31st October 1999

Deceit does not always work

The G.C.E. (O/L) which is considered an important event in school education was scheduled to start at the end of the second week of December.

Thereafter the assessment of the answer scripts is to start in the second week of January and continue till the end of the third week. For both these activities the schools are utilized.

The Ramazan which is of significance to the Muslim community starts on December 10 and ends on January 10. The Deepavali festival of the Hindus falls on November 7, and a full moon day of importance to the Buddhists is on December 22. The Christmas festival which is significant to the Christians starts on December 24 and ends on January 6.

The period from December 15 to January 15 is the peak season for tourist arrivals. Due to the enthusiasm about the new millennium, the rooms in all the five-star hotels are said to be fully booked. The occupation charges per room for December 31 alone in five-star hotels are as high as Rs. 25,000 and there was the expectation of earning record incomes. But the hope that the tourism sector had of earning a record income has been greatly shattered by the prospect of a snap Presidential election.

What the President's intention to hold a Presidential election in December shows is the manner in which heads of state in our country take decisions. Even from the time of Independence, a problem the country has faced is that there are parochial political leaders who think more of themselves and less of the country and hardly any statesmen who think more of the country and less of themselves.

That is why a fine country like Sri Lanka which has the potential to develop easily is in the position of a bottomless well.

However, not only the politicians, but the society in general must share the blame for the plight in which the country finds itself. In the final analysis it may be considered a result of the undeveloped state of the social consciousness of Sri Lanka.

The rulers of our country cannot have a genuine feeling for the country. They speak very highly about the free education, free health services and the wealth of the country. But as a rule they send their children not to government schools but to International Schools. For higher education they choose not the universities of this country, but foreign universities. If they fall ill they go not to government hospitals, but to private hospitals or to foreign hospitals. They save their wealth earned lawfully or illegally, not in this country but in other countries. A ruling group with such practices cannot have a genuine feeling about this country or about the problems of this country.

In her speech to the nation announcing a new Presidential election, Ms. Kumaratunga said that she had not stolen even half a cent. When political leaders in our country steal, they do so not in half cents but in millions of dollars. Rather than saying that she had not stolen a cent, shouldn't she have published her annual statement of assets and liabilities for the last six years for the information of the public so that they could have a clear picture of her assets when she came to power and now? If that was done, the people could have got a real picture of her assets in properties, lands, savings and jewellery before she came to power and now. It may be said that she had a special obligation to do so, because the election manifesto of the PA contained a specific promise that statements of assets and liabilities of leaders would be made for the information of the public. However, only Minister Lakshman Jayakody fulfilled that promise for one year at least. Now the President can fulfil that promise which has not been fulfilled so far. If the President does that the Leader of the UNP will also be compelled to do so. That will enable the people to know at least the real financial standing of the leaders who contend to rule the country.

There were election abuses even before 1977 but they were not so serious as to seriously distort the will of the people. It was during the last period of UNP rule that elections to select representatives of the people became a large scale plunder by the rulers. Outrages committed at the District Development Council elections in Jaffna and thereafter at the referendum, and still later at the Presidential election of 1988 and the parliamentary election of 1989 diminished the people's confidence in the entire process of elections.

Among the promises given by Mrs. Kumaratunga before she came to power, a main one was that the system of elections would be cleansed and that action would be taken without delay to give the Commissioner of Elections all the powers necessary to ensure free and fair elections. It must be stated that she has not only failed to redeem that promise but has increased by two or threefold the corruptness of the elections when compared with that in the time of the UNP. Even though there was a bloody rebellion prevailing in the country, the total number of instances reported where armed groups had entered polling booths forcibly and stuffed the ballot boxes was 60 for the whole country.

The number of such instances at the Parliamentary election of 1989 was 66. However, the Commissioner of Elections reported that there were 212 such instances at the Provincial Council Election of Wayamba alone held under the PA government.

The President said that a special committee would be appointed to inquire into the malpractices at Wayamba. But that promise proved to be one aimed to please the people for the time being.

If the malpractices happen in the same manner it will inevitably lead to a serious breakdown of the people's confidence in the political system and will inevitably worsen the divisions in the country.

It might be possible to bring this situation under some control if the two of the proposals made by the leader of the SLMC, namely, a free and fair election, and doing away with Presidential immunity, are implemented before the Presidential election. A free and fair election can be ensured only if the Commissioner of Elections is given the necessary powers. If the Presidential immunity is done away with, she or he will become another person coming under the law. If at least the laws and regulations necessary to effect these two reforms can be passed in Parliament as a matter of urgency, it will certainly be an initial step towards greater civilization.

From the Green Corner

Editorial/ Opinion Contents