Opposition to the fore

Friday, 29 July 2011 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

THE recently concluded Local Government elections seem to have become the final straw that broke the camel’s back — or in this case the elephant. In an unprecedented move the United National Party (UNP) has decided to back Co-Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya as the next leader of the party.

Since the end of the elections that brought disappointing results to them and added one more lost poll to an already existing long number, the UNP key members have been calling for unity. However it is also clear that this unity has one aim in mind — changing the leadership and galvanising the main Opposition party.

Even though the earlier move to bring about a change of leadership ended with disappointment for the reformists this push seems to hold more promise. On Thursday the UNP members including Co-Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa, who at one point had been tipped to become the next leader, backed Jayasuriya to take the crown instead. They also collectively told the media that Jayasuriya had agreed to the move and that they would support him as much as possible. The down side to this pledge is that Premadasa could not give a timeline as to when this change would take place.

The lack of an opposition with teeth has been strongly felt over the years and this is just another in a long line of attempts by the UNP to get their game together and present themselves to the people as a viable option. At the recent Local Government elections the vote was 32% overall; but there was no victories to celebrate in the northern polls. This was a significant blow to the UNP that has earlier enjoyed support of the Tamil masses as well.

Change does not come easy, neither does it come fast. However few would disagree that the UNP needs to marshal itself and come up with a more appealing option for the people. It needs to do more than point out the mistakes of the present government. It needs to make people feel confident in the UNP. The Opposition in any democracy has a heavy duty placed on it. It must provide a balance of power and ensure that what is needed for the people is done in a transparent and accountable manner. In short they are the ones that have to keep the government in line.

Massive incidents of corruption and wastage have hit the headlines repeatedly but the opposition parties have not been able to capitalise on it. This is not because the people love the ruling party unconditionally but rather a lack of capacity and understanding on how to tap into the psyche of the masses and make them realise that they have a viable option in the UNP.

The development process in particular needs a watchdog. Few would be better qualified for that position than a well tuned and intelligent Opposition that can question and reveal the deals that are taking place behind the scenes. Even though this is being done at the moment when it comes to voting time the people seem to feel that the UNP cannot deliver on a national political stage and this inadequacy must be fixed.