But more importantly, voters may ask if this practice is in keeping with the spirit of a “free and fair” election. The bigger and better-funded parties will naturally be in a better position to field larger numbers of “dummies,” to their advantage. One may argue that bigger parties have an advantage either with or without ‘”dummies.” But then do voters want to see an already uneven playing field become even more skewed, on account of the further manipulations of these future lawmakers?
The Commissioner cannot prevent any group from handing over nomination lists that meet the required criteria, according to Bandula Kulatunga, an advisor to the Commissioner. He says a recommendation has been made to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform to increase the amount of the deposit as a deterrent measure to address this issue. But this would still give the edge to parties with big bucks. And one may ask how many parliamentarians will be in favour of reducing the number of tricks in their bag that help put them into power in the first place?
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