Merits of the blank ballot
Much as one might like the thought of the Ashokan principles based on the Dharma guiding the destinies of our people, we live in the present and our laws remain largely European based. The recent French Presidential election concluded last Sunday drew worldwide attention for more reasons than one, and may have a few lessons for us.
Sri Lanka’s Constitution is framed largely on the French model of an Executive Presidency, a subject that is hotly in issue at the moment. France goes to the polls again next month to elect a new Parliament, which the President will have to work with.
While France seems to think its model works, Sri Lankans are less convinced of its efficacy here ever since it was first introduced – almost four decades ago, in 1978.
While France’s new President ostensibly won a huge 65-35 percent majority over his rival in the final count, he received only 24 percent of the vote in the first round of voting, forcing a second and final round. (This has not happened in Sri Lanka so far.) One of the widely analysed facets of the final round of polling in France last Sunday has been that 25 percent of the voters absented themselves from voting and another 8.8 percent put blank ballot papers in the ballot box totalling one-third of the French electorate that either did not vote or cast a ‘blank ballot’.
A blank ballot is also a French novelty, but Sri Lanka did not adopt that mechanism in its Constitution in 1978 or Election Laws nor in any of the Amendments thereto.
At a time when Sri Lanka’s Constitution and its Election Laws are under scrutiny with a view to either amending them, or introducing new ones, this progressive French example that gives the voter a greater opportunity of expressing his or her view at an election merits consideration.
In Sri Lanka, there is a category of ‘spoilt votes’. This can be both, votes cast where the voter unintentionally marks a choice wrongfully, or those who go to the booth and scribble some gibberish deliberately spoiling their vote as a protest. In the end one does not know how many were intentionally, or unintentionally spoiled.
The French ‘blank ballot’ is an opportunity given to a voter the choice to intentionally express what would amount to a rejection of the candidates he or she is presented with by political parties. Often, it can be Hobson’s Choice for voters, and this is a conscious decision afforded to the voter to reject the candidates on offer, which is reflected in the final count.
With a world-wide trend of voters rejecting traditional politics and politicians, those drafting changes to the Sri Lankan Constitution and its Election Laws might want to mull over this provision in France and replicate it here. The ‘blank ballot’ option gives a clearer indication of the pulse of the people. Whether the political leadership of this country would have what it takes and want to chance introducing such legislation here is, however, very unlikely. No. 08, Hunupitiya Cross Road, Colombo 02. P.O. Box 1136, Colombo editor@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2331276 news@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479332, 2328889, 2331276 features@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479312, 2328889,2331276 pictures@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479323, 2479315 sports@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479311 bt@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479319 funtimes@sundaytimes.wnl.lk - 2479337, 2331276 2479540, 2479579, 2479725 2479629, 2477628, 2459725