Editorial

24th October 1999

That poll edict

President Kumaranatunga was pre-sented with a bouquet of roses by her Cabinet colleagues after she announced the Presidential proclamation calling for early polls.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickeremesinghe was in the meantime presented by party faithful with a garland of orchids. All this is by way of precursor to the question "who will win the crown of thorns," the Executive Presidency – that much maligned prize for which the leaders of the country's two main political parties will be in contention for a few months from now.

With all the gravitas that accompanies such a proclamation, the President announced with some sense of urgency, that she intends to hold Presidential elections before her official term is up. It was an almost bizarre move of political chess, considering her professed reasons for having early polls. She was not calling for elections because of any nagging political imperative such as appeasing the minorities, ending the war or enabling vital constitutional reforms. On the other hand, her poll-call seemed to have to do with something of a hysterical account she provided of political conspiracies and political conspirators within her own ranks

The merit of the early call apart, it appears at the moment that the politicians and political players are showing animated interest in the early polls in contrast to the people who seem to have taken the signal for elections with a big yawn. This situation will change undoubtedly as poll day approaches but the initial disinterest is also a sign that the people do not have much by way of choice in these elections. The parties in the running do not offer much by way of contrast, and the people have seen it all — corruption, graft and political chicanery by both main parties in the running in these polls

So the polls offer no particular escape hatch to all the people who may be looking at elections as if they were routine. Every now and then they get a chance to change the ruling order, but in the end, that right of changing the guard doesn't really amount to much.

That sort of apathy in a politically sensitized country is strange, especially as the issues that people vote on are vital considering that there is an ongoing war, and resulting economic malaise. But, after the proclamation, a poll it is, and irrespective of voter reaction this election will be closely watched, especially since it is one that will decide what kind of government will rule this country as it launches itself into the new millennium.

Sideshows

The role of bit players in the upcoming election seems to be offering the only kind of excitement that seems to be generated by the Presidential proclamation for polls. Various poll- spoilers have been hinting at being in the contention, with the non- declared intention of splitting the votes of the two main political parties

The JVP of course, has grown up to be more than a poll spoiler, and is now a party in its own right, even though not big enough to offer a credible alternative to the two front runners.

But, there are other names being bandied about, both on the far right and the far left, of candidates who are seen as being put forward by interested parties with the express intention of dividing the votes

Political yarn has it that these types of players are now common, particularly in Presidential face – offs , and that they are paid handsomely for their efforts

Though a democracy can spawn all kinds of villains, if there are candidates who are so unorthodox that they present themselves purely for mercenary gains offered by the two main political parties, they should be exposed as frauds, because blatant political trickery should not be acceptable in any important national poll of this kind.

The Political Column

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