PC Elections And The Opportunities
Jayantha Dhanapala
The Friday Forum keenly followed the three Provincial Councils elections in the Northern, North Western and Central Provinces held on 21st September 2013. The encouraging turnout, with voters exercising their franchise in all three provinces, supported the claim that the elections were relatively free and fair. The Friday Forum expresses its appreciation of the role played by the Election Commissioner, the Election Department, all officials, staff and others as well as the local and foreign election monitors. The democratically elected councillors in all three provinces must now carry forward their mandate towards good governance of the provinces and the well-being of the citizens.
In the Northern Province, this is the first Provincial Council election since 1988 and as such gains further significance. Four and a half years after the war, this is a new and small opening for the country to move on reconciliation. However, many challenges remain in ensuring that this democratically created opening is utilised.
The Centre and the Northern Provincial Council should work together to take forward the day to day needs of the war-torn population while working in parallel towards a devolved political settlement within a united Sri Lanka. Crucial here is the devolution of powers in the 13th Amendment. Participating in development with a sense of security is important for the Northern population to identify as citizens of Sri Lanka both in spirit and in practice.
The Government must recognise that its majoritarian agenda after the war has alienated the people of the North. In particular, it must rethink its approach to centralised and top down governance and development, characterised by continuing militarisation and large infrastructure projects that did not seek the participation of the local population in their planning or execution. Furthermore, there needs to be a deep understanding of the challenges of converting the war-time and post-war military administration to the now democratically elected civil administration. Thus demilitarisation is a priority. Next, the powers of the Governor should not be used to undermine devolution. While there are a range of powers from land to police, which are being debated, it is crucial for the Provincial Council to have the necessary finances to administer and develop the Northern Province.
