EDITORIAL : THE DAILY MIRROR, SRILANKA

Democratic Violence

The much awaited Local Government Polls are here, finally.
What is disturbing in our democracy is that aberrations have become the norm.
The violence related to the very basic form of the non-violent method of rule has become high, while citizens have developed an aversion towards the entire system.
So much so that NGOs have to engage in awareness campaigns of the importance of exercising the franchise.
The malaise is not peculiar to Sri Lanka but very much a characteristic of the former Third World countries.
Corrupt to the core, where politics has become a big business while campaigning is another form of investment.
As per yesterday a total of 210 incidents of elections related violence have been reported, including six deaths according to a democracy group.
The NGO said that there had been 86 reports of assault and 76 reports of party office attacks. In addition 140 persons had been arrested including 15 who were candidates.
IGP Mahinda Balasuriya confirms the numbers.
IGP Balasuriya said 50,000 police personnel had been deployed for election duty while 20,000 STF and armed forces personnel will also assist when necessary at the Local Government election on the 17th of March.
That is quite a big number of security personnel. To someone from a “civilized democracy” this would look like a preparation for a war!
In fact now the bullet as well as the ballot have become part and parcel of our democracy.
It is comical that the IGP is “requesting” all involved to conduct a “peaceful” election.
If we remember correctly, strictly speaking there should be no mention whatsoever about “peaceful” in the practice of democracy.
Worse is the number of STF being deployed?
STF, for those who have forgotten, stands for Special Task Force-similar to that of SWAT, SEAL, command.
While the main opposition UNP lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake, regarding incidents during the postal voting, the once-twice jilted JVP claimed of expected violence in Tissamaharama.
At one place the UNP agent had been chased away from the Pallakale Army camp.
Meanwhile the JVP feared mass scale election malpractices and violence in Tissamaharama in the Hamabantota District on polling day, and requested the authorities to make special security arrangements to avert any “untoward” incident.
JVP also charged that the police had miserably failed to maintain law and order in the area.  He said that a certain Colombo District politician had gone to the area with a gang of thugs apparently to intimidate voters on polling day.
The once militant party charged that a ruling party politician had been delegated to prevent votes for the JVP through violence.
The JVP said that special security arrangements are needed. Making things worse the OIC of the Tissamaharama Police had also been implicated.