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Do we vote for public representatives or rulers?

15 Mar 2022

  • Assessing the results of 90 years of universal franchise in Sri Lanka
BY Sumudu Chamara Even though the concept of the universal franchise is a right that many consider to be a valuable right, whether the exercise of the universal franchise has resulted in democracy is a question, and whether those elected actually stand for the interests of the people they represent is another question. In the current context where the general public has become more vocal about their political choices, looking into these matters is crucial. This was emphasised by several figures at an event titled “Who Do We Want – Rulers or Public Representatives?: Where is the Country after 90 Years of Universal Franchise?” which was organised by March 12 Movement on 14 March. During the discussion, former Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe, former Minister Ferial Ashraff, former Election Commission Chairman and present Delimitation Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya, and March 12 Movement Convener and the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi, expressed their opinions about these matters. Universal franchise Hettiarachchi emphasised that today, 90 years after the universal franchise came into existence in Sri Lanka in 1931, a serious situation has arisen where it is necessary to look at the extent to which democracy and universal franchise have been successful. “We can be satisfied about certain technical matters such as the decline in cases of election violence and electoral frauds. However, there are a number of technical matters we have not been able to achieve over the 90 years. We have to question whether we have provided the facilities for persons with disabilities to cast their vote as others, whether we have given the opportunity for those living aboard to cast their vote, whether we have provided the facilities for those who live in the country but are not able to be physically present at a voting centre to cast their vote, and whether we have been able to hold elections according to an election calendar.” He emphasised: “Most importantly, today, there is another matter that everyone in the society should look into. That is whether we have elected public representatives to represent us during those 90 years.” Hettiarachchi also said that during the past 90 years, Sri Lanka has declined economically, socially, and politically. Pointing out the importance of reconsidering in this context whether Sri Lanka has elected proper people as public representatives, he explained that today, a considerable number of public representatives are in fact representing the business community, criminals, drug racketeers, international firms, and foreign countries. “There are around 10,000 public representatives in the country. However, we have to ask the serious question as to whether they represent us. Also, we have to ask whether they have fulfilled their responsibilities for the citizens as they claim to have. We also have to ask whether the public representatives we sent to  Parliament perform the duty of managing our money, or have robbed it or have allowed it to be robbed.  “We also have to ask as to whether they have formed laws for us. If we look at the past 20 to 25 years, we can see that the laws that have been passed during that time prioritised the interests of political parties and their victory, and were not sensitive to the people’s needs. When it comes to certain Bills that were passed recently such as the 20th Amendment to the Constitution and the Personal Data Protection Bill, questions arise as to whether those were for the people’s wellbeing, whether a discourse is taking place in the Parliament regarding how those affect the people, and whether those who pass those laws are aware of what they are passing.” Hettiarachchi also noted that the rulers who governed Sri Lanka during the past 90 years are responsible for the economic crisis the country is facing at present. He also pointed out that after 1931, 74 elections have been held, and that today, the expenditure borne by the Election Commission for one election is around Rs. 10,000 million. Moreover, pointing out the fact that the people spend a massive amount of money a year to maintain public representatives, he raised concerns about whether those representatives perform their duties for the money the people spend. “If taking loans is the kind of management they perform, we should not be maintaining them. If the prices of goods increase when the US dollar rate and fuel prices increase, we do not need managers to do that,” he further said. Reforms Meanwhile, pointing out the people’s role and responsibility in electing suitable leaders, Wijesinghe said that instead of regretting the past, what is important is looking at what can be done to change the future. To establish integrity in the country, he said that parties such as the Executive, the Legislature, the Judiciary, the public sector, law enforcement, electoral management, ombudsmen, audit institutions, anti-corruption agencies, political parties, the media, the civil society, and businesses are necessary, and that their unity is crucial. “If at least one of these pillars in a country gets weakened, that country will not be able to achieve anything,” he opined, adding that these pillars depend on the rule of law, sustainable development, and the quality of life. “The most important principle in this regard is that none of these pillars can bear the weight of another, and each pillar bears the weight of what is entrusted to it. If one pillar gets weakened, the entire system collapses, and that is the tragedy that has befallen Sri Lanka. Due to political power hunger and attempts to grab power, the duties of these pillars have changed, and the integrity has collapsed. For example, the President has the power to reverse a verdict given by a court and the President has the power to dissolve a Parliament which was appointed by the people. Especially the 20th Amendment to the Constitution caused massive damage to the said pillars. It is of great importance that we rebuild these pillars. The main reason for this situation is that throughout the past 90 years, politicians did not understand this issue or the importance of these pillars. They did not even understand that the weight of one pillar cannot be borne by another. Politicians chose a path of grabbing power and destroying pillars that go against them, which has resulted in a situation where the media has become politicised, the Parliament or the President do not know what they are doing, and the legal system has been destroyed.” To maintain integrity in this system, Wijesinghe noted that a discourse needs to be initiated, and that everyone must understand their role. He said that one of the steps that need to be taken to address this situation is having national policies, instead of political parties’ policies.  “If political parties have policies, they should be within the national policy framework. Political parties having separate policies are a disaster. They drag the country in various directions every five years.” According to Wijesinghe, this national policy should be based on several factors, i.e. making the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary answerable to the law, abolishing privileges for politicians, making it mandatory for political parties to be subjected to audits, establishing financial discipline, protecting domestic agriculture and local industries from foreign markets, creating sub economies, and updating the country’s legal system every three years. Power and rulers/public representatives  Ashraff was of the opinion that even though institutions such as the Parliament and posts such as the prime minister and ministers were created after independence, there is a question whether the country did what needs to be done to get the benefit of such.  “There is evidence to say that even before independence, public representatives did good things for the country. However, following independence, no one seems to have taken the initiative to build the nation or identify why it is necessary. Why we did not organise ourselves as one nation and whether that was a disadvantage to us, are questions.” She noted that due to the 1977 political revolution and Sri Lanka being open to the international economy through the open economy, Sri Lanka stopped paying adequate attention to social and cultural aspects of the country.  “My opinion is that the said situation resulted in a money-based society developing rapidly, and it took hold of the universal franchise,” she added. “There was a change in the country’s election system. Even though it was portrayed as doing justice to the universal franchise, I argue that it was done with the ulterior motive of gaining power. I believe that the country’s priorities were limited to power and money. Changing policies for power started with the changing of the election system.” Meanwhile, Deshapriya, speaking about whether Sri Lanka needs rulers or public representatives, said that what is needed is those elected ruling the country as public representatives.  “If rulers become aristocratic the responsibility lies with a segment of the public,” he said, opining that although a lot of people understand it, the number of people who do not understand it is higher, and that therefore, change is difficult. He added: “It is not the politicians, voters, or the people in general that should be blamed for the prevailing situation. There is an issue we do not talk about, and that is the issue of the absence of internal democracy in political parties. We do not talk about the powers that the leaders of political parties or their families or followers have, sometimes even in the Cabinet. If there is no internal democracy in political parties or organisations and we do not try to address this situation, then there is no escape. No one is going to change the system of political parties coming to power through elections. Therefore, more than rulers’ or the people’s faults, what actually needs to be taken into account is the lack of democracy.”  While democracy is often viewed as a right, it is important to realise that it is also a responsibility which is fulfilled by electing public representatives sensibly. However, as was stated during the discussion, how each person exercises their franchise should be supported by major attitudinal changes and collective discourses about what the country, i.e. the people, need.


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