Budding optimism as people go to the polls

Sri Lankans vote today amidst budding optimism that change is inevitable. The lengthy persuasive electioneering had raised awareness levels to the peak. National issues had received infinitesimal scrutiny such as the need to cleanse the electoral system of its flawed features. The resulting avalanche of political capital with a passion for history seemed a foregone conclusion.

Heralding a new Parliament into existence would be the "Eureka" moment bursting out of the tough campaign shell, bringing out awesome creative urges. Many believe that epitaph to manape would follow suit.

That send-off to manape legacy may cause post-campaign whimpering by some still bucking the trend towards better governance. The few with the proclivity to exacerbate such tendencies would fade away eventually into the dustbin of history.

The campaign has been relatively calm despite a large number of aspirants vying for their place under the sun.

Justice and fairness

Many hope that an era of justice and fairness based on equality stemming from the intrinsic principle of one person one vote would emerge. The current system had caused unbridled rivalry within a district, while no quarter was asked and no quarter given among inter and intra-party operatives.

Poverty alleviation a major issue to be addressed. File pfoto

Elections are meant to assess the general will of the electorate. But the manape system had fragmented that into smithereens.

The designers had sought to ensure that their grand old party remained intact all time. It was not on any deeper consideration for representative government but on jigsaw puzzle politics, a form of what is usually called Gerrymandering in the West. How that hollow wizardly lasted over three decades is a matter needing dissection another time.

The manape system may have repulsed some inclined to enter politics by the weight of politics they had to endure. It favoured the preserve of the power-driven with resources to match. This was pure unadulterate UNP formula for what was considered general good. Opulence was the standard bearer of that edifice.

Many were also wary of politics due to the nasty reputation it foretold. The National list at least provided some respite by the potential to get well-deserving men and women into Parliament. That has not flourished the way it should, not letting in larger numbers of those traversing their way off the beaten track. Political rejects also danced in where angels feared to tread.

Ending formula politics

After decades of being trapped within the regimented Tiger mind-set and suffocating under the repression of freedoms of speech, movement and dissent, the folks in the North and East have the opportunity to be partners in growth. A change from the harsh formulaic politics forced on them by the LTTE seemed inevitable. The introverted psyche would give way to a more articulated desire for the common good.

They are buoyed in seeing the opportunity to share in the growth experienced by the rest of the country, seemingly unthinkable a few months ago. The political bankruptcy of the LTTE exceeded its ultimate military predicament when found finally trapped inside a narrow coastal conclave at Nandikadal. For those held in near bondage, that feeling of being released from a dictatorship into the mainstream was contagious, which many doubted would ever happen.

They watched as farmers and fishermen became beneficiaries of subsidies which none thought could ever take place. They saw increased Government outlays on investment to help the people being rewarded by IMF and World Bank aid, an unbelievably rare occurrence. The Mahinda Chintana was pooh-poohed as platitudinous but it became a guiding light for growth to the chagrin of some.

Those seeking equality are hoping to reap their share of access to power that had expanded during the last five years. Egalitarian desire would eventually be for the empowerment of all sections of society and not a few. As generally felt by many, the leadership with strength in numbers, clarity of purpose and unity of command and fortified by a strong mandate should pursue the path to its logical end.

It should push them to the threshold of viewing past policies in a new light geared for success. Diverse communities with their varied ethnic identities amendable and desirous of building a practical consensus would eventually be brought to the table.

One unimpressive cameo

Meanwhile, the Opposition coalescing under a solitary cameo appearance by a military virtuoso failed to impress the electorate. To add to it, in-fighting brought about debilitating chasm dissipating the forged sense of unity. The UNF, DNA and former JVP were not amalgamating zestfully. The amoebic outlook inimical to a conscientious thought process seemed obvious. A rash of election defeats had taken its toll on Opposition political leadership. The electoral system that the framers of the 1978 PR system had put in place seemed adding to their woes. That had emboldened the plutocracy at the expense of the ordinary citizenry, the inexorable path to better participation and provided a backdoor power heaven for some for too long.

The architects of the present Constitution dreamt of prolonging what they thought were a weakened opposition after a 1977 landslide. It only exacerbated the embryonic non-democratic approach to politics. Some have called it the influx of political dregs into the legislature cutting off the more decent and intelligent people at the levers of power.

Sumptuous opulence was to be the path to success in contrast to the prism of goodwill and sense of reaching out. The last five years had reversed that trend as more and more sought to participate in the governing process. The Provincial Council election results vindicated the failure of constitutional strictures to keep the majority of the people from weighing in and become partners.

Constitutions rarely live up to what the framers envisaged. The last chapter of the 1978 experience has finally arrived.