People’s verdict

People have given their unequivocal verdict. They have chosen the UPFA in preference to the UNP and others. Though it does not amount to a two-thirds majority, the victory is huge by any standard.

Those who were ready to cry foul had their mouths shut. In fact, on the Election Day morning posters that cried foul appeared in the city, even before counting started. The people have been wiser. With a stroke of the pen or the pencil they prevented a repeat of the January 26 wailing.

The election has been the most quiet and solemn in recent times barring some unfortunate incidents in the Kandy district. It is necessary to identify and punish the miscreants there without fear or favour. The harm such action has caused to the good name of the country and its people should not be tolerated. It is because such people could commit such mischief earlier with impunity that it happened. In order to ensure that such incidents do not repeat in the future deterrent punishment is the only remedy.

The high majority of the UPFA is also a result of Opposition disunity. It was something to be expected. However, it is clear that even if the Opposition were united the UPFA would have won comfortably.

On the whole the UNP performance was dismally poor. Its campaign lacked energy, enthusiasm and content. Its leader provided more entertainment than facts on political stage.

This time too the UPFA performance was better in the rural hinterland. Though it has made inroads into urban areas still the UNP dominated the metropolis. As indicated on previous occasions the migration of the lower middle class and white-collar workers to the suburban areas have sapped the voter base of the UPFA in the metropolis.

The General Election 2010 would be best remembered not for the votes cast and majorities earned by parties and candidates but by the large number of voters who did not make it to the polling booth. This could be attributed to several factors. One is the general voter apathy following the lacklustre campaign by the Opposition. Another is the disgust exhibited by the voters over the manaape in-fighting. Still another could be the reaction of the voters to the lacklustre performance of their MPs in Parliament and aversion to some of their practices.

The large number of absentee voters, therefore, casts an aspersion on the electoral system itself. In addition to their aversion to the preferential system the voters have also felt that they stand aloof from their MPs as they are inaccessible to many following election victory.

It is food for thought for both sociologists and legislators.

A fresh START

For the first time since the demise of the USSR the United States and Russia, two nuclear super powers have agreed on the reduction of the nuclear arsenal. This is a step in the right direction. The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty signed on April 8 in Prague by the Presidents of the United States and Russia aims to cut their nuclear warheads by one-third to 1,500.

It is still too large. In fact even one nuclear warhead is too many for it could destroy the world in an instant. In nuclear war there is no advantage of a first strike. The real security of the world would be when it is totally free from nuclear weapons. This is the most significant treaty between them after 1991 when they signed the START which expired last December.

The two leaders have agreed to carry on negotiations further. All aspects of nuclear disarmament and security would be explored, including the issue of a missile defence shield that the US proposes to have for Europe, ostensibly to defend against rogue nuclear states. The US names Iran as such a state though Russia disagrees.

While it is hypocritical for major nuclear weapon holding powers to deny the development of nuclear energy by other States, the necessity of all nuclear powers ratifying the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty is all a necessary imperative for world peace.

In this respect the World Nuclear Summit convened by Washington as well as a similar conference to be held in Teheran are important landmarks in the search for world nuclear disarmament.

No country could remain indifferent to the stock piling and testing of nuclear weapons as it threatens the whole mankind. Sri Lanka too should add its voice to the millions the world over calling for an end to nuclear weapons.