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Citizens to file Fundamental
Rights against Governments in Power:
Voting for Parampara party devotees, the bottle
of arrack, a lunch packet & the goody bag of promises should finally
cease.
Shenali Waduge
A common factor in Sri Lanka’s voting pattern has been to choose
the lesser evil political party to power no sooner the euphoria of election
campaigning commences. Six years of almost tyrannical rule can be a
major factor in deciding to place that all important cross to the opposition
party thinking that things may get a bit better. History however has
shown what fools the public have been to vote on personal agendas and
we can but look at the past trysts of voting that have led to electing
the lesser evil party to power.
Sri Lanka may boast of a high literacy ratio as against other Asian
and SAARC countries in particular; however the public stand accused
of repeatedly falling prey to 3 fallacies when going to cast their vote.
For the less literate it is always the goody bag of promises and hope
that steer them to cast their vote. For those who couldn’t care
less who comes into power it is the lunch packet and the bottle of local
arrack that becomes a stimulant to cast their vote. Though the majority
of votes are secured as a result of these induces, it is also tragic
that we have amongst the middle class and rich those who continue to
shoulder the parampara obligation of voting for either green or blue
and they will not budge allegiance whatever wrong their “party”
has done to them or to the country. An excellent example was the comedy
errors by the Colombo District voting in the present Mayor of Colombo
thinking they were bringing in members of their favorite color to power.
Set against the backdrop of the current voting system it is evident
that possibly less than 5% of the total population really votes according
to policies of the parties vying for power. It is usually the 3 vices
that stand out each time an election comes up. Then can we aspire to
have any hope for the troubles that prevail in our country? Having voted
in the vices which keep on circulating come every election it is no
surprise that the public should grieve for voting them in. Yearly, the
miseries keep on piling and the public end up having to shoulder the
gross misuses of power that each Government has been party to. Just
as there is calm before a storm, all political parties in power go through
a period of slumber until of course they master the art of putting their
predecessor to shame by the manner in which they begin to misuse the
power bestowed upon them by the public. It is extremely unfortunate
that anyone entering the arena of politics be they possessed with good
educational background, good upbringing or those risen from the lesser
ranks they all end up doing the same thing – making fools of the
public & draining the country of its wealth.
It is these men unfortunately who are given the mantle to decide on
policies befitting the future of the country but with their CVs full
of misappropriation of their power it is like asking one’s fortune
from a thief “horagen pena ahanawa”. We have heard countless
times the attempts to change the constitution & election systems
and to bring in reforms. Practically all the Governments who have held
power have brought their proposals & reforms for all the problems
created by them but it just gets dragged on purely because no party
holding a seat in Parliament really cares to change the system simply
because it may affect their position. The present uproar and bickering
over the All Party Proposals is a good example how all political parties
are united in seeing that change doesn’t happen if they are to
be at any disadvantage politically.
So, as long as the circle of power continues to revolve around electing
the “lesser evil’s “ to power no one will ever care to
take any bold steps to change systems that would be disadvantageous
to them.
However, as a sovereign nation the ultimate power should lie in the
hands of the citizens of the country. It is they who make the critical
decision of electing a party to power and if they can elect them to
power the citizens should also have all the right to question the decisions
made by the Members of Parliament and also to take action against those
who devalue the mandate given by the people.
Therefore, as citizens of Sri Lanka, it may be a correct time that
measures be taken to introduce fundamental rights cases in the Supreme
Court to raise objections to the “passing the pillow” system
that prevails and seriously see that the Parliament and its Ministers
including all the Authorities, Statutory Bodies etc & its staff
falling under their purview become once and for all accountable to the
public and be made to answer and be punished for the wrongs they do
to the nation.
It is also timely that the Manifestos of each political party be legally
binding so that the pledges political parties make during elections
do not become election gimmicks. If all party manifestos become legally
binding documents I am sure the number of pages will certainly reduce
and people would have no reason to fear of any more broken promises
simply because they can take action against the Government for breaking
them.
Thus, waiting for the Parliament to bring about drastic changes is
something that is hardly likely to happen, therefore since it is the
public who suffers; it is time to bring in some legislative remedy that
gives the citizens of Sri Lanka more power in which they can address
their grievances to the highest court in Sri Lanka against Members of
Parliament who go against the Manifesto that elected them to power and
for all other misuses that they do against the Nation.
Perhaps this is a good chance for the ORGANIZATION OF PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS to look into from a legal point of view.
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