Archives

Right to information

Transparency is a term in vogue in the modern political lexicon. A much better word for the same concept is the Russian 'Glasnost' introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev, a leader who enters history as one who wrote his own political death warrant.

We are living in an age of a revolution in communications, especially information technology. This has broadened access to information.

Coupled with it is an unparalleled advancement of people's awareness of their rights. Right to information or the right to know is a fundamental human right.

People expect and are entitled to expect true information from governments, political parties and leaders.

On the other hand, it is the duty of governments, political parties and leaders to act in a transparent manner, hiding no information from their followers and people at large.

It is in this context that we wish to pose a few questions to the UNP and its newfound allies.

Former Minister Mahinda Wijesekera is reported to have said in a TV discussion that the group of defectors from the SLFP had signed a detailed MoU with the UNP wherein even the Ministerial portfolios assigned to them in a future UNP government have been specifically mentioned. It is also on record that a former UN parliamentarian Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena had denied the existence of such a MoU in another TV program simultaneously telecast over another channel. In other words, the MoU had been kept a secret even from Former UNP parliamentarians.

The voters have a right to know the contents of the MoU, especially before they cast their vote.

We call upon the UNP to divulge to the public the contents of the memoranda it has signed with all its allies in true spirit of democracy.

This is further necessitated by the contradictory positions and claims of different constituents in the coalition that the UNP is forging.

For example, certain allies the coalition like the Bhumiputras have a policy on the national question that is different from the policy outlined by the SLFP defectors.

The stand of the Tamil political parties with which the UNP is associated so closely is entirely different. Some of them demand that the LTTE is accepted as the sole representative of the Tami people.

The UNP has been castigating many of the SLFP defectors whom it is embracing today. How could it conscientiously accommodate them in high positions, if what they said about them is true? If they have not been telling the truth will they admit so in public?

The UNP owes an explanation to the people on these and many more issues. For example, after claiming responsibility for originating the 17th Amendment to the Constitution why did its Leader suddenly belittled it when the Amendment became law?

• Editorial of  The Observer - Elections and culture 18.10.2001:

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager