Sri Lanka decides - EDITORIAL

Thankfully, yesterday’s crucial presidential election to a great extent was free, fair and peaceful with a relatively high turnout of between 70% and 75%. Significantly, the turnout in the five districts of the Northern Province -- Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaithivu -- was double that of the previous presidential election of 2010, while in the Hambantota District it had dropped from 80% in 2010 to 70% yesterday. Some analysts saw this high turnout in the North as a plus point for the common Opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena.

Unfortunately, even on this important day when the common people observed election laws and voted peacefully, the Government’s electronic media acted in a disgraceful if not, an outrageous manner. 

In an apparent bid to influence voting patterns, the Government-run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), which is maintained on public money, telecast a breaking news item around 11.00 a.m. that the main opposition United National Party’s (UNP) deputy leader Sajith Premadasa had crossed over to the Rajapaksa Government. Mr. Premadasa is one of the most popular UNP politicians and his home base of Hambantota is also the home base of the Rajapaksa dynasty. Mr. Premadasa acted fast. He emailed Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya, saying that the SLRC had blatantly violated election laws while also causing serious political damage to him and to opposition’s common candidate Maithripala Sirisena. We congratulate the Elections Commissioner for the manner in which he acted fast. Mr. Deshapriya personally went to the SLRC studios and ordered the bosses there to immediately telecast the correction sent by Mr. Premadasa. The SLRC bosses had no option but to do so. 

During the 2010 Presidential Election also, the bosses of the state electronic media had acted in an equally disgraceful manner. On that Election Day, while the people were voting, two Ministers G.L. Pieris and Wimal Weerawansa appeared on SLRC to spread the canard that the then common opposition’s presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka was disqualified to contest the election and therefore there would be no purpose in voting for him. On that occasion, no correction was made or telecast and the then Elections Commissioner also took no action. Independent analysts believe that General Fonseka, who had led the troops to the war victory in 2009, may have lost hundreds of thousands of votes because of the maliciously false reporting or yellow journalism. 

Yesterday, immediate corrective action was taken while common opposition leaders have pledged they would take tough action against government electronic and print media bosses who promote the abuse of public funds for party propaganda and defamation of opposition leaders. We hope these bosses would be indicted in courts of law and if found guilty, they should be jailed or fined heavily for abusing public funds and public servants for defamatory party propaganda. 

When the polls closed at 4.00 p.m. yesterday, unofficial estimates put the overall turnout at between 70 and 75 per cent. We thank the people of this country for turning out in large numbers to cast their votes in an election where what was at stake was the people’s sovereignty and democratic traditions cherished since independence in 1948. We also congratulate Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya for acting with a high degree of independence and integrity to ensure a free, fair and peaceful poll yesterday and during the month-long election campaign. Though huge cutouts and posters of the ruling party candidate were prominently displayed during the election campaign, there were no such offences yesterday. Even the police, severely criticised for their lack of impartiality during the campaign, acted strongly to maintain law and order yesterday. Counting began at 7.00 p.m. and independent analysts were hopeful that the Elections Commissioner and his senior staff would not allow any frauds or the notorious computer ‘jilmarts’ during the counting. 

History has shown that among the great qualities of good leaders are magnanimity in victory and courage in defeat. We hope we will see this whoever wins or loses.