System changes to rout out political corruption at grass root level

The Local Government (LG) election has come to the fore again. The people and the sovereign voters expect the appointment of independent philanthropic representatives who can impartially educate and assist the people in the locality to overcome unfair practices and delays in regard to usage of public goods such as Free Education, Police actions, Judiciary services, sanitary services and garbage collection etc. This is in addition to the standard government and non-government services involving total development of the area with emphasis on infrastructural needs and environmental protection. Unfortunately, due to severe poiticisation of the existing local government machinery, the power hungry Party leaders freely use the LG machinery as nurseries to breed corrupt local politicians to fatten their vote bank and resort to LG Election as a barometer to measure their popularity/unpopularity.

By and large, the current local government machinery is detested by local citizens and ratepayers as it has become a symbol of political bias, corruption, arrogance and resource wastage. As such, apart from a few rhetorical political ‘henchaiyyas’, the general citizenry has no interest at all in ‘politicized’ LG elections. Also, since each Divisional Secretary Office (DSO) supported by a variety of public servants as Development, Field, Technical and Supervisory Officers including ‘Grama Seva Niladhaaris’(GSN),  render a service without serious  public complaints,  the local people do not feel the absence of political catalysts.

Furthermore, with the advent  of the new government that is sensitive to the ‘System changes’ orchestrated by the peaceful ‘Aragalaya’ of the intelligent Youth and the new generation , the voter majority, who have been silent for 74 years, now crave for radical ‘system changes’ to the outdated Political and Electoral systems, Constitution, Acts and Ordinances. 

Accordingly, as sovereign voters, we implore that upcoming LG elections, be depoliticized to allow independent candidates to contest under each of the 14,000 strong Grama Niladhari Divisions (GND), as per steps given below.

‘System Changes’ to rout out political corruption at grass roots level 

1) Establish people based independent ‘Jana Sabhas’ (JS) at the GND level and depoliticize LG machinery.

2) Allow nomination of 3 honest, impartial and socially acceptable independent candidates (01 male, 01 female and 01 youth below 35 years of age) by each JS to contest at the LG election. The candidate with the highest number of votes at each GND level becomes the JS Representative/change agent. He/She will basically take up recommendations/ Problems of the JS with LG officials at DSO level. Under a ‘Bottom up approach’ they will also refer their proposals to the Parliament through the respective Provincial Councils (PCs).

3) In order to avoid unnecessary administrative costs and obstacles, every Divisional Secretary should be empowered to conduct the election in the presence of JS members as polling agents with relevant GNs in attendance.

4) JS representatives shall elect Office bearers for the respective Pradesheeya Sabhas, Urban Councils and Municipal Councils.

5) 14,000 independent JS representatives across the country will surely erase the existing biased, corrupt and arrogant politicised LG machinery, and render an unbiased, meaningful and a fruitful service to the people at the local level while contributing to ‘Country first’ activities at National level.

6) JS representatives can be paid a monthly stipend that ensures a lower overall outlay compared to the total monthly allowances hitherto paid to over 8,600 political Party LG members.

7) These JS representatives will become members of political parties of their choice in the future, with a ‘Country First’ attitude, and will be eligible to contest as Political Professionals to become members of Provincial Councils and the Central Parliament.

8) If the next delimitation exercise takes a longer time to complete, the existing boundaries may be considered for the new local government elections.

Conclusion  

The taxpayers/sovereign voters, who are sincerely interested in the development of the country, expect that ‘system changes’ at ground level, will make the LG machinery, a nursery for future ‘Political professionals’ instead of being used as the breeding ground for ‘corrupt politicians’.

Accordingly, the main responsibility for framing a new Constitution including the refinement of country’s Political and electoral systems, which create a ‘conflict of interests’ for politicians in a representative democracy, rests with its Sovereign voters/Principals. For this purpose, it is proposed to  set up permanent taskforces comprising retired Judges, experts, academics, voter dedicated civil organisations and civil voter activists  under the National Election Commission(NEC).Similar Task forces can be set up under other relevant Independent Commissions all of which have to be empowered accordingly.

Finally, we as sovereign voters earnestly appeal to the Honourable President and the Hon.Minister in charge of Judiciary and National Integration, as well as the Parliament and National Election Commission, to legalise the aforementioned ground-level ‘system changes’ before holding the LG Election to replace this harmful ‘corrupt and confrontational’ political and Electoral systems.

(The writer is the Former Deputy General Manager, Bank of Ceylon)