Why this controversy over elections to PCs

WSUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2017

hile a new Constitution is on the drawing boards, a 20th Amendment to the existing (1978) Basic Law is creeping up for passage in the interim. The 20th Amendment was meant to be on Electoral reforms, but this appears to be a hurried move to offset the need to hold Provincial Council elections that are looming in at least three areas, viz., East, North Central and Sabaragamuwa – something sections of the National Unity Government are averse to holding, given its current standing with the electorate.

According to prevailing laws, PCs must be dissolved on time. The Government has found every excuse under the sun to put off local government elections, the hapless minister asking for long dates like a President's Counsel with a bad brief. So, the 20th Amendment seeks to vest in Parliament all powers of the PCs when they are dissolved, and to hold all PC elections in the nine provinces on the same date. On count one, it might seem that the Government envisages a long dissolution of the councils; certainly the three up for grabs at the end of this year. On count two, the Government has a valid argument given the dissipation of time, energy and financial resources in conducting elections on different dates.

The Prime Minister’s proposal to the Cabinet for rescheduling PC elections as reported by our Political Editor last week is based entirely on the holding of elections. One of the arguments of the PM was that such staggered elections were a distortion of the ‘public perception’ regarding the popularity or otherwise of a political party and that being a decisive factor at future elections. SLFP Ministers, however, now say they want elections irrespective of what the Cabinet decided.

That is precisely the point. Everything seems to revolve around elections to these PCs; nothing about their effectiveness in serving the people. These elections are primarily the flexing of the muscles of political parties. Money bags are thrown open once again. They are aimed at gaining political control and have nothing much to do with devolution of political power from Colombo to the provinces.

Now, 30 years after they were controversially introduced to the country, even the Northern PC for which it was originally mooted has done next to nothing for the people it represents. The council itself is in the throes of intra-fighting among members of the same party, the TNA that dominates it. It’s all politics and power-hungry politicians, not people. Elsewhere in the country, they are miniature copy-cat parliaments, with elected councillors hurling verbal abuse at each other, running away with the mace, talking shop and only showing any unity when it comes to duty-free car permits and study tours abroad.

Civil society groups are criticising what they see as an insidious attempt to postpone PC elections through the 20A; former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who in 1987 got on the streets to oppose the setting up of PCs sniffing electoral success wants to defeat 20A; and women’s activists have petitioned the Supreme Court asking for a 30 percent quota for themselves. To hell with whether these white elephant PCs do any service to man or beast – other than the political parties.