Once more on manaape

The UPFA politicians have gone all out to promise the end of the manaape or the preferential voting system. They have even said that the forthcoming election on April 8 would be the last to be held under that system.

Perhaps the UPFA knows better than any one else the danger inherent in the system, as it is beset with numerous intra-party disputes resulting from the system. Such intra-party disputes and clashes do damage the standing of the party among the voters.

The Opposition also has not opposed the proposal to end the manaape system. However, going by the past record of politicians and Parliaments the voters could not be certain whether all this talk would result in a real change of the system.

Politicians are fond of making promises to get over momentary problems and forgetting them upon success at elections.

This proposal had come up in former Parliaments several times. In fact an inter-party committee was deliberating on it. However, there was no agreement and hence no motion was tabled in Parliament to change it.

This time around the people should call upon the new Government to start work on the proposal in earnest. Actually much has been done and the only thing left is to bring legislation to the House.

Manaape is not the sole change desired in the present electoral law. It is necessary to bring back the system according to which each electorate had its own MP instead of the system of district MPP. As only those who could afford campaigning in a wide area as an entire district could successfully contest the election, the system usually favoured the rich and the influential unless he was a super star of some sort in another vocation. Incidentally, it is the realization of the need of such super stars that political parties have fielded popular film stars, other artistes and sports stars at the current election.

The system left many electorates orphaned with no MP residing in the area. Thus voters had no easy access to the MP. This calls for a return to the first-past-the post system.

Since proportional representation gives a fairer representation to smaller parties it is necessary to combine it with the first-past-the post system in a suitable manner. Even this aspect has been deliberated upon by the last Parliament. It too would not be an insurmountable obstacle.

The real obstacle, if any would arise if the size of the Parliament is to be curtailed as envisaged some time back. The rationale behind such proposals for reduction was based on the thinking that much power and action could be devolved to the Provincial Councils. Another reason was the number of MPs who rarely contributed to the debates in the House, merely acting only as signal posts at voting time. Now that the President has promised a smaller Cabinet it would also be advisable to consider reducing the size of Parliament too. A smaller Parliament may contribute to better contributions from members at debates.

It is expected that the new Parliament would also seek the opinion of the public before enacting laws to change the present electoral system. The objective should be to assure better governance and better transparency.

End of the circus

It is said that revolutions are festivals of the people. Then what are elections? Circuses of politicians. Circuses are popular. Many artistes and animals perform at circuses. But the jester or the comedian is the supreme artiste at each circus. The elections were not void of such comedians too.

A circus symbolizes energy of the artistes. Circus performers are brimming with energy and vigour. So are politicians. Nominations have reactivated them. It is as if they have been rejuvenated by some aphrodisiac, a local madana modakaya or a tarala saaraya. Excepting for a few like affable Hemakumara Nanayakkara most would take the plunge despite diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or even terminal illnesses.

Those politicians who were apparently in hibernation for the past few years were breaking rest like no other, travelling distances far and wide, addressing hundreds and thousands of meetings, visiting homes of the humble and the simple giving some exercise to their feet so unused to walking, fondling children, embracing the elderly and the feeble etc.

At midnight today the curtain falls on the circus. The politicians would go into hibernation till the next circus, perhaps six years hence. Good luck to them.