Govt leaders scared to go before people

by Dr Vickramabahu Karunaratne

(March 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Recent elections were certainly more democratic than what was before. Of course, it was not a democratic election where the opposition could be happy about the results. Both the UNP and the JVP went on to say that the election was held under state terror, and misuse of state power. That is obvious and to be expected. I have participated in elections under the UNP when Ranil was a minister, where thuggery and corruption was quite open and abundant. Thus thuggery and corruption has been there for decades. Hence it is futile to expect a proper democratic election under this regime too, which still has a popular base.

Elections would be more democratic even under this regime when the state power collapses due to internal or external problems. So far all elections, which can be reasonably accepted to be democratic, happened under such situations. But this election too was held with less state terror and thuggery. There were signs of that even during the election campaign. There were oppositional banners and posters in all areas I travelled, and in some areas such displays were dominant. It gave the false picture that the government contestants were not in the game. In fact the JVP stated that the government ministers and other leading elements were scared to go among the people. So, the actual campaign was done by the president himself using state TV at the last 48 hours.

UNP also says that there is a substantial improvement of their vote base and actually people were reluctant to come out and vote. On the other hand the TNA clearly indicated that the election gave them a chance to show who the proper Tamil leaders are. In spite of the military rule in the Tamil home land, the Tamil people got an opportunity to declare loudly that they want freedom and autonomy.

Tamils living in fear

They said that by voting overwhelmingly for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) at Thursday’s election. The Tamil people in the North and East have demanded a political solution on federal lines. TNA front-liner Suresh Premachandran has said his party had won 12 local bodies in these two provinces. Further he has said “At election rallies, we asked our people for a mandate to fight for a federal solution. We have received a clear-cut majority vote now. We received similar results in these areas at previous elections too,” If Tamils, emerging from a genocide attack and living in fear under a military rule, could vote for TNA in spite of the campaign of the pro government Tamil political brigands with armed units, then we have to concede that a reasonable election was held every where in the country.

Though the government won, its vote has come down by a significant amount and the UNP has gained proportionately. It was less beneficial to the JVP. The JVP leaders have warned not to underestimate them or to assume that they are washed out. Two hundred thousand votes is a large number, if that base is used properly for street campaigns in the coming period. All that is true; but the opposition has to admit that it has not posed a proper alternative, to expedite the erosion that is taking place within the government ranks. Government is backed by powerful global powers that can use many methods to make the people feel that fighting is meaningless. People are made to feel safe, to be with the global masters and the multinational corporate system. By not opposing the emergency rule and the oppressive war, the opposition has indirectly supported the oppressive system.

John Pilger has said that “The revolt in the Arab world is not merely against a resident dictator but a worldwide economic tyranny designed by the US Treasury and imposed by the US Agency for International Development, the IMF and World Bank, which have ensured that rich countries like Egypt are reduced to vast sweatshops, with half the population earning less than $2 a day.” We used to think of the Arab world, as rich because of oil resource, and in spite of autocratic regimes there was some social welfare to counter poverty. But in the recent past with the economic crisis, apparently global masters have given new directions. Pilger is well informed and we have to rake him seriously. He belongs to the array of universally accepted social critics such as Noam Chomsky, Susan George, Gilbert Achier and Eric Toussaint. Even if one is not in agreement with their conclusions one has to accept their facts and figures.

Concern for poor oppressed

In any case I am sure that the poverty and the misery in our country should be worse; but how such extreme situation is tolerated by the people? “It is necessary to destroy hope, idealism, solidarity, and concern for the poor and oppressed,” observed Noam Chomsky a generation ago, “[and] to replace these dangerous feelings with self-centered egoism, a pervasive cynicism that holds that [an order of] inequities and oppression is the best that can be achieved. In fact, a great international propaganda campaign is under way to convince people - particularly young people - that this not only is what they should feel but that it’s what they do feel.” What Chomsky said is quite applicable to our country. Linus told us a story that immensely explains the situation.

They were planning a workers campaign for 180 rupees per point salary increase demand. One shop steward wanted to pretend that they were not demanding a salary increase as it will be a confrontation with the government! Others have agreed and all of them wanted to stand for the new cost of living index and the relevant allowance, with out claiming it as a demand for wage increase. The Government, with the backing of global powers, has convinced these workers that they should not do any thing to make the government uneasy. This explains why the people are prepared to keep silent and support the government though the economic situation is really bad. Global masters can protect Mahinda; but when they change their attitude? We know what happened to Gadafi!