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Local polls and democratic governance

The announcement that local government elections will be held on March 1, is further evidence that the democratic process is alive and well in Sri Lanka. Popular participation or the involvement of the people at all levels in the making of decisions affecting their lives, is the hallmark of democracy and Sri Lanka is at present proving exemplary in this respect.

Local government elections in particular are an eloquent testimony to the continued functioning of grassroots democracy and the polls of March 1 could be seen as taking the participatory process in democracy several notches higher. It is our hope, therefore that the machinery would soon be in place to conduct the March 1st elections to the 14 Municipal Councils the 37 Urban Councils and the 258 Pradeshiya Sabhas in a fair and free manner in an atmosphere of peace and goodwill.

Of particular significance is the Government's decision to go ahead with the poll in the North and East too. It is vitally important that people at the grassroots in these regions are provided an opportunity to elect their representatives to local government bodies so as to exercise greater control over their lives and to also realise their aspirations.

The holding of local government elections in the North-East is of crucial significance from this point of view too. The conduct of the poll in these areas will therefore, be a ground-breaking democratic experience for this segment of the Tamil people. We only hope that everything possible would be done to enable all sections of the Tamil people to exercise their franchise on this occasion. This wouldn't prove difficult in the present climate of opinion when peace moves are getting into top gear and when a cessation of hostilities between the Government troops and the LTTE has taken root.

Local government elections which are a vital aspect of the decentralization of power should give the Tamil people a foretaste of power devolution and prepare them for power-sharing under a future negotiated settlement. Needless to say, these elections will further stabilize democratic institutions and processes in the North-East.

It is likely to be the wish of the majority of the people that the 17th Amendment to the constitution would soon be implemented, now that the redemocratization of Sri Lanka under the UNF, has got into full swing. This Amendment over which the Government as well as the opposition are agreed, is a vital stepping stone to the consolidation of democratic governance in Sri Lanka.

We are now agreed that subjects such as elections, the police, the public service and the judiciary, should be handled by independent commissions which wouldn't come under the sway of politicians. We also need to put in place the all-important Constitutional Council which would be making appointments to these bodies. It is institutions such as these which would ensure the integrity of the democratic process and uphold the rights of the people.

Ideally, therefore, the 17th Amendment should be implemented before the local government polls are gone ahead with. These commissions are a sine qua non for good governance.

• Editorial of  The Observer - 02.01.2002:
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