Parameters of EC’s order should be clearer - EDITORIAL

21 July 2015 04:50 am - 0 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The country is witnessing a different kind of election after decades. Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya seems to be too tough in implementing not only of the relevant laws but also a level playing field. He has even stopped the special statement made by President Maithripala Sirisena from being repeatedly broadcast by the electronic media. This is something that could not be expected during the past elections.

The Commissioner had done this on the grounds that the repeated telecasting of the speech is inimical to certain political parties and individuals. However, the parameters of the Commissioner’s order are not clear. What did he mean by repeated telecast? Did it mean telecasting the speech more than once? If not, how many times could it be telecast?

Speeches made during election campaigns are inimical in nature to one or the other political party or/and individuals. For instance, politicians say that certain parties are acting according to foreign conspiracies while some others say that a certain party had bribed the LTTE in order to force the people of the North to boycott the 2005 Presidential election. Hence, it is not clear as to how one could differentiate those speeches from that of the President and extract a guideline from the current incident for future use.

One may argue that Maithripala Sirisena, as the President of the whole country, not as the leader of the UPFA had abused the office in order to demoralize the UPFA supporters by stating that he would not appoint Mahinda Rajapaksa Prime Minister even if the UPFA won the election. However, there have been precedents for such abuses in the past where Elections Commissioners had not intervened. For instance former Presidents had made statements during Provincial Council elections to the effect that the government would not financially support the Provincial Councils if their rival parties won the election, demoralizing Opposition party supporters. Therefore the parameters of the Commissioner’s order should be clearer.

Nevertheless, the concern by the Commissioner over the contents of speeches made by politicians during elections is a welcome development, since it would help reduce the racial as well as political tension, though monitoring the contents of thousands of speeches would be a gigantic task.

The Commissioner is yet to respond to the call by the JVP to stop Mahinda Rajapaksa from using his official resources for the election campaign as a former President. However, Mr. Deshapriya was correct when he said that the security of the former President would not be reduced. The country has the experience of giving opportunities to the LTTE to kill war veterans such as Major General Janaka Perera and Lucky Algama by reducing their security by the former regime after they entered into UNP politics. And there is no assurance that LTTE remnants are not stalking Mahinda Rajapaksa who has been marketing the war victory during all elections.

Another welcome development has been the recent Cabinet decision that ministers have to pay for the official vehicles used by them for the election purposes while bearing the cost of fuel for those vehicles. However, it would have been even better and would be fair by others if the ministers totally refrained from using those vehicles and other State resources.

Yes, it seems to be a different election, no huge cut-outs are seen, no showdown canvassing by hundreds of supporters of political parties are seen, no stories about distribution of goodies as bribes are heard. The Elections Commissioner has taken steps to film the demonstrations by candidates, and if any, to take legal action against the law violators. But we should not be deceived by the situation that politicians have become saints and everything would be in order during the rest of the campaign period. Concerned people have to strengthen the hands of the Commissioner in this regard in whatever possible way.

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Parameters of EC’s order should be clearer - EDITORIAL

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