Changing the political culture - beyond the March 12 Declaration

One of the objectives enunciated by the Yahapalana campaign during the Presidential election campaign of January 8, 2015 was the promise to change the political culture in the country. This cry re-emerged with renewed force after the events of the post October 26, 2018 period.

A positive change in the political culture will result in an increase in the quality of Governance which will in the final analysis benefit the people and the country. Cultural changes however will not result purely by changes in the law, but must be accompanied by approval or disapproval by the public with regard to the political behaviour of their representatives.

The effective role of public opinion in this task is enhanced by the fact that politicians are likely to respond to public sensitivities because their survival depends on receiving the endorsement of the voters for their political conduct.

All this is easier said than done. However, the March 12 movement headed by PAFFREL and other organisations like CMEV took the initial steps in this direction in 2015 by persuading political parties to agree to a set of basic principles embodied in what has now come to be known as the March 12 Declaration.

The time is opportune for the March 12 movement to review the success of its efforts in this direction and build on the basic principles embodied in the March 12 Declaration. With the changing political scenario, it will now have to obtain the concurrence of the new political actors, namely the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, the new UNP- led Alliance and any other political alliances that may emerge.

Some of the basic principles laid down in the March 12 Declaration include the obligations of political parties not to select candidates having a criminal record, those proven guilty of bribery and corruption, those who have engaged in anti- social trades and those who have abused or misused political power. Additionally, the March 12 Declaration also includes a commitment by the leadership of the political parties who are signatories to select persons of good character as their candidates.

Some additional criteria that could be considered for selection of candidates are discussed below.

A person who has an indictment against him pending in the Courts should not be eligible for selection as a candidate. An indictment contains a charge or charges filed by the Attorney General. The Attorney General does not easily file charges against an individual unless he has examined the material before him and come to the conclusion that there is sufficient evidence, if proved in the Courts, to find the person guilty.

If an individual has charges filed against him by the Police, it should be an obligation on the part of the political party concerned to examine the facts of the matter and decide whether the incident involves moral turpitude and whether the charges filed are genuine or not.

In selecting a candidate the political party should chose candidates who are truly representative of its policies and the values it represents. For instance, a party that is campaigning for reducing the national consumption of liquor should not be seen to be nominating an individual engaging in the alcohol trade as one of its candidates.

The candidate who is nominated should also be one not only capable of espousing the party’s political cause, but a true symbol of the party’s commitment to integrity in public life.

There has also been a discussion on the educational qualifications required of those seeking public office. Educational qualifications alone may not, however, ensure the quality of political representation. More importantly, the integrity, maturity and the temperament of those elected may play a bigger part in the performance of those elected.

There are often instances of those who are well-educated speaking with a forked tongue and misleading the public with blatant lies, which can be more harmful than a lack of education. Indeed, Sri Lanka’s political history is replete with many political leaders of different political hues who have acted with grace and dignity and given leadership to the country both locally and internationally despite not having great educational attainments.

However, it is important that a political party nominates a substantial number of those who have knowledge and expertise in different fields, who are capable of providing sufficient input into legislation, given the complexity of the issues that often come up in the legislature, as well as in other elected bodies.

Age is also an important factor in determining the maturity of a representative of the people. The exuberance and energy of youth often find themselves expressing themselves physically rather than intellectually, as evidenced by some of the violent scenes that took place in Parliament recently.

Another possible reform that can add to the quality of political representation is to require potential candidates to produce a police report and a character certificate from a religious dignitary. The police report would ensure that no one with a criminal record would be nominated, while the certificate from a religious leader will ensure that undesirable social elements are kept out.

The certificate from a religious dignitary should be in a prescribed form and should only state that the individual concerned is a 'Fit and proper person to be fielded as a candidate'. It should also state that it is the voter’s duty to decide his suitability to be elected as a public representative.

Another area that needs the attention of those working towards reforming the political culture in the country is to pass anti-defection laws, as well as to take other measures to regulate shifts in the political allegiances of elected representatives. This issue has come to the fore once again after the recent events arising out of the Constitutional crisis.

Despite the reports of large sums of money being thrown about to entice individuals to cross over, it was encouraging to note that the bulk of them were able to withstand the challenge of monetary inducements.

However, it is absolutely necessary to ensure that the voters’ choice is not subverted by their representatives. If an elected rep- resentative, whether in Parliament or in any other body, leaves the political party on whose ticket he was elected, he must be deemed to have lost his seat in the elected body. In order to facilitate those who change their allegiance on a matter of policy or principle, a by-election must follow, where the elected representative concerned will have the opportunity to consult and obtain the approval of the electorate for his action.

It is also necessary that when an elected representative wishes to change his political allegiance, he does so by making a public statement on the floor of the house giving reasons for his change in allegiance. This will enable the public, and particularly his voters, to know why he decided on such a step.

This will ensure that the public is not kept in the dark as to why their representative made such a move as happened recently when some representatives changed their allegiances several times hidden from the public eye.

It is also necessary, in order to prevent confusion, that the publicly-stated shift in political allegiance is immediately entered in a members' register which is available for perusal by the public.

Some of the suggestions made may seem somewhat extreme. However, as the saying goes, drastic situations need drastic remedies, and the country has to take serious steps to effect a change in the political culture.

These and other suggestions should be further discussed and improved upon now rather than when an election is round the corner if any meaningful changes are to be made. (javidyusuf@gmail.com)