Minority participation in elections will help unity of the country

By Jehan Perera

(January 19, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) With the race for the presidency getting increasingly close and uncertain, there has been considerable speculation as to why President Mahinda Rajapaksa chose to shorten his presidential term. The President called for fresh presidential elections two years before they are due. A common explanation is that he wished to take full advantage of the victory over the LTTE. Prior to the sudden and surprise entry of former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka into the presidential contest, President Rajapaksa was in a position to claim full credit for the war victory as head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces.

However, the President himself has given a different reason, a more compelling democratic one, for calling for early presidential elections. At the Presidential Elections of 2005 the Tamil people of the north and east in particular found themselves unable to freely cast their votes due to the boycott call made by the LTTE. Few Tamil voters, even those outside the north and east, felt inclined to cast their votes in these circumstances. According to the President, his decision to call for early presidential elections was influenced by a most salutary desire. This was to obtain a fresh mandate for the post-war reconstruction of the country, and obtain it from the Tamil people of the north and east as well.

This rationalization by President Rajapaksa is a positive one. It needs to be built upon to counter ethnic fragmentation and to ensure national unity. One of the longstanding grievances of the Tamil people has been their marginalization from the mainstream of politics and of governmental decision making. Tamils have felt that due to their status as an ethnic minority they, and the representatives they elect, do not count for much. Although they may vote at elections, they feel that the governments that are eventually formed are neither beholden nor responsive to them after the elections.

One of the most vivid descriptions of the manner in which Tamils view elections was given to me by a Tamil government officer who was born and served in Jaffna. He contrasted the euphoria and celebrations in the south that accompanied the announcement of election results, at least on the winning side, with the sense of apprehension and uncertainty in the north. Whereas in the south there was a sense of "our government" being elected by the majority of people who voted for the winning side, in the north it was more of a sense of "their government" and of a government over which the Tamil people would have no influence over at all.

Provide incentive

The forthcoming Presidential Elections are unusual in that the ethnic minority can play a decisive role in determining its outcome. This is because the entry of General Fonseka into the electoral contest and the inevitable sharing of the credit for the war victory with the President, has rejuvenated the opposition political parties. As the Tamils of the north and east are the largest of the ethnic minorities, their choice can tilt the outcome of the elections in a decisive manner. This has led both presidential candidates to visit the north, with the President making two such visits to demonstrate his keenness in obtaining Tamil support.

There are several reasons why people go to the polling stations to cast their vote on election day. One reason will be to vote for the party or candidate who promises to serve the voter’s personal interest most, such as to obtain employment or better conditions of living. On this count, both of the main presidential candidates have been making extravagant promises to the electorate. There is also another reason why people vote. This is to fulfill their civic duty by voting for those who they believe will do most to improve the larger system of governance.

The forthcoming Presidential Elections are also especially significant, in that they are the first in which voting can take place in all parts of the country due to the end of the war with the LTTE. As a result, sections of the population who lived under LTTE control, and who could not vote in the past, will be able to participate in the democratic process for the first time in over two decades. These new voters need to receive every encouragement to cast their votes and become participants in the democratic process. Their participation in the elections can reduce ethnic fragmentation and enhance the unity of the country. There is a need to restore confidence in the democratic process amongst these people who lived in the conflict zones of the north and east.

The issue that is of most concern to the Tamil polity, and which has been historically the case, is to secure a system of governance that ensures a voice and decision making abilities for the elected representatives of the Tamil people in matters that affect their lives. This is the main issue that has rankled and kept the spirit of rebellion alive within the Tamil polity since the dawn of Sri Lanka’s independence, and for which so many Tamils have been willing to lay down their lives. So far neither of the two main presidential candidates has been prepared to address this concern in their election manifestos. As a result of this lacuna the incentive for Tamil voters to go to the polls on election day is not likely to be compelling.

Revenge politics

On the other hand, it is important to keep in mind that participation in a process legitimizes continued participation in that process. The electoral process is the main source of legitimacy in a democracy. This suggests that to the extent that the Tamil electorate participates in the Presidential Elections, they and their representatives will be empowered to demand further participation in governance after the elections. The converse is also true. To the extent that the Tamil electorate fails to participate in the Presidential Elections they will lack legitimacy when it comes to claiming the right to participate in governance after the Presidential Elections.

A factor that may influence some sections of the Tamil electorate not to participate in the Presidential Elections is the fear that they will become victims of the politics of revenge if they choose to go with the side that does not win. However, as pointed out by commentators, the Tamil electorate, like those of the Sinhalese and Muslim, is not a monolithic one, but is plural as befits a democracy in which a thousand flowers may bloom. There are Tamil parties with different strengths on both sides of the political divide. The same holds true for the other communities. Therefore it will not be the case that the entirety of one community will vote for one party, or be seen as such, and thereby run the risk of being retaliated against.

Indeed, the politics of revenge is a fear that goes beyond the Tamils or ethnic minorities only, but also includes the larger Sri Lankan polity as a whole. The current Presidential Elections are possibly the most bitterly contested ever. The stakes have become very high because of the accumulation of power and resources in the hands of the Executive Presidency over time. In addition, the bitterness of the contest has been exacerbated as two former allies, who fought against the LTTE on the same side, are now pitted against each other, with each nursing a sense of betrayal.

The reports of election violence and electoral malpractice are in excess of previous elections. They are so serious that the Commissioner of Elections who is entrusted with conducting a free and fair election has virtually thrown up his hands and threatened to step down and said he can do no more. Therefore, without any further delay, the two main presidential candidates need to consider jointly calling for a restoration of law and order with regard to the current election campaign. The government needs to immediately implement this call. The rival candidates need to also make a pledge that they will not engage in the politics of revenge after the election, but strictly adhere to the rule of law. This will encourage voters from all communities to participate in the forthcoming elections and be stakeholders in the outcome, as empowered citizens of a real democracy.