Ensure a free and fair fight

Many have been saddened by the fact that the two people who successfully spearheaded Sri Lanka’s war against terror, are now fighting each other for the right to rule the country. But this should not be so, because elections are a necessary evil of democracy. If at all, this exercise is ample testimony to the country possessing a vital and vibrant democracy.

Yet there have been a few areas of concern in the manner in which this battle is about to be fought. This is not only because this tussle for supremacy is one of gigantic proportions, but because politics in this country has in recent times deteriorated into a mud sport where ethics, morals and principles have been cast aside in favour of the more tangible reward of winning at all cost as well.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a politician with a proud lineage and a creditable record as a legislator and an opposition activist. No matter what he does next, his place in the annals of this country’s history is assured and he will always be honoured as the man who delivered the country from the clutches of terrorism.
General Sarath Fonseka will be hailed by posterity as the greatest soldier this country produced for conceptualising Velupillai Prabhakaran’s demise, and then carrying out that mission flawlessly when many predecessors before him not only faltered, but were convinced that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam could not be defeated militarily.

These then are two titans of our times. Therefore, regardless of the eventual outcome of the next Presidential election, we owe it to them to respect what they have already done for our country. And the best way to do so would be to conduct the upcoming election in a free and fair manner, with a dignity and decorum that befits the two individuals who are the leading contenders.

We cannot escape the fact that President Rajapaksa and General Fonseka for the next few weeks at least, will be representing opposing political camps. There will be a tendency by both camps to denounce and denigrate each other and, if early indications are to be a yardstick, these efforts will sometimes push the boundaries of decency, and border on the ugly and the unacceptable.

Already, there has been a lot of unwarranted controversy about the security needs of General Fonseka. The former Chief of Defence Staff has in the eyes of some, metamorphosed from hero to traitor overnight simply because he is contesting the election. Conversely, President Rajapaksa has felt that he too may be the victim of false propaganda, and has appealed to the media to be unbiased in discharging their duties.

Such actions are not necessarily the deeds of either President Rajapaksa or General Fonseka. The respective political forces that propel them want their candidate elected at all cost, and may at times indulge in acts that are both excessive and extreme. This in turn will lead to bitterness and acrimony which will mar the entire campaign.

Judging by what has transpired so far at the outset of the campaign, we feel that this is already happening. Sadly, this is precisely what we do not need at this juncture of our history. This country has just won a war against the most ruthless terrorist group in the world, and we should be justifiably proud about it and not tarnish that victory with petty political infighting that will ultimately leave us all feeling like losers.

Surely, Sri Lanka and its main political parties are now mature enough - after sixty years of independence and nearly eighty years of universal adult franchise - to decide who should lead them without resorting to cheap political tricks or thuggery and intimidation. We feel that the average Lankan voter is intelligent enough to see through these tactics now, so such efforts will be a wasted exercise anyway.

Our leading political parties at both ends of the political spectrum, must therefore resolve to conduct the Presidential election campaign in an appropriate manner: freely and fairly, cleanly and conscientiously without having recourse to dirty tricks and demeaning deeds. That much we owe to the two contenders and to the long suffering public as well.

There is no question this election will be a no holds barred contest. So be it. But in that process, we earnestly hope that the opposing political forces will respect not only the rule of the law, but show respect for each other. That is the only way this tussle will be fair. And only then can we say that the better man won.