Lessons from General Election and dangers from international powers - EDITORIAL

Candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s election as President did not come as a shock, to many in the country. A few of the presidential candidates save one or two foresaw this. What they did not anticipate was the near red-wash that swept the country at the parliamentary elections.  

From Point Pedro to Dondra Head and Colombo to Trincomalee, with the exception of the Batticaloa district, the National People’s Power (NPP) group swept the country. 

Unbelievable though it sounds, even the Jaffna District voted for the NPP, swatting aside the traditional Federal Party and the union of ex-militants who contested under different labels. In the south, the traditional bastion of the right-wing parties fell like nine-pins to the socialist juggernaut. The same fate befell the Thondaman dynasty in the hill country. 

A new political culture appears to be spreading country-wide. The emphasis today has changed in favour of principles and policies. 

After all, most of the new members in the next parliament are quite unknown to a majority of people in the country. What is known is the principles and ideology of the new governing party -one of anti-corruption, lessening the burdens on the poor and building unity among the different peoples and cultures who inhabit this land. 

The victory of the NPP in the Jaffna District was clearly a vote against the dictatorship of the ‘sole representatives of the Tamil people’ and the assorted armed groups who subsequently joined hands with the ‘so-called’ oppressors of the Tamil people. Sadly these groups brought little succor to the people worst affected by the ethnic war.

 Even in the Muslim-dominated districts the people did not vote on ethno-religious lines. They too backed a secular political party (NPP) as did the up-country Tamils who broke with tradition -not voting for the Thondaman dynasty in the hill country.  

The Batticaloa District provided the exception to the rule. Here the ITAK or Federal Party gained a majority of the votes. 

According to the office of the Elections Commissioner, voter turnout was low -around 68 percent. In previous elections, voter turnout was low due to pressure brought by different armed groups.  

This General Election also saw a high number of spoiled votes. It could be a dangerous trend, as it means people could be losing belief in the democratic process. This is one of the challenges the newly elected government will face. Does it have the will and capacity to change this tide? 

The people have placed their confidence in the NPP and the party has to live up to its election promises. 

Sri Lanka is a divided country. Divided on lines of race, religion and poverty. The people rose above these petty differences. It is now up to President Dissanayake and his team to unite the country using the majority he has been provided. 

The reasons which led the Tamil people to call for a separate state were not solved. Rather, they were militarily defeated. Tamil has been officially recognised as a national language. It is not so in practice. Private Tamil-owned lands are still occupied by the military. Laws such as the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) continue to be used without credible evidence to support allegations.   

Today, corruption permeates all sections of government and the bureaucracy. Anti- corruption was one of the main platforms the new government campaigned on. To deter corruption government needs to create a system where such behaviour is discouraged. One where people won’t even think about doing it. In other words severe penalties for those engaging in such practices. 

The Muslim community continues to be demonised. There is spillover of Islamophobia in India as well as from the war in the Middle East. Seeds of unrest are already being sowed regarding possible terror attacks in Arugam Bay. 

Since the left-leaning president was voted into power, international agencies have come out with theories tying events in Arugam Bay with international terrorism. Tourism is one of our main foreign exchange-earners. Government needs to take steps to protect the industry from being used by foreign agencies in their power games. At the same time it needs to take steps to create a society where all are treated equally.