Editorial

By the time this newspaper hits the streets and is read at homes today, there will be some indication of the choice the people have made to lead the country; whether it is more of the same; a change of pillows or going into unchartered waters. The real winner, however, is Democracy.

Credit for a peaceful election (yesterday was coincidentally, the UN Day for Peace) and the run-up to it must go to the Elections Commission and all government agencies, from thousands of public servants, members of the tri-forces and police, all who consider free elections the corner-stone of democracy. Fortunately, Sri Lankans still have the option of choosing the ballot over the bullet, unlike in the US where two attempted assassinations of a presidential candidate have occurred in recent weeks. Even the popular uprising of an ‘Aragalaya’ was only an aberration to constitutional government.

Why we need foreign election observers defies comprehension. Election observers or monitors came about in post ‘cold war’ Eastern Europe, unfamiliar with holding multi-party elections. Sri Lanka has held elections since 1931 and multi-party elections for 75 years with heavy citizen participation leading to a peaceful transition of power. It was good that the Elections Commission refused the astounding request for foreign diplomats in Colombo missions to be stationed at polling booths. How meaningful could their presence have been anyway, given that there were 14,000 polling stations and 1,700 counting centres? They will, however, have everyone believe that it was their mere ‘presence’, and not the domestic effort, that ensured a peaceful election. Even the Russians are here to cap it all!

These teams from the Europe Union are bound by policies of donor governments and organizations, and as past reports of the EU missions have shown, their recommendations far exceed the conduct of elections, intruding into broader areas such as the political landscape, human rights, etc. But there’s not a hum by these countries about how democracy needs to be strengthened in the USA for instance, the ‘pregnant ballots’ case of yesteryear, and where its Congress was stormed on January 6, 2021, following an election.

Some leading politicians have already sounded alarm bells that yesterday’s election could be the last – a not-so-veiled jibe at parties that tried to overthrow democratically elected governments by force in the past. The 2022 ‘Aragalaya’, is often hailed as a people’s power movement of direct-democracy, and that the outcome turned out to be a positive one even if it was the first to oust a popularly elected President – a dangerous precedent. Whether the end justifies the means is thoroughly contentious, to say the least. Even the parties that admit they gained politically from the momentum of that mass uprising, disapprove of the state of anarchy the country was on the verge of falling into.

The turnout yesterday indicates that voter interest in elections remains high despite the disillusionment with the level of parochial politics in the country. Despite the apathy towards their elected representatives for letting them down time and time again, the people still have faith in elections, and any incumbent toying with ideas of tinkering with periodic elections (even though it has happened before), will not find it easy to do so.

Whoever is victorious must dissolve Parliament sooner than later. The JVP/NPP has a greater need to do that given the fact that they have such a minuscule representation in the House. They need to accrue as much dividend from their newfound popularity in the country. It is not much different for the SJB and even the incumbent may want a new Parliament. Already, the signs are that the elected President, despite all the executive power vested in him, cannot administer the nation in a wholly divided Parliament. Very few survived in the past with minority parliamentary support for a long time as the sole authority for passing laws and monies is with Parliament – not with the President.

In these circumstances, yesterday’s election, in effect, is not as significant without the accompanying parliamentary elections. Added to this complexity is the election pledge by two of the main contenders to abolish the office of the Executive Presidency and revert to the pre-1978 Parliamentary system. The country is sick and tired of those who promise to abolish the Executive Presidency and then continue to sit comfortably once ensconced in the seat. One of them had to be dragged out of the office by the Supreme Court when she wanted an extended stay.

So, if the victor actually does keep to his promise, the coming parliamentary election is going to be more significant, and even more hotly contested than yesterday’s election. Whoever is declared yesterday’s winner will be not only the Chairman but the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Republic, i.e. Head of State and Head of Government. He will be the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, with power to declare ‘war and peace’; appoint the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Ministry Secretaries; grant pardons to those found guilty by a Court of Law; provided immunity from prosecution, and can only be impeached by Parliament.

The winner, whoever he is, will know there’s no ‘silver bullet’ to cure the problems of this country, mainly on the economic front. He will also know that the mandate from the people brings high hopes and great expectations, which so often wither away in no time.

Those who cheer today are the first to jeer tomorrow. The job gets harder if the winner doesn’t get an outright majority on the first count. Those who kept saying President Ranil Wickremesinghe did not have a proper ‘mandate’ to rule might come to be hoist by their own linguistic petard.

Still, when the Chief Justice administers the oath of office on the elected President, he will be the President who will affirm to run the country according to the Constitution.

One of the first acts of the elected President will be to ensure that the peace that prevailed during the campaign is maintained and post-election violence of any blood-letting, acts of arson or harassment against political opponents does not happen. The incumbent President has already shown his mettle in dealing with rabble-rousers. For any other first-timer who inherits this poisoned chalice of the office of President, it will be his first test of leadership.