Saturday, 29 March 2014 00:00
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It’s an eventful time. On Friday Sri Lankans woke up to find Sri Lanka facing an investigation from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights after the UNHRC resolution passed. Today they will face a provincial election that has had the worst violence in the campaigning stage since 2008. Both are laced with politics and will have an impact on the future.
Whipped up with patriotic frenzy, it is likely that the Government will win with even a larger margin than it could have hoped for. But it does not say much for political rights, which is a component for overall human rights that was at the core of the resolution passed at UNHRC. While the Government is no doubt looking at offsetting the effects of the resolution, the people will be making a decision on whether this is the best state of affairs to have.
The run-up to the elections was seriously marred by violence and gross negligence of election law. Good governance, which has been suffering a steady demise in Sri Lanka, took an even harder hit as Government resources were thrown out on winning more votes. But the UNHRC situation will likely provide the Government with even more impetus even though the concerns voiced by the international community will be in evidence during the elections.
In short, elections are a time for the public to evaluate the state of their democracy. Sri Lanka by contrast fails to upgrade its status usually and early indications are that this round of voting will not be an exception to the rule. With no efforts made to strengthen the independent commissions or overhaul the Judiciary to provide an effective balance of power, the process will be allowed to muddle along as best it can.
High-level election monitors from India including a previous Elections Commissioner during the last round of polls insisted the ruling party stop covert campaigning via development projects. Yet new reports have already indicated the opening of the Galle-Godagama extension of the Southern Highway, which was earmarked for January being postponed to the first week of March to provide a positive tamasha to the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) election push.
Rival candidates, such as Democratic Party Leader Sarath Fonseka, have alleged intimidation during campaigning, providing early hints of the tightly-contested and possibly violent election in the days ahead. Internal clashes are also in the offing with a fed up set of Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha members begging the President to appoint any other member of the 20 million Sri Lankan population other than Public Relations Minister Mervyn Silva as chief organiser.
Undeterred by his ghastly behaviour, Silva has been returned to his previous duties and the election campaign will likely be peppered by his unique sense of humour. Other confusions that have popped up of late include the appointment of two organisers for Central Colombo with MP A.H.M. Fowzie having to contend with the dynamic if not necessarily principled Hirunika Premachandra, who seems to have set on a career path similar to MP Duminda Silva.
Literally thousands of election violations have been recorded by election monitors and while events are expected to unfold smoothly today, it does not mean all is well with Sri Lanka’s democracy.
