Electing a president: The critical days ahead

Friday, 12 December 2014 05:47 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By The Friday Forum The presidential election of 8 January 2015 is significant not only because it is the first time an incumbent President is seeking office for a third term, but also because it is the first presidential election conducted after the 18th Amendment to the Constitution. Keeping in mind that franchise is not only a fundamental right but part of the very sovereignty of the people, the Friday Forum calls upon the following to protect that right.

The Commissioner of Elections and Officials of his Department The Commissioner of Elections, officials of the Elections Department and all public officers concerned with the conduct of the election are urged to implement the election laws independently and impartially, and to take necessary action to prevent violations of the law especially the Constitution and the Presidential Elections Act. We call upon all of them to ensure that the conduct of the election, the counting process and the declaration of results are done with integrity and honesty, in a manner that the results and impartiality would not be called into question. The Inspector General of Police and the Police The role of the Police has been called into question at many elections. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution has dealt a severe blow to the credibility and independence of the police. There has been a perception that the appointment of the present Secretary to the Ministry of Law and Order has been effected to ensure the pliability of the police at election time. We urge the Inspector General of Police and the police not to be deterred by political interference in carrying out their duty to the people, especially in carrying out election laws pertaining to the display of cut-outs and posters and bringing miscreants to book irrespective of political affiliations. The incumbent President, the common Opposition candidate and all other candidates We call upon the President, the common Opposition candidate and all other candidates at the election to comply with the law and to urge their supporters and agents likewise. We strongly condemn the misuse of state property during the campaign and the use of any authority to commit corrupt acts tantamount to bribery or treating. We call upon the candidates to publicly declare their Programmes of Action and commitments, with target dates, and to release their Declaration of Assets and Liabilities. Above all, we stress the need for the contestants and political parties to ensure that harmony and co-existence amongst ethnic and religious groups are not imperiled in the election campaign. We urge them and their supporters to refrain from making unacceptably vituperative statements. Media institutions We urge the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Independent Television Network (ITN), the Lake House Group of Newspapers and the private media to ensure that a balanced coverage is given to all parties at the election, that election coverage is done in an objective manner, and to refrain from giving publicity to defamatory and vituperative statements. The State Media should not be abused in favour of the candidate of the ruling party. Members of the public, civil society and grass-root leaders We call upon the people, including civil society and grass-root leaders, to be mindful that the present election is perhaps the most crucial this nation has faced in many years, and that the public have a vital role. We call upon all segments of the public to be vigilant to ensure the preservation of the Rule of Law and to be pro-active in combating violations of the electoral law. We also urge all voters to exercise their franchise and not to refrain from voting on election day, giving due consideration as to how each candidates campaign was conducted, to long term interests of the nation, to ensuring a governance structure that combats corrupt practices and upholds democracy, Rule of Law, human rights, equity, justice, media freedom, tolerance and harmony in our pluralist society. Conclusion This policy statement of the Friday Forum is based on the priority we place on good governance, maintenance of the Rule of Law, and other civil society expectations. We call upon all parties to protect and uphold the franchise, which we the people have enjoyed for over eight decades, and in the free and responsible exercise of which lies the hope for future generations. The Friday Forum is an informal and self-financed group dedicated to democracy, good governance, human rights and the rule of law. It has for over five years sought to alert the public on issues concerning the rights of the citizen. We work on a non-partisan basis and have been critical of both the Government and Opposition. The Friday Forum includes Jayantha Dhanapala, Saliya Pieris, Shanthi Dias, Dr. G. Usvatte-Aratchi, Suriya Wickremasinghe, Rev. Dr. Jayasiri Peiris, Priyantha Gamage, Pulasthi Hewamanna, Professor Camena Guneratne, Suresh de Mel, Professor Arjuna Aluwihare, Professor Gameela Samarasinghe, Ahilan Kadirgamar, Rt. Reverend Duleep de Chickera, Professor Ranjini Obeyesekere, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Faiz-ur Rahman, Dr. Deepika Udagama, Tissa Jayatilaka, J.C. Weliamuna, Professor Gananath Obeyesekere, Dr. Selvy Thiruchandran, Dr. A.C. Visvalingam, D. Wijayanandana, Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, Ranjit Fernando, Manouri Muttettuwegama, Danesh Casie-Chetty, Damaris Wickremesekera, Chandra Jayaratne.