SHIFT IN PRIORITY FROM ETHNO-

NATIONALISM TO GOOD GOVERNANCE--

JEHAN PERERA
Created on 20 October 2014
The decision of the EU Court of Justice to remove the ban on the LTTE on
technical grounds has come as the government and political parties are mobiliing for
snap presidential elections li!el" to ta!e place in Januar"# The immediate response of
the government to the EU decision has been to describe opposition politicians and civil
societ" activists $ho travelled to the %est in recent times as traitors $ho contributed to
the decision to lift the ban on the LTTE# This message is being repeatedl" ta!en to the
people b" the state media# %hile the decision is a legal one ta!en b" the Court& and
not a political decision b" European governments& this is unli!el" to impress most 'ri
Lan!ans $ho $ill tend to see the relationship bet$een la$ and politics through their
o$n local e(perience $hich is not at all positive#
The timing of the European Court)s verdict comes even as the government continues
to be investigated for $ar crimes at the behest of the U* +uman ,ights Council# The
EU legal decision in favour of the LTTE is li!el" to further strengthen the government)s
case to the people in 'ri Lan!a that the $ar crimes investigation into it is biased and a
threat to national securit"# The U* investigation into $ar crimes is described b" the
government as an international conspirac" to punish the countr")s leaders $ho
defeated the LTTE and is to eventuall" see! the division of the countr"# This has
evo!ed s"mpath" and outrage amongst the ma-orit" of 'ri Lan!ans# The timing of the
EU verdict is fortuitous for the government# .t $ill enable the government to mobilie
the nationalism of the people to its advantage#
%ith it the main government theme of the forthcoming presidential election is
becoming clear# .t is to highlight the need to preserve the unit" of the countr" b"
continuing to vest the leadership of the countr" in proven and trusted hands# The
government)s decision to prohibit foreigners from travelling to the *orth $ithout
permission of the /inistr" of 0efense is being -ustified b" the government as a
measure to prevent foreign parties from stirring up communal discord# The ban on free
movement of foreigners applies to tourists as $ell as to those $ho $ish to travel there
to engage in economic pro-ects# .t creates the impression that there is a ma-or crisis
bre$ing in the *orth $hich re1uires a strong government to deal $ith it#
'+.2T.*3 E/4+5'.'
.f it $as hoped that five "ears after the end of the $ar the focus of national politics
$ould shift a$a" from past $ar6related issues to matters of peacetime governance&
the EU decision $ill $or! to shift the political debate bac! to the issue of national
securit" and to the LTTE# The 1uestion once again& as it has been in all of the post6$ar
elections& is $hether nationalism $ill ta!e priorit" over those other issues& such as
over6centralisation& ,ule of La$ and corruption& at $hich the government is at a
disadvantage# 5lthough the masses of people are finding the cost of living unbearable
and have little hope of its reduction& the government)s calculation is that $hen the
people go the polls the" $ill be tend to give priorit" to national securit" rather than to
economic $ell being#
The voting electorate outside the *orth is being given the message that there is a
rene$ed threat of a slide bac! to $ar due to the international support for the revival of
the LTTE and the non6cooperation of the T*5 in the *orth# This has been the
government)s $inning formula for several elections# 7ut this time around there seems
to be crac!s appearing in the government coalition# .ronicall"& the first blo$ against the
government strateg" of ma!ing the ethnic conflict and national sovereignt" the main
issue has been struc! b" one of the !e" leaders of the government coalition)s
nationalist parties# This occurred last $ee! $hen 8enerable 5thurali"e ,athana Thera&
a government parliamentarian and the convener of the 4ivithuru +eta! 94ure
Tomorro$: *ational /ovement& said that he $ould do ever"thing to defeat incumbent
4resident /ahinda ,a-apa!sa if he tried to hold 4residential election $ithout
amending the constitution#
8en ,athana Thera& a member of the government coalition part" Jathi!a +ela
Uruma"a 9J+U: said that it $as a mista!e of his part" to vote for the 1;th 5mendment
to the Constitution $hich paved $a" for third term election of a 4resident and also
abolished the independent commissions introduced b" the 1<th 5mendment to the
Constitution and $hich $ere meant to guarantee non6politicisation of !e" state
institutions& such as the police& -udiciar" and public service# .n its place 8en ,athana
proposed a 1=th amendment to the constitution $hich calls for fundamental reforms to
the presidenc" and other !e" institutions of governance& and $hich he insisted should
be implemented prior to holding an election#
The meeting at $hich this announcement $as made $as attended b" several hundred
7uddhist mon!s and also b" senior government and opposition members& including
the Leader of the Opposition ,anil %ic!remesinghe and Economics /inister 7asil
,a-apa!sa# %hat $as most significant about the meeting& and the speeches made&
$as that the focus $as entirel" on issues of governance and not on the ethnic conflict
or nationalism# 5t the national convention of the J+U that follo$ed a fe$ da"s later the
part" leadership reiterated the 8en ,athana)s stand#
*E% 0.'COU,'E
The J+U of $hich 8en ,athana is a leading member is a political part" that has
espoused the cause of 'inhalese nationalism and the special place of 7uddhism in the
countr")s histor" and ethos# 5s such it has been a strong supporter of the government
in the past& and to date& in opposing demands b" the ethnic minorities& $hich it sees
as in-urious to the countr")s sovereignt" and unit"# 5t the part" convention& the J+U
called on the government to pass a constitutional amendment that made the
4residenc" accountable to 4arliament and to the Judiciar"& to limit the number of
Cabinet /inisters to a ma(imum of >0 9as against nearl" ?0 as at present: and to
depoliticie state institutions# 'ignificantl"& it did not call for the abolition of the
provincial council s"stem of devolved government& but limited the demand for repeal of
land and police po$ers to them#
4ost $ar realit" in 'ri Lan!a is still connected deepl" to the $ar period& $ith the large
scale presence of the securit" forces in the *orth and East and surveillance machiner"
continuing to have a negative impact on life in all parts of the countr"# 3overnance and
respect for human rights are arguabl" the $ea!est areas of the government# .ts main
strength in the minds of the general public continue to be the $ar victor" that ended
the terror of the LTTE and highl" visible economic infrastructure pro-ects in the form of
e(cellent roads& rebuilt rail$a" and the construction of ports and airports& even though
these latter are "et to sho$ economic viabilit"#
The 1uestion $hether the issues of governance can override those of nationalism $ill
depend on the e(tent to $hich the 8en ,athana)s vie$s are ta!en to the masses of the
people# The government continues to have an advantage in this regard as it has
control over the po$erful state media that reaches ever" part of the countr"& and can
put for$ard onl" the government vie$& unli!e the private media $hich is $ea!er in this
regard due to commercial considerations# The government)s effort continues to be one
of bringing up issues of post6$ar national securit" and possible revival of the LTTE&
$hich remains a significant fear amongst the 'inhalese population# 7ut the issues of
governance that the 8en ,athana articulated are those that are no$ an increasing part
of the private discourse $ithin the countr")s intelligentsia& although still not so $idel"
debated in the media or in public due to fear of the conse1uences#
Posted by Thavam