It’s not just a privilege, it’s a responsibility
By Dimithri Wijesinghe
A collective of dedicated and conscientious youth launched a brand new initiative titled “We Republic” on 26 September at The Stables, Park Street Mews.
#WeRepublic is a social innovation born as per people’s lack of understanding of the core concepts of the republic, its democracy, and the Constitution, which is the root cause of many political, social, environmental, and cultural issues.
In an eye-opening compilation of interviews conducted among the general public where they were posed the question “what is the meaning of a republic?”, the answers were most revealing and rather shocking; at the very least, people appear to be confused.
However, there is no point of blaming the people, and according to this new initiative, the first step is to educate young citizens and provide essential knowledge, following which they will be armed with a “creative, modern and practical action plan in order to set in motion the rediscovery of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in the 21st Century”.
You should not shine because of the Republic. The Republic should shine because of you. For the Republic to be successful, you should be successful. For the Republic to be wealthy, you should be wealthy. For the Republic to develop, you should develop. For the Republic to be beautiful, you should be beautiful in your thoughts, words, and actions. Republic is we. We are the Republic.
Franchise is a fundamental right painstakingly won for us by our predecessors, and it is our duty to not squander this opportunity inherently afforded to us or take said privilege for granted.
The reason we vote for people and not policies is due to complexity. It is simply not possible to hold referendums for every little issue that arises in society.
This, however, only works when elections are competitive for accountability, to get rid of bad actors, and to avoid adverse selection. In a system such as ours where plurality is observed, the more candidates there are in the race, the less likely anyone will get the majority.
However, over time, there have been easy majorities with certain dominant parties determining the final decision and come election time, one statement that an alarming number of people will share is that they would rather not vote, and there’s many-a-good reason given for this decision.
No election is ever decided by one vote, mine can’t matter
Voting, like most activities that humans do, is a community effort. While one vote may not seem to count towards who wins the election, every vote does matter towards how politicians perceive their electorate – the people they represent.
Your vote may not tip the election, but by not voting, you’re letting politicians believe that our country is less politically diverse than it actually is, and this is dangerous because a strong minority has a moderating effect on the party in power – if you feel uncomfortable doing it, then chances are your demographic is largely unrepresented.
All politicians are terrible and nothing ever changes
You do not want to choose between the lesser of two evils, but the statement alone has made the choice for you. By voting, you will decide the less evil choice; by not voting, you’re essentially ranking the candidates as equally evil, which is impossible considering their vastly different policies.
The system may be corrupted by power, but that’s not going to be solved by not voting. Your one key weapon to threaten people in power, who want to stay in power, is your vote.
Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) Senior Researcher Bhavani Fonseka, speaking to The Sunday Morning Brunch, added to this point, stating: “The candidates may not be perfect, such a thing will never be. But to not vote is to undermine democracy.”
Adding to this, Eranga Ginige, author of Republic, a 150-page booklet breaking down the concepts of democracy and republic to simple forms for the lay person to understand (a citizen’s handbook, if you will) provided that the main issue here is the way we view politicians. They are put on too high of a pedestal which distracts them from performing their elected duties, he said. “Imagine having to attend every wedding, funeral, and new building opening. When will they get any work done? When will they have time to think and come up with creative solutions?”
Eranga added that we must also adopt technological changes. It may seem simple and almost trivial, but words play a large role in shaping perception. In Sinhalese, we refer to the president as “janadhipathi”, which is essentially “jana” combined with “adhipathi”. This loosely translates to overlord or gives the meaning of monarch. Why not “janapathi”? Change starts from a few simple steps.
Also sharing his thoughts on the matter, #NextGenSL Co-convener and political activist Rasika Jayakody provided that the #WeRepublic initiative is important to shape the future of Sri Lankan politics, providing that young professionals have lost faith in politics where they will use their energy in negative ways and that this initiative will help them direct it in the right path.
“As for franchise, it is of utmost importance; it is the people’s opportunity to exercise governance. It is the fundamental duty of every citizen. It is important that we play our part in ensuring we decide on our government. It helps maintain the institutional framework without unwanted interference from political parties. It strengthens the institutions and independent commissions,” he added.
Bhavani went on to discuss franchise and how it is an extremely important guarantee awarded to citizens of a state. It is a fundamental right. Used responsibly, it can be used to steer our country forward. It should not be treated as frivolous, the right which holds so much power, the ability to elect a person of our choice to office. However, people fail to grasp the idea that it is not something you do one day and then forget about until the next election.
She said we must realise that this power afforded for us is a process. Franchise does not end on the day of the election. Be a responsible citizen and do not give up your vote. Upon electing, keep pressure on the elected officials. Hold them accountable when their actions do not ring true to their campaign promises. “Social media is a powerful tool available to all citizens to raise issues, providing us all with a greater chance at being heard and reaching our elected officials. Engage, critique, and challenge – make some noise, and don’t be complacent,” Bhavani said.
This concern of inadequate representation, however, has persisted for a long time now. We spoke to Eranga who shed some light on the subject of lacking representatives.
He said one major question that constantly resurfaces is “where are all the innovative, intelligent leaders? Why is everyone in positions of power in their retirement age?”
