Elections, democracy and monumental humbuggery
Posted on December 23rd, 2022

Malinda Seneviratne

Sometime in May 2022, when it was announced that plans were underfoot to hold the delayed parliamentary elections, there was a hue and cry, mostly from the then Opposition. Key leaders of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) argued that elections would worsen the Covid-19 situation. Nothing of the kind happened of course, but at the time there was some merit to the reasoning. The results revealed the true concern: defeat.  

Elections should be held simply because that’s part of upholding the constitution. Over the years we have heard lots of arguments for postponing elections such as, yes, Covid, political turmoil, war and economic crisis. Typically, elections are demanded by those who feel confident of victory or who fear the returns would be even more unfavourable if they are held later. No one tells the truth, but in what kind of elections are demanded and when, tell us a lot about those who are agitating.  

The demand is for local government elections. They were last held on February 10, 2018. So elections need to be held in February 2023 or thereabouts. It is legitimate, absolutely, to say ‘this should be done.’ Those who are insisting on local government elections being held at the time demanded by the constitution often ice the demand with the word ‘democracy’. That’s good too. And correct.

There’s a small problem about these born-again democrats though. They’ve not only wanted the constitution violated and elections postponed on occasion (as happened in 2020), they’ve been DEAD SILENT about provincial council elections not being held.  

Elections were last held for the Western, Southern and Uva provincial councils in 2014, for the Central, Northern and North Western provincial councils in 2013, and for the Eastern, North Central and Sabaragamuwa provincial councils as far back as 2012.  Let that sink in.

So, ladies and gentlemen, democracy not being affirmed and indeed kicked in the metaphorical gut by not holding elections for the Eastern, North Central and Sabaragamuwa provincial councils in TEN long years, is ok? No, not ok. It’s been NINE years since elections were held for the Central, Northern and North Western provincial councils. That’s ok? No need to agitate? No need to talk about democracy? Really? Elections for the Western, Southern and Uva provincial councils should have been held three years ago. Not a murmur from the born-again democrats. Have you wondered why?  

The truth is that these worthies care not a hoot for democracy. They are not interested in the principles of true representation. They don’t worry about affirming or violating the constitution. They are, to put it plainly, humbugs. All of them.

Now, if they were serious, then they would not only talk about the problems of the system but offer corrections. The electoral system is in dire need of reform. They say it. Everyone says it. However, none of them have engaged with the draft proposals for electoral reform put forward by the committee headed by Dinesh Gunawardena. The president has observed that there are too many members in local government bodies. If that’s the case, corrective legislation should be drafted, debated and passed. Delimitation has been talked of for years. There are no deadlines for completing that exercise. The born-again democrats utter not a word of anguish about such things.  Let me repeat: they are humbugs, all.

Talking of putting things right, a committee was appointed to draft a new constitution. The draft I believe is done and has been handed over to the relevant authorities. What next? Well, that’s not a question that the born-again democrats have asked. Why not? Well, what can you expect from humbugs if not humbuggery, right?  

And it’s not just the politicians. We have the Candlelight Ladies, Rent-a-Protest Agitators, Bornagainazis, Stink Tanks and others who couldn’t get any sleep not too long ago because (hold your breath!) they were tormented by the absence of democracy. Are they sleeping well? They did wave the democratic-reform flag vigorously a few months ago. Have their anxieties been laid to rest since then? Didn’t such people call for a ‘Black Vesak’ as a mark of protest against all systemic ills including the absence of democracy or cheer those who did? Why aren’t they agitating for a ‘Black Christmas’? More humbuggery!

Democracy is about elections. The ‘Aragalaya’ was high on the issue of political legitimacy. Even after the resignation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the aragalists and their approvers questioned the legitimacy of the current parliament and the current president. You cannot get the legitimacy issue out of the way through local government elections. Such elections may indicate general support or opposition to a government, but the results either way will fall short of confirming or questioning legitimacy, respectively.  

While it is certainly legitimate to demand that local government elections be held, if the issue is one of democracy, then the louder screams should be for provincial council elections and a general election. Maybe the born-again democrats, among whom are diehard federalists/devolutionists have reconciled to the notion that there’s already reconciliation and that devolution is not even a half-way reasonable option that is thrown up by legitimate grievances.  That’s not the main concern here, of course. What’s mind boggling is the myopia and downright silliness of election-demanders who think that a berry called ‘local government elections’ will satisfy a democracy-hunger when there’s more nutritious fruit to be harvested.  

Why not? Well, it’s pretty simple. They are humbugs. Humbuggery is what they know and what they do.    

malindadocs@gmail.com

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