Editorial

7th February 1999

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Politics of Independence

If Independence like democracy is for the people and of the people, then what we saw on Independence Day last Thursday was like the Wayamba election a shame and a sham.

The Sunday Times front page picture today tells the sad story of how the politicisation of Independence and the terrorising of society brought about a situation where less than 10 people from amongst the public were present at the main national ceremony at Independence Square. If the practical dimensions of participatotry democracy are not restored and reinforced soon we might see the 10 going to nine and like in a famous verse down to none.

We are told by old-timers that last Thursday's scene at Independence Square was the most subdued since 1948, partly due to the ever present LTTE threat and partly due to a loss of public interest and confidence in politicians who get all the gun salutes at these ceremonies.

For security reasons the government did not give much pre-publicity to the Independence Day celebrations with all roads to the area also being closed and the people denied even a glimpse of the bedecked square.

Besides security considerations and a growing public cynicism over any events involving politicians, this year's Independence Day was further eroded because it came in the aftermath of the shame and fraud in Wayamba.

The non-election or the non-victory in Wayamba has been widely and strongly condemned by the province's religious prelates, independent polls monitors and many others including government ministers and now the President herself.

The most outspoken criticism of the Wayamba election came from Chilaw's Bishop Frank Marcus Fernando who said it was not an election but an exercise in blatant thuggery. So severe has been the backlash on the PA that many observers feel it would have been better for the ruling party to have lost rather than getting so badly beaten in victory. Ironically it was a situation where the PA officially won all 19 battles in the 19 electoral divisions of the province-but lost the war.

Whatever President Kumaratunga said at Wednesday's Cabinet meeting regarding the disaster in Wayamba she made only a general reference to it in her Independence Day address to the nation. The President promised she would take firm action against corrupt elements in her own camp. We hope such pledges will be implemented and that anyone found to be responsible for the large scale rigging and thuggery in Wayamba would be sacked. Some expression of regret instead of loads of excuses would help repair the credibility and image of both the President and her government.

Independence Day in its deepest sense is a day on which we pay homage to those who were in the vanguard of our struggle for freedom throughout the 450 years of foreign rule. It is a time to contemplate on the freedom we have now, the gains and losses during the 51 years we have ruled by ourselves. It is a time to believe in ourselves and not only hope but strive towards achieving for ourselves the dreams of freedom, economic prosperity and social values that our forefathers dreamed of.

Independence Day is essentially a national event that rises above party politics. Unfortunately President Kumaratunga again used a large part of her speech to hit out at the opposition. Apparently reeling under the free media exposure of the national disgrace in Wayamba, the President fired salvos at independent journalists and described the opposition leader as a "sanctimonious humbug".

She had made keynote political speeches in all 19 electoral divisions of the Wayamba Province last month and perhaps forgot that Independence Day belongs to the country and all its people and not just to her party or herself. And that it-might have been better had she played the role of the Stateswoman rather than the politician. The Head of State and not the head of the People's Alliance.

Political Column

Editorial/Opinion Contents