The Current Political Situation in SL

Victor Gunasekara

There has been much discussion amongst expatriates on the forthcoming elections in Sri Lanka. At the cost of repeating much that has already been expressed permit me to add my comments to this discussion.

It would appear that like the elections that has taken place in the last 50 years this election too will be between a UNP-led coalition (the UNF) and an SLFP-led coalition (the PA). It is a sad fact that neither the UNF and the PA deserves unqualified support that each has in its own way contributed to the disintegration of Sri Lanka and the rise of corruption and lawlessness in the country. However it would appear to me that the PA in the present times presents the lesser of the two dangers, and I hope that it will win a majority of seats.

The UNF has turned out to be the most treacherous government since Portuguese times. It is not only pro-LTTE but also pro-Christian. Both the LTTE and the Christians have contributed in their own way to the demise of Sri Lanka and if the UNF is given another mandate from the people the prospect of a salvaging the nation from the abyss to which it has fallen might become an almost impossibility. The UNF is supported by the LTTE and the Tamils who support it. It has also the support of the Christians. The Muslims are perhaps divided as a lot of them are under the LTTE attack, but their crucial support comes from those Sinhala Buddhists who are right-wing or are deluded that the absence of hostilities which has resulted from the MOU is a genuine peace that can continue forever.

The matter is complicated by the decision of the SU, which now calls itself the HU, to field candidates most of them said to be Buddhist monks. This is an extremely retrograde move. First of all it will split the non-UNF Buddhist vote greatly to the advantage of the UNF. It has even been suggested in a recent post that a substantial sum of money has been paid to the HU leadership to stand their own candidates. Given the political bankruptcy of the HU leadership this report cannot be entirely discounted although no positive proof of this can be produced given secrecy in which such deals must be made. But its truth may be inferred from the likely consequences of the HU move, which is entirely to the benefit of the UNF. The HU can only play a spoiling role.

More disturbing is the use of Buddhist monks to enter the political fray directly. This is another indication of the bankruptcy of the HU leadership. I have previously argued that the HU represents perhaps the most extreme of the neo-Sinhalas. The neo-Sinhalas have done their most to tarnish the real heritage of the classical sinhalas and they are continuing in this line. Buddhist monks who enter the political arena are doing the very opposite of what the Buddha did. The Buddha relinquished the prospect of certain political power, whereas the HU inspired Buddhist monks are seeking a political power they are not likely to get. The HU and he monks who support them, whatever their rhetoric, are actually contributing to the attacks of the Christians against the Buddhists.

We cannot be certain what the PA would do if they do get a majority The JVP has said that they will abrogate the MOU. The MOU has only worked for the advantage of the LTTE. Its abrogation must be a necessary step of a right policy is to be adopted. If the so-called peace process if called off, the Norwegians will also lose the pivotal role they have been playing in Sri Lankan politics. Of course we cannot rely on the promises of the JVP any more than we can of any other political party. Besides it is unlikely that the JVP will have a substantial number, let alone a majority, of the seat which the PA will win.

The idea mooted by some that there should be a token representation of monks does not appear to be sound. A token representation will only be a token. If the monks want to play a political role it could be an extra-Parliamentary role rather than a token representation in Parliament. It would appear that the power of monks have been waning mainly because of the corruptions amongst the bhikkhus. I they openly enter politics this decline in influence is growing.