Assisting democratic transition in North

Many would endorse the decision by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to hold democratic elections in the North once the whole territory is liberated from LTTE control.

A whole generation who had lived under the jackboot of the LTTE may not be even aware of what it is like to be ruled by a civil administration. Nor such niceties as freedom of expression, fundamental rights which are the foundation of a democratic society were enjoyed by them.

For over three decades guns, bombs and landmines have been their lot while their minds have been brutalised to such a degree they would find it difficult to assimilate to a democratic set up where issues are sorted out through rational argument rather than at the point of a gun.

It is therefore the bounden duty of all of us in the South to collectively help our Northern brethren in this transition so that they may fully enjoy the fruits of the democratic way of life that was denied to them all these years.

This no doubt would be a Herculean task given the long years of estrangement from the national polity and also the vestiges of suspicion and hostility entertained against the majority community. Our priority therefore should be to pull down these barriers and extend our hand of friendship and brotherhood to our Northern brethren by empathising with their plight with a genuine effort at rapprochement and healing of wounds.

An effort similar to our national rally during the tsunami catastrophe would be needed to build bridges and the mending of hearts and minds. No citizen in the South should shy away from this responsibility.

This process should indeed precede even the development plans earmarked for the North following total liberation. This is because this segment of our population who has had no inkling of a decent civilised life should be first healed of their mental scars and permitted to find their way in the new milieu that respects individual freedoms and personal liberties, concepts that are alien to them. This is vital if any democratic exercise is to succeed.

This hapless lot have never known these luxuries and the word peace did not exist in their lexicon. No doubt this assimilation process will take time and concurrent to holding elections measures should be put in place at building goodwill. There is also the task of restoring their livelihoods and inducting them to a civilian life. The planning should start right away, rather than wait until after elections.

It is duty of all to help out in this exercise to deliver our Northern brethren from their seige mentality and unite them with the rest of the country.

As commented in these columns previously there is no Knowing the potential of these people who were lost to national development all these years. It is a well-known fact that their predecessors were endowed with volumes of industry and drive. It would be nostalgically recalled that some of Sri Lanka’s best known civil servants, administrators and professionals such as doctors, engineers accountants and teachers were sons of the North.

The country then was certainly enriched by their contribution. It is difficult to estimate the loss to the country by this segment of our population being totally cut off from the national mainstream during the past three decades.

It is vital that their inborn talents and legendary perseverance are harnessed once again so that the nation would be the richer by their contribution as in those halcyon days when all communities and races pulled together in one direction sans rancour and bitterness providing their valuable inputs to the national veal.

A welcome change

The much awaited first-past the post electoral system of old is to be introduced next year. According to Chairman of the Committee of Electoral Reforms Minister Dinesh Gunawardena the system will initially come into play at the 2010 local Government elections.In fact it is a hybrid of 70 per cent on the first-past-the-post and 30 per cent PR.

This hopefully will redress the existing anomalies of the current electoral system that was introduced by the UNP with the hope of permanently remaining in power on the basis of past electoral statistics.

The system not only has brought about a distortion in the peoples’ will but is also the chief cause of the current spate of violence during polls. It has also caused friction within political parties over the manapey battle and also left constituencies sans representatives in Parliament.

It’s worst damage though is the perennial hung parliaments throwing up unstable Governments which is not good for a developing country. Thankfully saner counsel has prevailed which would see the end to the current instability and distortions caused by a flawed electoral system.