Welcome moves against the lawless

Civic-conscious sections of the public are bound to have been somewhat encouraged on hearing the news that the SLFP central command has resolved to initiate disciplinary and punitive measures against its politicians who have been found to have violated the law. This amounts to leading from the front in crime-containment and we urge that the law be scrupulously observed in both letter and spirit by the SLFP leadership in this matter of ushering clean politics.

The public learns every now and then of the alleged involvement of SLFP politicians in the perpetration of crimes of numerous kinds and it is about time that the SLFP's command structures took some concrete measures to put things right among the party's errant members. We are quite aware that charges need to be proved in a court of law before the guilt and culpability of persons in the committing of crimes are established but there is no doubt that these initial moves against lawlessness would help greatly in sustaining the reputation and credibility of the ruling party. Accordingly, we urge that quick action be taken by the SLFP central command in the case of credible allegations, when IGP N.K. Illangakoon hands in the list of names of those SLFP politicians who have been accused of lawlessness.

It is our hope that on this occasion too the more cynical sections of the public would not be given reason to dismiss as a mere publicity gimmick, these reported efforts at cleansing politics of criminality. If the ruling party shows the way in guarding against the possibility of the organization's worthy aims in national politics being perverted by undisciplined and criminally-inclined persons within it, the likelihood is great that the measures concerned would have a salutary impact on local politics. Besides, other political parties would be compelled to follow suit and cleanse their own Augean Stables. The cumulative result of these measures could be an overall enhancement in the quality of national politics.

We believe that the leadership of all local political parties is duty and conscience-bound to cooperate with the law and order authorities in stemming criminality in this country. In other words, those accused of lawlessness should be brought to justice speedily. Besides, the criminally-inclined should not be encouraged to get into politics and remain in it. The country's worries and torments on this score could be contained a great deal by the timely act of preventing criminal elements and the criminally-prone from entering politics.

This takes us back to the unresolved, huge and complex question of decriminalizing politics. The problem is some decades old and has its roots mainly in effort in the mid-seventies on the part of the then central authorities to 'roll back the electoral map' or in the surreptitious moves of those times to divest Sri Lanka of some of its democratic attributes and credentials. In other words, the issue has its genesis essentially in efforts make power the central consideration in politics. When this takes place, democratic vibrancy or development usually becomes a secondary consideration.

However, the country cannot afford to adopt a fatalistic attitude on these questions. The moves made by the SLFP General Secretary in relation to those accused of lawlessness within the party raises the possibility of sections of our current political elite taking things in hand and reversing the political decay which had steadily set in over the years.

A great public yearning would be met when some of these law-breakers are truly brought to justice. The larger national interest would need to take precedence over short term or petty political gain.

The principal issue is the decriminalization of politics. The deleterious process has its roots, as seen, in the decision by political managers to induct into politics those persons with criminal records or criminal tendencies, mainly out of the consideration that only power matters. Quite a few of our political organizations are guilty of this offence. Accordingly, we need a strong consensus among our political entities and actors that none who could undermine democratic politics should be allowed to run for public office. This, they would need to do in consideration of the national good.