Debates and contradictions on the recently concluded Sri Lanka presidential election has not yet finished. while so called election malpractices and election frauds are hot topics in the political debates on one side, there are debates on the message on the other hand that the message, election results reveal to the country and the world.
Election results clearly reveals that minorities, Muslims and Tamils, had wished a political change in the country, and has less faith in incumbent president Mahinda Rajapashe's rule. Therefore, the president who has been selected by overwhelming Sinhalese majority votes from the south has a huge responsibility on his shoulders to understand this fact and act accordingly, so that minorities can believe him and also hope to enjoy a "brighter future" that he promised in his election campaigns.
It clearly shows that president has understood this responsibility when he himself has declared soon after final election result was announced officially, that he is not only the president of the people who voted him, but also for those who have not voted him.
Unfortunately, some voices are raising claiming that Sinhalese have proved in the finished election that Sinhalese alone can select a president without any support of minorities. They also claim that the election results has taught a tough lesson as well to the minorities.
Truly speaking, anyone cannot claim that Sinhalese voted against minority. True reason why president won the election and Fonseka, his rival and former army commander was defeated, is heavily relies on the Fonseka's failure to carry out his campaign to the grass root levels of Sinhalese society.
It is also a reason that president had won the hearts of the Sinhalese people in most of the villages and had a great support even before the presidential election. The poll results of provincial council election clearly revealed this fact. The Nationalistic view that had been constructed after LTTE was defeated militarily, and development initiatives that president was carrying forward was sufficient for him to taste the fruit of an easy victory over the former army commander.
It is also a reason that president had won the hearts of the Sinhalese people in most of the villages and had a great support even before the presidential election. The poll results of provincial council election clearly revealed this fact. The Nationalistic view that had been constructed after LTTE was defeated militarily, and development initiatives that president was carrying forward was sufficient for him to taste the fruit of an easy victory over the former army commander.
It is less clear that even without the election frauds and malpractices that is said to be taken place during the election process, weather Fonseka would have won the election.
Mahinda had already made a "Believable change" that Fonseka promised in his election campaigns. Especially, Mahinda should be credited for making a safe environment in which people can move freely in public places without the fear of terrorism and bomb blasts that took place through out the last three decades old civil war. People especially from down south did not want a change in addition to this. Thanks to nationalist feeling that was being created, Fonseka was unable to break this barrier and go forward.
Fonseka was able to capture the hearts of Sinhalese elite society especially youth, westernized urban communities and the minorities. However, according to the election result, majority of the villagers backed the president. Another reason why Sinhalese voted Mahinda was due to inability of Fonseka's campaign to touch the feelings of the villagers. Clearly speaking his campaign did not reflect the feelings of the rural community.
Should Fonseka had emphasised the economic burden that villagers are encountering and had used rigid nationalists in his campaign targeting the rural areas, he would have easily filled his vote banks, I suppose. Anti corruption campaigns and collapsing of family ruling were much more luxurious for them.
Therefore, it is clear that Fonseka's faults also have played a major roll in Mahinda's glorious victory over former army commander.
Mahinda's victory should be consedered as a gift for his patriotic nature, his closeness with the people, and for people believed he would develop the country's three decade war torn economy.
It would be baseless to consider that Majority people voted against minorities. Such opinions will only reflect their biased views on the issue, that viewing things wearing different colours of eye glasses.
Sinhalese enjoyed when LTTE was destroyed. (Even Muslims and majority of Tamils did the same thing). LTTE are the ones who opened the root for such enjoyment. Especially, by attacking public places and buses, LTTE killed number of innocent people. When they were militarily defeated and vanished from our land, not surprisingly people overjoyed.
By vanishing terrorism and made a safe country where people can enjoy the breath of freedom, Mahinda won the hearts of all the Sri Lankans indiscriminately. (Of course his defeat among some portions of the society is due to various other reasons).
He was considered as a king, some times as a God among some parts of the society. This respect is what gave the fruit of victory to Mahinda in recent presidential election.
The very important need of the country today is not proving that Sinhalese can select a president by themselves alone without the votes of minority. Rather, country needs a political culture that integrate all the societies together and creating a situation where all societies can feel that they have a "brighter future".
War has just finished and has not lasted even one year. Still people have wounds of the war. War memories are still in the deep hearts of the people. Majority of displaced people are still living in IDP camps.
The foremost necessity today is to make sure that minorities are integrated in mainstream politics and enjoying opportunities and rights equal to that of majority population are enjoying.
This is the time to put the words into action. The often quoted phrase by the president in public stages that “there is no minority and majority in this country” should be put into action. Election result clearly shows that people are not ready to believe the mere words, unless there are some actions to beleive those words.
This is the time to put the words into action. The often quoted phrase by the president in public stages that “there is no minority and majority in this country” should be put into action. Election result clearly shows that people are not ready to believe the mere words, unless there are some actions to beleive those words.
By forgetting this political reality and the significants of present time in Sri Lankan political history, just claiming that Sinhalese alone can select a president will not bring anything to the country. The world history proves that what ever the actions taken for the well being of one society over the tombs of other societies' has not ever lasted and has not succeeded in long term. As Edward Zaid once mentioned, 'the history is more honest than your inner heart'.
May the "brighter future" belong to all societies.
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