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Issue-based politics and the media

WHILE it goes without saying that the vote is one of the most precious of our political rights there is bound to be ready agreement among many with the recent observation made by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga that this precious power of the people should be used very discreetly.

The people of this country have done extremely well so far to protect the ballot. They have done so sometimes even shrugging off the risks posed by bullets, but they have not always enjoyed the benefit of having with them an abundance of political activists who have thought it best to campaign within the bounds of decency.

Come election time and many in the fray bring out the worst within them, blissfully unaware it seems of the syrupy references made from election platforms, religious podiums and pulpits to the hallowed cultural traditions of Lankans.

This is particularly true of the propaganda exercises engaged in by some of our political parties and personalities. Some of these propaganda offensives go well beyond the confines of good taste and sound morality, spewing what is most scurrilous and damning about political opponents.

It could be argues that in no-holds-barred contests, as in the case of the present Presidential campaign, the worst should be expected by way of opinion moulding, by the principal parties in the fray. This is the stuff of electioneering, we may be told. No way, we counter-argue.

The public does not consist mostly of feather-brained fools, although the mindless sound and fury unleashed by some politicians seems to be based on this premise. Very few votes could be stolen by politicians who believe that attack is the best form of defence.

None could succeed by insulting the intelligence of voters but, unfortunately, this fundamental truth is forgotten by many hurrah boys backing those vying for public office.

We are led to these observations on considering the charges and counter-charges made by our political parties on the propaganda exercises of their opponents.

Minister Mangala Samaraweera has, rightly, taken issue with UPFA opponents who have quoted UPFA politicians out of context in political advertisements, but the people are unlikely to be duped by such exercises because the average voter of this country is now quite aware of the rank opportunism which characterises local politics.

The Minister has nevertheless done right by putting the record straight on these issues. Awareness-raising of this kind improves the quality of democracy.

What should be scrupulously avoided in propaganda splurges of political parties are those elements which deeply offend good taste and morality.

Generally speaking, children need to be kept out of political advertisements. The use of children in such propaganda exercises is a form of child abuse and we hope the norms of morality would be observed by all parties to the hustings.

What enhances the importance of these issues is the continuing expansion of the country's media sector, particularly the privately-owned component.

Regulating this sector "from above" is no ideal solution to the problem of media abuse but one solution which could be tried out is the arrival at a consensus on sound media practices and values, among the country's media organisations.

Norms and standards work best when they are freely accepted by the target group and we hope there would be greater sensitivity to these issues on the part of our media community.

Over dependence on the scurrilous and personally degrading in political propaganda wars is traceably to some lingering problems in this country's political culture and there is no better occasion to dwell on them than now when the issue of the value of the ballot is in focus.

As we write, a British Minister has quit office on it being disclosed that he misused his powers. These exposes were made by the country's media and here we have an example of the constructive use of the mass media. The issue broached is the misuse of public office - a very grave issue in a liberal democracy.

However, we need to face the fact that, come elections, public issues as such do not predominate in political debates here nor do they figure prominently in media polls coverages. There is usually a surcharge of personal issues which distracts the audience or readership from more vital public problems.

Accordingly, both political debates and media praxis here need to be issue-based. We say this in a spirit of self-criticism and we hope at least this time round some soul-searching would be done by our media community on these questions.

As the President said the vote should be cast with discretion. An intelligent media community could help greatly in this task.

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