The message in the 2010 election

Neville LADDUWAHETTY

There was considerable apprehension in the country as to how the 2010 Presidential election would end. Except for some relatively minor incidents and concerns of hostile takeovers, the fact that the election ended peacefully is a relief to the nation. Furthermore, the majority received by President Rajapaksa needs to be accepted as an irrefutable fact because its sheer scale is beyond the possibility of any conceivable malpractice. Therefore, the disappointed should accept the inevitability of their loss and move on, because to do otherwise is not to alter the result but only to sully and muddy the image of the country.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has many challenges ahead. File photo

Notwithstanding the relief, the distribution of votes among the 22 electoral districts should sober all concerned because 16 of the 22 electoral districts voted solidly for President Rajapaksa even though there were some urban pockets within some of these that voted for the Opposition candidate. The remaining six electoral districts voted for the common candidate except for some electoral divisions that voted for President Rajapaksa. The fact that these six electoral districts represented minority concentrations may cause some to conclude that voting was strictly on ethnic lines. However, this may be a simplistic conclusion that needs more careful analysis. Nonetheless, it would probably impact on the architecture of future political solutions and commitment to the idea of a Sri Lankan nation.

The campaign for regime change was based on giving much publicity to the negative aspects of the Rajapaksa administration. Although urban areas in the 16 electoral districts in the South responded positively to this campaign, the non-urban areas were not taken in. Issues that were of importance to those in the urban areas such as waste, corruption, profligacy, nepotism etc. were not of material importance to those in non-urban areas. Their priorities were different. Even though issues of high cost of living affected them directly the need to express their gratitude to a leader who had ushered in peace and stability to them and their children was perhaps more compelling than any other. The resounding vote for President Rajapaksa could only be explained as the expression by a grateful nation for having made their country whole and safe for them; a feature that is of prime importance to their very being. The importance of this fact that is at the core of their psyche was overlooked by the Colombo based campaign organizers of the Common Candidate because of the divide that exists between them and the heartland of the Sri Lankan nation.

Reciprocating gratitude

Now that the people have expressed their gratitude by giving President Rajapaksa a second term, it is the President’s turn to show his gratitude to the people. The form and substance as to how this is to be expressed would have to await the forthcoming Parliamentary elections because it is the formulation of the Parliament that would set limits within which he would be free to act. However, the interim period could be productively spent by preparing for two possible formulations of Parliament, that being whether the UPFA receives a 2/3 majority or a simple majority. A third possibility would be where the UPFA with a simple majority works together with the UNP on a bipartisan basis on matters of mutual interest such as electoral reform.

Whatever the formulation of the next Parliament the broad agenda of President Rajapaksa’s next term should not be limited to addressing the concerns only of the electorate that elected him.

This electorate is non-urban and so is the overwhelming population of Sri Lanka that includes those who voted for him as well as those who did not. Therefore, by addressing the concerns of the non-urban sector he would be showing his gratitude to the electorate that voted for him and his magnanimity to those who did not.

Food security

The concerns of this sector are primarily economic. The focus therefore should be on agriculture and fisheries because these two sectors cover the activities of most of the non-urban population. By addressing these two sectors the country would be addressing not only the needs of the nation in the near term but also in the long-term by way of ensuring food security; an issue that would be a matter of global concern arising from unpredictable effects of climate change.

The added benefit of such a targeted focus would be to address poverty and equitable distribution of the benefits of growth. The objective should not only be on production but the whole gamut, from production, storage and distribution and adding value at each stage with the active involvement of the private sector.

Education of the children of the non-urban regions is another area of concern. Serious attention should be paid to implementing the recommendations of the National Education Commission, in particular its bi-lingual education policy. This means ensuring that all regional schools are adequately equipped with facilities and resources starting with trained teachers to ensure equal opportunity in education irrespective of location.

Another area of concern is to reduce corruption by improving all aspects of governance.

Fighting corruption

While urban and non-urban sectors would benefit from improved governance an attempt should be made to involve all communities in these processes because in the long run commitment to one nation and one country is what would guarantee the security and the integrity of the State and nation. To achieve such an objective non-territorially based political arrangements should be explored to promote inclusion of all communities in the task of nation building.

If the UPFA receives a 2/3 majority at the forthcoming Parliamentary elections the scope of reforms could be significant. Some of them could include electoral reform, structural reforms to the Constitution and revisions to the 17th Amendment. Whatever they may be, their form and structure has to ensure the durability and stability of the State if the President is to honour the faith and trust reposed in him by the people. This is where the issue of devolution as a concept would play a major role.

This single issue would test his skills as a leader of the whole nation. The task before him is to get the cooperation of the minorities to commit to the concept of a Sri Lankan nation by sharing political power at the centre so that all communities are participants in the processes of governance of the whole nation without betraying the trust of the nation regarding its territorial integrity.

If he succeeds he would be consolidating politically the military achievements concluded on the May 19, 2009.

If on the other hand the UPFA receives a simple majority the scope of reforms has to be more subdued except in areas where the Government could work with the UNP such as electoral reform since it is of mutual interest. Another could relate to improvements to the 17th Amendment in a manner that would enable a President to nominate and appoint a candidate or a Commission of his/her choice subject to ratification by an independent body such as an appropriate Consultative Committee of Parliament and not the other way around as currently constituted in the 17th Amendment.

Minority cooperation

If such cooperation is not possible the Government would be compelled to limit reforms to what it could implement within its own capabilities. Notwithstanding these limitations the President could initiate reforms at the centre to transform the present adversarial culture in Parliament to one of cooperation.

This could be achieved by strictly separating the Executive from the Legislature and strengthening the existing Consultative Committees that involve all members of Parliament to have powers to monitor and oversee Executive action. This would make Executive action transparent without curtailing Executive Powers other than accountability to Parliament.

Another measure he could implement is to set up a National Planning Council structured in a manner that would involve all communities to develop national development goals. Between such a Council and the involvement of the entire Parliament in Committees to monitor and oversee Executive Action together with its substantive responsibility for Legislation the environment would be created to foster cooperation among all communities in two vital areas of governance.

As for the Cabinet the President could by accommodating a representative proportion of minority members create a new culture in the processes of governance at the centre. The minorities may want such measures incorporated constitutionally. Since such action would have to be part of an overall revision to the Constitution the President could initiate the concept ahead of such revisions to demonstrate his commitment to the idea of Sri Lanka being a country for all communities.

President’s obligation

There was a compelling message in the 2010 Presidential election. To the overwhelming majority who are predominantly non-urban, security for them and their children and the integrity of the State was more compelling than any other factor because it affected their very being. To all intents and purposes their beloved country had been divided during their lifetime. Their message was that this should not happen ever again. The vote was in appreciation of what the President had done for them by making the country whole again. The President in turn has an obligation to reciprocate the people’s gesture of gratitude by addressing issues that impact on their wellbeing.

However, this task has to be undertaken in a manner that would benefit non-urban voters who voted for him as well as and those who did not, because as stated by him, he is the President of the whole country.

Similarly structural arrangements need to be adopted at the centre so that the burdens of governance are shared by the elected representatives of all communities. These arrangements should encourage minorities to address national issues nationally and not from a regional perspective, meaning that even regional issues should not be viewed narrowly but from an overall perspective of the whole nation. The leadership representing minorities should realize the significance of this election is that the overwhelming majority is opposed to regional arrangements of power sharing. What they would instead accept is an arrangement where the leadership representing minorities is an integral part of national power sharing arrangements. By implementing such arrangements the President would be meeting another expectation of those who voted for him.