Giving people's anxieties a
hearing
The
issues confronting the people currently are of such a nature
that the holder of the office of Executive President of this
country cannot afford to cultivate an imperious aloofness from
the public or high-mindedly distance himself from them.
The Executive Presidency has given rise to much debate on
account of its wide powers and the opportunities it could afford
for a certain regality of governance but this is not necessarily
so now. It is to the proportion to which the President gives
public grievances a sensitive hearing and responds to them
positively that he would be measuring up to the norms of
governance expected of him and, fortunately, we are having proof
of this.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has just had wide-ranging
discussions with some major Tamil political parties and an
important outcome of these talks was the decision to establish
co-operative links between the Police and people's organizations
in the North-East with a view to defusing the fears and
anxieties of the public. The backdrop to these talks was the
unrest which was stirred in some sections of the public by
individuals described as 'suspicious characters'.
It may have been noticed that this species of unrest emerged
alongside moves by the state to systematically dismantle
emergency regulations. Apparently, the aim of those who incited
the unrest was to instill in the minds of the public a sense of
uncertainty and fear over their security, since the
extraordinary measures provided by the Emergency were no longer
available and, consequently, the confidence could not be
fostered in the public that their safety could be taken more or
less for granted. In other words, the 'suspicious characters'
syndrome was a product of efforts to bring the government into
disrepute.
It could have been also a move to compel the state into
reconsidering its decision to lift the Emergency. However, it is
to the credit of President Rajapaksa and the administration he
heads that they have not panicked and allowed themselves to
react impulsively.
The Emergency is well and truly off but the normal law of the
land will remain firm and deal with situations on their merits.
Besides, we have the assurance that the government would be
working with all major political actors to balance the
fundamental freedoms of the people with law and order provisions
that would ensure their security.
A fine balance between basic freedoms and security
requirements is, indeed, what should be aimed at and achieved.
However, the launching of people-based initiatives for
securing the legitimate needs of the people is the right way to
go. It cannot be emphasized enough that in these post-Emergency
times, the people should figure more and more prominently in
securing their just needs. The people should be brought
increasingly into the public arena and the President is
achieving much by way of securing the democratic health of the
country, by facilitating this process.
The lifting of the state of Emergency by the President should
be seen as a high point in this effort of giving increasing
depth to the democratic process and the latter is particularly
essential in the North-East. Needless to say, the will of the
people was stymied by the LTTE during the 30-year conflict and
the bringing into being of people-based organizations that would
liaise with the agencies of the state is what is desired.
One of the highest points in Sri Lanka's democratic process
would be reached with the establishment of the Parliamentary
Select Committee (PSC) and the working out of, hopefully, a
permanent solution to our conflict. Here too, the President has
recognized the importance of the popular will, by saying that he
would be going ahead with a solution the PSC collectively
arrives at.
This is as it should be because the Executive Presidency
could establish its perfectly democratic and people-centred
nature by being a catalyst for carrying out the will of the
people. Thus, the Executive Presidency shows its sensitivity to
the aspirations of the people and thereby becomes a channel
through which the popular will is exercised.
All in all, the Executive Presidency proves that it is an
instrument for projecting the sovereign will of the people,
which is democracy in its essence. |