According to Eranga, the answer lies in our island’s history of conflict. Those who should ideally be in power at this stage, which is between the ages of 45-55 (the prime age for leadership), all died during the insurrections in 1988-89. Those conflicts saw the death of 60,000 youths. This is a massive number of young people when you consider the population of our small island. Those who survived left the country and are now working against the interests of their mother state because of the way they were treated. We call them the 70s children, and they were meant to be our present.
However, Eranga stated that the future is looking bright as a new age is upon us. We are approaching a point in time where the millennials are reaching this golden age. The very first set of millennials will be turning 40 in 2020, and the next decade will birth our country’s new leadership – they are the critical generation.
“Most citizens are disgusted by the corrupt behaviours of those in power and all the mudslinging and negative campaigning resorted to widely. The youth are fed up and tired of it, and times are soon approaching where the public would rather witness debates on policy, facts, figures, and rational arguments” Eranga said.
And so, while we may be unsatisfied with what we have, we must take care to look after what’s left for the future. The right to vote was something won through great difficulty. It’s our responsibility to not ignore it and not take it for granted.
Elections 2019
Make an informed decision. According to Bhavani, in order to make an informed decision, come nomination day which is Monday, you will be made aware of all the options you are presented with. Go through the manifestos of each candidate. It’s important to understand their policy positions. She also added: “Personally, I will be looking out for those who will bring up the point of abolition of the executive presidency. It is something we have discussed for decades and in 2015, the majority of us voted for it. We can look into if anyone will prioritise this, and if not, we can question, why not?”
In a democracy such as ours, there is only one wrong vote, and that is NO vote!
#WeRepulic: Action plan of seven pillars
Equip with knowledge
The youth should search, read, inquire, and understand the principles and processes of democracy and the Republic. It is only then can we design the rest of everything on those strong foundations of knowledge. Politics is not just getting elected. It is the task for all citizens to carry out 24 hours a day, 365 days a year without fail. We must equip ourselves with knowledge in order to perform that task properly.
Find sustainable solutions
We must understand the issues of the Republic. We should create innovative solutions to solve those issues. Solutions to current political, social, environmental, and cultural issues should be designed not for the past, but for today and tomorrow. Solutions cannot be designed by copying other countries. The solutions must be compatible with the Republic. They should be long-term solutions. We alone must find those solutions. We must implement those solutions with our own hands on the foundations of democracy and the Republic.
Take democracy to your hands
Political parties are mere tools used in the democratic process. There is no victory or defeat in democracy; only people’s decisions. You should select a political party or leadership based on your political ideas. You should study and critically analyse different political ideas before selecting one. The party should not drive you; instead, you should drive the party based on your shared political ideas. It may be a difficult task. But the youth must do what is difficult. That is the only way to save the Republic from particracy and establish true democracy.
Debate on ideas
We should categorically reject character assassinations, fake news, hate speech, and gossip-filled political debates. Instead, we should create a political culture of factual, rational, tolerant, intelligent, and open discussion and debate. We should battle on ideas. At schools, universities, vocational training institutions, offices, workplaces, onstage, inside television recording studios, and even on social media, we should debate only to find the truth, and to find the best solution and way forward.
Protest creatively
Protests are an essential part of the democratic process. But we must stop the protests that inconvenience fellow citizens of the Republic. We must reject the fake fasts unto death. We must end the culture of posters, banners, and cut-outs that ruin the beauty of the Republic. Instead, we should produce creative protests that impact the relevant people’s representatives and public service officers. We must also present reasonable and practical solutions along with the protest.
Keep people’s representatives at the right place
There are no rulers or ruling class in the Democratic Republic. All citizens are collective rulers. All elected officials must only be addressed as “people’s representatives”. Members of Parliament, ministers, and public service officers must not be put on pedestals. They must be kept at their rightful place. We must refrain from inviting them to every event. We must stop going behind them for jobs and other personal benefits. We should let them have time and opportunity to carry out their duties to the Republic. We should constantly be vigilant and influence them to deliver their tasks properly.
Make decisions by voting
Running away from problems is not for the youth. Refraining from politics and not voting in elections is weakness. Franchise was won through tears and blood. It is the only real and most valuable right to exercise your sovereignty. Therefore, it should not be alienated. You should express your decision based on your political ideas through your vote. That is your expressed decision. You should take that decision rationally and not emotionally. We should take the decisions of the Republic ourselves.
Public’s thoughts
If you can, you must. That’s the system we follow here. If anyone thinks they shouldn’t, they should move to somewhere they don’t have to
Colombo City Guide Co-author Lasantha David
Democracy is meant for a selfless, well-informed voter base, which incidentally Sri Lanka (and currently the US) is not. Within democracy, a short-sighted, less informed voter base could be swayed back and forth according to the petty motives of the candidates. The solution?
Pandula Paranagama
It is essential that every voter makes an informed choice. There is no point in whining later. If we don’t vote, others will vote and elect the leaders of their choice. This should not be a wasted opportunity. A person with experience is my recommendation
PR consultant Ranjit J. Perera
Right now, what we need is a stable economy where people can earn properly and put an end to black money and corruption. People as responsible citizens should vote for someone who can make it happen. Safety is another important factor. Basically, the quality of life
Udara Madushanka
