Parliamentary election 2020: In the eyes of the voter

In the presidential election in November last year, 13.38 million (83.72% of total votes) exercised their franchise. In the August 5 parliamentary election, only 12.34 million voters (75.89%) voted. Voter apathy is further vindicated by the number of rejected votes. Rejected votes at the 2019 presidential election was 135,452 . At the parliamentary election earlier this month the third highest polled was the rejected votes 744,373 (4.58% of total votes). That is 600,000 more than the presidential election.

Effectively, 1.6 million voters (10% of total voters) who cast their vote in the presidential election chose to stay at home or spoiled their votes.

Can this be due to; complications in the ballot paper, deliberate manipulation too many independent groups voters being unaware of how to cast their vote especially the elderly

being at quarantine centres

stuck out of the country due to the pandemic

OR a protest vote – anti-government or anti other parties

Electronic voting technology

Those in quarantine centres couldn’t vote and we should look at bringing about a mobile voting system or an electronic voting technology. Electronic voting technology is ideal for Sri Lanka to speed up the counting of votes (especially the preferential votes) and to declare results faster. This would reduce the cost of paying staff to count votes manually; and provide improved accessibility for disabled voters; Voters save time and cost by being able to vote independently from their location. This may increase overall voter turnout; citizens living abroad will be able to cast their votes.

Proportional Representation System

The Proportional Representation system was introduced to ensure broader representation by candidates from political parties and independent groups and to avoid any party obtaining a majority so that Parliament will have an equally vibrant opposition to check and balance the government. In 1970 - Sirimavo Bandaranaike ruled for seven years because of the majority won. In 1977 J. R. Jayewardene won a five-sixths majority and brought a new Constitution to introduce the Executive Presidency which has now become a bane to this country. In 2010, the Mahinda Rajapaksa government received a strong electoral mandate and they introduced the 18th Amendment. In all these three instances, democracy was doubly challenged.

Minority parties

With the Proportional Representation system many small parties were formed based on race, religion, language and other identities. Currently it’s a norm that these parties contest as an alliance and go solo in areas they have a majority voter base. i.e. SLMC and ACMC contested alone in Batticaloa and Ampara districts respectively while being part of the SJB alliance in other districts; the SLFP which contested as part of the SLPP led alliance in most districts contested separately in Jaffna and got a seat;

SLMC and ACMC forged together the MNA and won a seat in Puttalam. This may be a way of collecting more seats and having an eye on a bonus seat.

Magical figure

The SLPP was fortunate to receive a strong electoral mandate in the recent parliamentary election. If by chance they had fallen short of the magical figure of 113 seats then the bargaining would start with loads of paybacks to buy over parliamentarians. In similar situations the minority parties hold the carrot to break or make governments. Parliamentarians too once elected forget to voice the aspirations of their vote bases and settle for plum luxuries.

Lineages

In Sri Lanka, DNA studies reveal that the major ethnic groups in the island namely Sri Lankan Tamils, Sinhalese (Upcountry and Low Country) and Veddahs are genetically related. Therefore parties based on race, religion, language or other identities should be discouraged. Every citizen must breathe and think as Sri Lankans. In such inclusiveness, politics based on petty agendas that have sown division in our society will be a relic of the past and a national undertaking to develop our country will be visible.

Majority

In the parliamentary election the people have spoken loudly and clearly and given the SLPP power with 145 seats. With power comes great responsibility and we hope that the President and Parliament will deliver this to the people so that this victory sets the stage for an era of reviving the economy from the present plight so that all citizens can enjoy a peaceful and prosperous life in Sri Lanka.

Economic revival

The government needs a team of experts to develop a recovery strategy. The team should comprise qualified and credible experts, with international experience, who can provide the government with independent advice on formulating an economic recovery strategy, monitor outcomes and suggest short term and long term policy corrections. The opposition too should put petty agendas aside and co-operate with the government and similarly see that the rights of all people are respected through implementation of good governance measures.

Vinodini Jayawardena