Go and vote, what is at stake is your sovereignty

8 January 2015 12:47 am Views - 3913

One of history’s greatest philosophers Aristotle has said that in a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme. According to the well-known American author Louis L’Amour, to make democracy work, we must be participants, not simply observers.


One who does not vote has no right to complain. On the other hand, disgraced Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who dragged himself and his country into the garbage dumps of history during the Second World War, has said democracy is beautiful in theory, in practice it is a fallacy.  If the Sri Lanka people’s sovereignty has been gradually eroded in recent times  through election rigging, the notorious computer jilmarts and the breakdown of the pillars of democracy, then today is the day to begin the restoration of that sovereignty.


The most crucial presidential election in Sri Lanka will be held today after more than one month of campaigning and full-scale political battles between the main contenders—President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s United People’s Freedom Alliance Government and the common Opposition’s New Democratic Front’s Maithripala Sirisena.  The essential factor today will be the provision of an atmosphere for a free, fair and peaceful election.


The key figures in this are the Elections Commissioner, top officials of the department, senior and junior presiding officers at more than 12,300 polling booths and the officers at the counting centres. Mr. Deshapriya, in an election-eve media conference yesterday, assured that the election would be free and fair because there would be hundreds of Sri Lankan and international monitors and agents of all candidates at polling booths and counting centres to supervise the process.  We join sincerely patriotic Sri Lankans who cherish our time-honoured and time-tested democratic values, in urging the Elections Commissioner and other officials to act with impartiality, honesty and integrity for the common good of all the people of Sri Lanka.  The world’s eyes are focused on Sri Lanka not only because of the important presidential election today and its effect on Sri Lanka’s destiny, but more so because of the much-awaited and sometimes controversial visit of Pope Francis to Sri Lanka from January 13 to 15.


During the past two years, Pope Francis has emerged as one of the most loved, most respected and most powerful leaders in world history. According to organising committee officials, about 500 international journalists will be here to cover the Pope’s visit and Sri Lanka will be among the headlines of the world’s electronic and print media.


Both Mr. Rajapaksa and Mr. Sirisena have given a solemn assurance they would ensure there would be no post-poll violence, mainly because of the Pope’s visit and the international focus on Sri Lanka. We also hope there would be a calm and soothing atmosphere for the Pope’s visit, whoever wins today’s election. Mr. Rajapaksa has given an assurance that if he loses he will peacefully and without hesitation handover power to the winner. Therefore we believe and hope that the visit of Pope Francis will bring peace and unity to Sri Lanka.  Significantly today is also the 116th birth anniversary of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike who, many independent analysts say, brought real freedom to the common people of Sri Lanka when he was Prime Minister from 1956 to 1959. Unfortunately one of the negatives was that he used and abused the extremist card to win the election.


But when he realised his folly, repented and tried to make some restitution through the district councils agreement, the same extremist conspired against Mr. Bandaranaike and assassinated him on September 26, 1959.  Today also is the sixth death anniversary of the former Sunday Times political analyst and later the Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, widely regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s best and most courageous investigative journalists.


He was shot dead in broad daylight while he was driving to work. Police say several special teams were deployed to track down the killers who were apparently remote-controlled by political forces. The special teams have gone here, there and nowhere as in the killings or abductions of more than 30 media personnel during the past few years.  Finally and most importantly, we make a fervent appeal to more than 15 million eligible voters. Whatever the difficulty, go to your polling booth and cast your vote because what is at stake is your sovereignty and democracy.