Voters should have knowledge of party manifestos and the candidates
Fundamentally, the voter decision at any General Election should first be based on the respective election manifestos and the policy statements of the contesting parties / alliances. We as concerned voters eagerly await the much delayed ‘Electoral Reforms’ to be included in the respective election manifestos heralding a ‘new normal’ through a paradigm shift in our political culture. Accordingly, we expect the following simple, meaningful and cost saving measures that will mitigate constraints forced by possible future contagions.
Electoral system reforms
(1) Abolition of the wretched ‘preference voting’ system, national list system and ‘cross over’ mechanism leading to the adoption of a simpler, more effective, low cost and non-violent Proportionate Representation (PR) method combined with ‘district merit lists’ of election candidates. 2) Ensure the sovereignty and dignity of the voters by making the ‘election manifesto’ a prosecutable document that will dissuade power-hungry political parties from making false promises. 3) All seat winning parties including smaller parties like TNA and JVP to be represented in the Cabinet, by applying PR arithmetic to determine the constitutionally specified number (30) of Cabinet portfolios. That will guarantee a permanent ‘National Govt.’ strengthening ‘Sri Lankan identity’ while answering the promised ‘+’component of the much maligned 13th amendment.
4) As a result, the present ambiguous provision to increase the number of Cabinet portfolios in the event of forming a ‘National Govt.’ can be repealed.
5) Best practices demand that the president acts as a ‘statesman’ cum ‘caretaker’ of the people devoid of political hues, ethnic and religious bias. Accordingly, the president shall play a ‘nonpartisan’ role during his term of office.
6) If in the opinion of the people, the president still has some dictatorial powers left, they should be removed to promote him as a people friendly leader of the state. 7) The political and public outcry for the last two and a half decades has been to abolish ‘Executive Presidency’. In the event, it does not happen, conduct both presidential and general elections on one day, specified by the Constitution to obtain more rational election results from voters at an appreciably lower cost.
8) Provincial Council elections also to be held on a constitutionally determined date after making appropriate amendments demanded by these proposals. 9) ) Pradeshiya Sabhas should be depoliticized allowing the people to elect independent, educated, social-minded, respectable persons with high integrity in the locality. At local level, people need grass-root, development facilitators and not politicians who are invariably compelled to recover their campaign expenditure by hook or by crook leading to bribery and corruption. Also, the existing number of PS members should be rationalized. 10) Legalise minimum eligibility criteria for candidates contesting at general and PC elections so that the voters can be sure of the quality of the candidates in the ‘District Merit Lists’.
11) The role of MPs as law makers to be limited to making legislation, local and foreign policy, approving, directing and monitoring national budgets and national level projects. All other developmental and administration activities at Provincial and Local Govt. levels to be handled by the President through Provincial Governors and Local Govt. machinery.
12) Arising from the aforementioned role- rationalization, abolish the five-year pension scheme, duty free vehicle concession and decentralized budgetary allocations to MPs. 13) MPs’ salaries and perks to be recommended by an independent Committee comprising productivity and work study experts.
Minimum qualifications
The second most important factor to be reckoned by the voters is the overall quality and the capability of the District level teams fielded by the respective parties/alliances. The minimum eligibility criteria proposed under the revised ‘March 12’ declaration spearheaded by ‘PAFFREL’ coupled with a minimum education and sterling qualities such as honesty, decency, wisdom and an active social integration record can be considered as key yardsticks to assess the candidates already in the fray.
In this regard, while expressing our gratitude to all civil organisations and activists led by ‘PAFFREL’ who are working towards educating the public on the minimum eligibility criteria required by the revised ‘March 12’ manifesto, we urge that a leaflet containing these qualifications and qualities be made available to the voting public. We appeal to all patriotic mainstream and social media to continue to educate all voters regarding the ‘positives’ and ‘negatives’ of the candidates.
Bernard Fernando