Although exact dates for the presidential election has not yet been declared, it is clear that the enthusiasm and interest over the upcoming presidential run in the country is significantly increasing. The candidates of two major political camps have already been announced; they are the candidate of the SLPP lead alliance and the candidate of the JVP lead alliance. Another interesting fact is that discussions about the UNP candidate is also showing a tendency of growing into an internal crisis of the party.
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has already
commenced his campaign as the candidate nominated by SLPP and Sajith Premadasa
has stated that he will contest the election even though he is not yet offered
the official candidature from UNP.
Leaders of UNP party say that the UNP
candidate will be announced only after the presidential election is declared
and some say that Ranil Wickremesinghe will contest from their party. According to some, Karu Jayasuriya's name has
also been proposed as the UNP candidate. Whoever are the candidates for the
upcoming presidential election, this round of presidential election will have
certain unique aspects when compared to the past elections. This specialty can be explained in relation to
many aspects.
On one hand, this is the first
presidential election since the 19th Amendment, hence the real impact of
reduced powers from the executive body on the position could only be tested
after this presidential election.
Some argue that after the 19th
amendment, president even cannot hold the portfolio of defense. Some legal experts responding to this
argument say that the presidential system is valid in the future in the same
manner as president is still granted the powers by the constitution to appoint
the permanent secretaries to the ministries and many other high-profile
positions. Others feel that the 19th
Amendment will not have a serious impact if the Prime Minister and the
President are appointed from the same camp. However, it is correct to acknowledge
that a change in the portfolio of the executive president could be expected
after the presidential election.
Secondly, this presidential election
is significant because it allows us to reconsider some of the political issues
that have emerged in the country since 2015. The current president won the 2015
presidential election by promising to create a new form of governance under the
model of good governance.
Both the President and the Prime
Minister formed a government in collaboration with UNP and SLFP naming it as a
'coalition government' saying that it is the means to create good governance in
this country. One of the benefits that the voters could get in the upcoming presidential
election is that they can follow up and review whether the President and the
Prime Minister have fulfilled their promises of good governance.
On the other hand, this year's presidential
election can clarify the factor whether the people of Sri Lanka consider
political reforms as reforms centered on tangible and measurable social and economic
development which takes place on the ground or merely the political rhetoric
centered around intangible concepts like good governance. In my opinion that
this presidential election will grant all of us an opportunity to realize
whether the voters of this country are still ready to compromise the tangible
outcomes of physical development aspects for the fabulously created political
myths.
Thirdly, it is my observation that two
main topics on this country's political agenda will be subjected to discussion
during this Presidential Election. One of these topics is how to build the
economy of this country or what reforms can be introduced in the economic
sphere. The other topic to be discussed at this presidential election are about
the political reforms that needs to be addressed and how they are to be carried
out.
There is no need of an expertise
knowledge to understand that the country is in serious trouble in the economic
sphere, as all aspects of country’s economy has met with recessions. The argument
against the previous government regarding the economic development programs is
the benefits were not equally distributed.
The newspaper advertisements in the
daily papers itself is the best evidence to say that development projects
introduced by this government is merely limited to exaggerated campaigns. It is
worthwhile to investigate how many housing projects could have been completed
with expenses of the paper advertisements published by the ministry of Housing
Development.
It is clear that many topics in the
field of political reform are already under discussion. Although it is a clear
fact that the behavior related to democracy is quite questionable in every
government some representatives from UNP speak as if UNP is the sole savior of
democracy. While it is true that some of the country's major political parties
have damaged democracy, it is a fact that the UNP has the worst history.
Their history goes back to the period
commencing from 1977, when the 1980 labour strikes were suppressed. Thugs who
were taken from Colombo to poll in Jaffna during the 1982 Development Council
elections filled with ballot boxes forcefully.
Some of the TNA members now seems to
have forgotten the fact that those underworld envoys returned to Colombo after setting
fire to the Jaffna Library. Not only did the presidential election was held while
abolishing the Opposition Leader's civic rights, but also those who were
politically against them, were jailed under Naxalite charges.
It was the then Commissioner of
Elections who called the 1982 referendum as the most corrupted election of the
history.
Mr. Kobbekaduwa, who went to vote for
the referendum, had to come back because his vote was already casted by a thug.
The 1989 presidential election was
held under the patronage of underworld figures like “Sotti Upali'. Sixty
thousand young people were burned down on the roads during the 1989 JVP resurrection
under their so called democracy. The SLFP led alliances, which have been in
power since 1994, have allegations leveled against them with regard to
violating democracy but the level of their corruption is far behind that of
UNP. The 1996 North Western Provincial Council
election itself was full of corruption and violations of democratic norms. dead end of serious corruption. Some areas of the struggle against
terrorism in the North since 2005 have been identified by different parties as
questionable areas with regard to the existence of democracy. Terrorism itself is the enemy of democracy
and certain activities carried out within the attempt of defeating terrorism
has been interpreted as political mistakes.
However, in my understanding UNP is
the political movement that has violated the democratic norms in broad
daylight. is tied to democracy in this country's politics.
In that sense, from the standpoint of
history, I believe that there is not a single possibility of identifying any of
the main political camps in this country as purely aligned with democratic
values.
It is my understanding that this
presidential election battle is based on who is the strongest reformer and not
on the fact who is the best ‘talker’.
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