Democracy in peril

In our editorial comments on Saturday and Monday we wrote that Sri Lankan democracy will be on trial yesterday. At the time of writing (1.00pm Monday) it appears that Sri Lankan democracy is walking into jail or may be even towards the hangman. Initial reports said that some polling booths were stormed, ballot papers snatched away from voters and cast into ballot boxes. In some areas polling was reported to be peaceful but in many areas reports said that polling agents of the UNP were driven out of polling booths and voters intimidated . If this was the scenario in the greater part of the North Western Province, then this country has entered another dark age.

The Elections Commissioner nor any of his senior officials could be contacted over the telephone nor could any senior police officer be contacted to get their comments at the time of writing. Reports received by The Island said that those at the receiving end had been UNP supporters.

We are not pointing our fingers at any individual or political party but it is obvious that the government had failed to maintain law and order and thus a free and fair poll may not have taken place. We reserve our final comments till the dust has settled down in this province which had been subject to unprecedented violence since nomination day.

The government can’t excuse itself by saying that the UNP was responsible for the violence. A government with its police force has the responsibility to maintain law and order at all times. If democracy is to survive then law and order must prevail during elections. The excuse that the UNP did all this during their 17- year- old rule is too naive an excuse for any reasonable person to justify widespread violence.

What of our police force which is supposed to be acting independently? Why couldn’t they stop this outbreak of law and order which continued throughout the election campaign ? Of what use is the police force and the IGP if these incidents are to be repeated ?

Sri Lankan politics has once again arrived at a very critical juncture? If automatic weapons grenades and ruffians are to be the factors deciding elections there can be no democracy. This situation is tailor made for those who want to take to arms. We have had two insurrections in the Sinhalese regions of this country and if people are not able to express their opinions freely through the ballot it could well lead to extra parliamentary measures being resorted to.

Let our politicians realise once and for all that one or two elections could be won with the help of thugs but the rule of the thug cannot continue forever and it has to be replaced by the rule of law.

A great responsibility is now cast on our Commissioner of Elections, Mr.Dayananda Dissaanayake. He has to tell the public whether it was a free and fair election or not and act according to the powers vested in him.

The lion and the kangaroo

We were in too much of a haste when we wrote about the Sri Lankan lion roaring again. We wrote these comments while the Lankan lions were playing the Aussie kangaroos and in a short while it appears that a kangaroo had jumped into the big mouth of the Sri Lankan Lion and stifled the roar that had come out after the defeats of the English and the Aussies.

Quite apart from the resounding defeat at Adelaide on Sunday, it appears that the Chief Lion has got into hot water. Sri Lanka Captain Arjuna Ranatunga has been summoned by the International Cricket Board for an inquiry, ostensibly for his act of leading his team to one part of the grounds after umpire Ross Emerson no-balled our off spinner Muralitheran. Whether an umpire can be questioned for his decision, let the ICC and Ranatunga sort it out. But we must not let cricket nationalism dull our wits. Some of our worthy officials were reported saying that Sri Lanka was considering whether they should continue participating in the current three nation tournament.

This is plain stupidity because there is no question of any side walking out of an international tournament of this scale. Huge commercial contracts such as on TV would have been signed. Besides, ifSri Lanka does walk out, what would be our standing not only in the world of cricket but also in in international sports ?Certainly, we should back our sportspersons against unfair decisions and injustices but they have to be within the accepted norms of conduct.

Sri Lankan cricketers acted responsibly and acquitted themselves well last year when they came under similar pressures during the last tour of Australia. They should do the same this year too.