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Strong 'Yes' for peace

Considering that it comes in the wake of a major, all-out effort to bring peace to Sri Lanka, the UNF's resounding victory at the local government election could be considered another popular endorsement of its policies on the ethnic issue, the economy and other challenges facing the country. If further proof is needed that the Government has earned the approval and backing of the people for its major initiatives aimed at national advancement, here it is.

Despite the opposition predictably crying "foul", the view of local election monitors, such as PAFFREL and MFFE, that the poll was conducted in "an essentially free and fair manner" could be accepted, in view of the absence of large-scale irregularities.

Moreover, we have a statement by UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrama that action will be taken against UNPers found guilty of election malpractices. A couple of days back, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe called for the firm enforcement of the law at election time and held senior police officers responsible for the peaceful conduct of the poll.

We call on the Government to probe all allegations of polls malpractices and to bring to book all wrong-doers. Meanwhile, the election result should be treated by the Government as a stimulus to forge steadily ahead with the peace process and to bring to quick fruition its development agenda.

Tuesday's local government election registered a relatively low voter turn out, reflecting, perhaps, a degree of voter disinterest in the poll. Although speculation on the causes for this drop in voter participation could prove premature at this stage, we are tempted to see in this phenomenon a decline in popular interest in local self-government and grassroots issues which impinge closely on our lives. As we said before, it is vital that political parties, their candidates and campaign strategists bring strongly into focus, local issues at polls of this nature.

Another salient feature of the election was the almost total elimination from contention of parties, such as the JVP and Sihala Urumaya, who have emerged as vociferous critics of the peace process and the Government's program of national reconciliation. The defeat of these parties is ample proof that their hardline on the ethnic issue has very few or no takers among the public.

We hope the polls result would be taken as an eye-opener by these critics of the peace process, that they are way behind popular aspirations. Rather than futilely whip a dead horse, they would do well to understand the hopes of the people and refashion their policies on these findings.

Clearly, the need of the people is friendship, understanding and love among all communities. The best that parties such as the JVP and Sihala Urumaya could do is come off their primitive mindset of denying justice to some communities and help in the task of building bonds of unity among our peoples.

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