Ensuring a free and fair poll

The United People's Freedom Alliance General Secretary Minister Susil Premajayantha's request to Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake that he ensures a free and fair Presidential election, is likely to be backed by the vast majority of our citizens, who have time and again shown a high degree of political maturity.

A fair and free election is achievable if the Rule of Law is made to reign and we believe that the powers vested in the Commissioner of Elections are sufficient to enable him to bring a free and fair poll within the realms of the possible.

The quality of a country's public service is determined by the integrity of the personnel at its helm and we call on the Commissioner of Elections to allow nothing to prevent him from carrying out his constitutional duties.

If his actions are based on the highest standards of justice and fair play, he is likely to be backed overwhelmingly by the public who in their hearts yearn deeply for all that is good and noble. Thus far, many public sector institutions are seen to have failed because the majority of personnel in charge of their destinies have crumbled before a show of power by some quarter rather than stand up to them and persist in discharging the duties assigned to them. Here is where character and personal integrity come into play.

Senior public servants made of stern stuff have contributed towards the effectiveness of public institutions, whereas "men of straw" have brought about their failure.

Minister Premajayantha has pointed out the need to bring special arrangements into being in particularly the LTTE-controlled areas of the North-East for the conduct of a free and fair poll. This is on account of the perception that a number of irregularities occurred in these areas during the April 2004 general election.

Most of the suggestions made by Premajayantha, we believe, could be acted on but we consider it incumbent on us to also observe that constant vigilance on the part of all concerned parties - including the Elections Commissioner - is required for ensuring a fair poll in other areas of the country too. In other words, we cannot lapse into a sense of complacency that ideal conditions prevail in areas outside the North-East at election time. For instance, maximum security arrangements should be in place in all areas of the country to enable undisturbed polling.

However, there is no denying that special arrangements need to prevail in the North-East, on account of the menacing LTTE presence in some areas in the region.

Particular care should be taken to ensure that all citizens in LTTE-controlled areas are provided the opportunity of exercising their franchise. They should be provided safe passage to polling booths from their areas of residence and back. Nothing or no one should be allowed to get in the way of their exercising their vote.

We need to bear in mind that the Commissioner of Elections enjoys the right to declare the poll null and void in areas where irregularities have occurred. Once he is convinced that the poll has been marred, the Commissioner should go right ahead and declare the poll in the area in question null and void. This right should be exercised very decisively by the Commissioner and very unambiguously too. This measure would help clear many a controversy in time.

Now that the UPFA General Secretary has taken up the call for a free and fair poll, other concerned sections need to support it and actively campaign for it. The people need to consider the franchise a birth-right which should be defended staunchly. Vibrant opposition should be shown to all quarters that seek to suppress this invaluable right.