President Rajapaksa’s interview

| by N.S.Venkataraman

( July 12, 2012, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian ) In an interview given to the Indian newspaper that was published on 11th July,2012, President Rajapaksa has made number of observations with regard to the issues facing SriLanka and particularly the problems relating to Sri Lankan Tamils. While many observations were routine, one interesting point was that elections in northern province of Sri Lanka would take place in September, 2013.

AP Photo

On reading this announcement, many would have wondered whether holding the elections in northern province should take such a long time of nearly fifteen months. Of course, Mr. Rajapaksa has argued that there are many issues to be resolved ahead of holding the elections. The primary one related to the electoral rolls. He said that people who fled during the period of conflict were still coming in and staking claim to the land and property.

While Mr. Rajapaksa has advanced arguments to hold the elections after fifteen months, nevertheless the fact is that September,2013 as the time of election is unacceptably far away. It is true that the last electoral rolls made in northern province was more than thirty years ago and have to be now revised. But, should it take such a long time ?

Mr. Rajapaksa has also said that rehabilitation and re settlement process have to be completed before holding the election. The rehabilitation and resettlement tasks would take fairly long time of even several years and there is no justification to delay the election until the rehabilitation steps would be completed.

What is required is that urgent steps should be initiated to integrate the population in northern province with the main stream and build confidence amongst the people of northern province that they would be treated as equal citizens and with dignity. While conducting the elections would certainly be an important step in reassuring the people, more tangible steps should be thought of for immediate implementation, if the elections were to be delayed so long.

Confidence building measures are the urgent and primary need and for this to take place, there must be consultative process with the common man.

It is not clear as to why Mr. Rajapaksa and his team has not thought about some short term measures which are possible, where there would be forum for common man to express his views and give his suggestions. Mr. Rajapaksa can think of setting up number of people’s committees in different locations, with the government appointing local people with credibility from different

walks of life. While such committees would certainly not be substitutes for elected representatives of the people, still they can go at least half way in meeting the needs of time.

When it was said that the election would take place only in September,2013, at least some people could have doubted as to whether it would take place at all. There would be no scope for such misgivings, if the people’s committee would be set up, that may create some confidence about the short term and the long term policies of the government in dealing with the Sri Lankan Tamil's issues.