As the focus shift from the battle field to ballot papers attention in
Sri Lanka
would be on the issues and problems that will dominate the October Parliamentary elections.
Issues
The dominating issue is the new Constitution Bill. The Opposition has lost no time in branding it as a “sell out” to the minorities. Buddhist monks are mobilising the Sinhala rural voters who are the traditional vote banks. The campaign is being launched equating “voting for ruling People’s
Alliance
is endorsing the new Constitution”. The Government is accused of failing to bring peace within “six months” as promised in 1994.
The PA, on the other hand, is trying to convince the electorate that the reforms package is the only way to bring peace. To Kumaratunga, “as long as injustices are caused to Tamils and Muslims, they will join hands with people like Pirabhakaran for their own liberation.” But the point is, if the President is sincere about the package to bring peace, why did she go in for an alliance with the hardliner Sinhalese party, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, which is bitterly opposed to the new Bill? Does this not show that the PA crave for political power rather than the common interest?
The next dominant issue seems to be human rights violations during the 1988-90 JVP revolt. The Opposition leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe, has been accused of being in charge of the Batalanda detention centre, where a number of JVP members were “tortured and killed”. Though the UNP has described this allegation as “part of a mud-slinging campaign”, it has yet to come clean on this issue. The timing of the charges by the government seems to be aimed at gaining electoral advantage rather than providing justice.
On the economic crisis, the government is being attacked for its “mismanagement” leading to an escalating price rise and shrinking exchange reserves. However, when a country is waging a long-drawn out war an economic crisis is inherent? Despite the war, the incumbent government has managed to bring down the unemployment level by eight per cent; rural development as per IMF and World Bank estimates witnessed a 150 per cent growth. At the same time, the President, instead of addressing the immediate economic concerns, is talking in terms of a Development Plan for 2010, zero unemployment in 2017 and so on. The present government has undoubtedly improved the economy from what it was six years ago, but, will this appeal to the people when the present situation remains in shambles?
Problems
Two problems confronting this elections are election-related violence and the threat of LTTE attack.
Three persons have already been killed in poll-related violence in the past one week. Buddhist monks have warned of a “blood bath” in the coming days. They say “everybody knows who is behind the violence” pointing to the government. Large-scale violence and rigging in the provincial polls last year is still fresh in people’s memory. Kumaratunga’s rehaul of security measures is a right step. It is her responsibility to allay the fears of the Opposition and people to ensure free and fair polls. The voters can also play a major role in this regard. Irrespective of party affiliations, they should reject candidates who perpetrate violence to gain victory. The parties should also select candidates with clean records. The international and local election monitoring groups can start their task now and endorse the fairness of the elections based on pre-poll violence.
There are intelligence reports that the LTTE has shifted hundreds of its cadres from northern
Jaffna
to the Vanni region. Though the intention behind the move is not clear, the Vanni is strategically located for the Tigers to strike any part of the island during the elections. The reports also say that “several squads of black tigers were being prepared to be sent to
Colombo
to join others already there”. However, analysts feel that disruptions may not be the only motive behind the mobilisation. It could also be in support of candidates (through threat or by rigging) to wreck the proposed constitution in the Parliament.
On the whole, the issues are carefully chosen to cut the opposing parties as much rather than on the priority for public debate. They reveal “democratic immaturity” in the island which once stood out as a “model of democracy in the
Third World
”.
Fact file
| Dissolution of Parliament : August 18.
Nominations : August 24 to September 4.
Polling Date : October 10.
Total Electorate : 12, 071, 101.
Registered Parties : 41.
|
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