Political philosophies of each party will decide the winner. – By Sunil Thenabadu
Acknowledgement of every one’s cultural distinctiveness, religious principles and cost schemes suits an imperative vital right in current humanities. Similarly, casting one’s vote in a democracy, too, is a vital right particularly at the elections. Fairness is the best apparatus people have come up with for steering the trade-offs and weaknesses inherent in different socio-economic systems. Democracies allow inevitable conflicts to be resolved in a way that maximises fairness and legitimacy and that broadly reflects society’s views.An individual’s choice given in an election formulates a mandate expressed with an opinion for a party or a group of alliance to administer the state forming a government. An elected government secures a mandate to restrain freedoms of the citizens within the rules respecting the fundamental rights of citizens. As such all democracies are functioning as rule-based societies. Since gaining independence one might wonder whether it is rule of law or rule of lawyers that interprets how the liberties and democracy take effect in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka has apparently fallen into the current despairing situation because of short-sighted policy making by those who got voted to govern, by misleading the constituency with all impractical promises morally to bargain their vote. In the eve of another very critical presidential election this essay discourses the issues that are contributing to broaden democratic insufficiencies leading to frustration amongst the citizens. The faith that electorates reveal by way of expressing their choice on various sentiments put forward by political parties giving their command to govern gets slanted when political parties hide their true identities. Over promising at elections and under distribution at implementation is natural in many democracies across the world.
Political parties are the authority behind driving the movement of democracy in society, predominantly in the countries where the governments practice multiparty democracy. Traditionally political parties have settled as a unique brand image based on their political philosophy. Since the dawn of the Industrial uprising in the 18th century there were clear dissimilarities between the left and right divided amongst the political parties in Europe. Left wing parties encouraged and propagated policies aligning with socialism and communism whereas the Right-wing parties tailed a liberal and conservative policy creations. However, both ideologies donated immeasurably for social well-being and greater human freedom. Coalition building was a common spectacle amongst the like-minded as the parties were affiliated with a specific philosophy.
After gaining independence we have hereditarily acquired the British Westminster style of parliamentary democracy, we in Sri Lanka, too, formed political parties with the socio-political variances. As such major political parties developed a unique brand image and propagated policies in line with the basic propelling philosophy or the political thoughtful. Although Sri Lanka has changed its constitution; election system, governing systems, the compositions of these political parties continue still in the 19th century assemblies. They have not changed with the times at all. characteristically, hierarchically . There are no spaces for expressive stakeholder consultations to comprehend the ground authenticities and opportunities. On the eve of elections all political parties come up with similar type election manifestos with memorable phrases just to tap the emotions of the people in the electorate. No one is much keen to read the manifestos to decide whom to vote for; it is not a worthy text any longer.
Compromise and the dominant ideology were to give fame for economic growth in all societies foreseeing the dripping down of benefits to uplift the socially marginalised. The end results are unpleasant: the neo-liberal policies have failed to deliver the opulence anticipated by those marginalised communities in the democratically functioning states. Aside from lifting people out of poverty and desperation there was no significant development in the real economy, except bogus prosperity for a few super rich highly politically linked groups. All such fake properties have been achieved purely by growing debt by excessive financialisaton. Neo liberal policies have widened the income, wealth, education, and healthcare deficiencies in many societies. Result is many of the large capitalist economies are grappling with debt and economic growth yielding prosperities to larger communities are totally out of sight.
The Sri Lankan electorates are heading for a definite change at the forthcoming presidential election on 21st September 2024. A President will get elected as a leader; but demonstrating leadership to the nation will be a huge challenge as narrated in the essay. The outcome of the election will certainly signify the urgency and need for a complete system change to move forwards.
Sunil Thenabadu in Brisbane
email sthenabadu@hotmail.com
