Fifth Column

30th September 2001

A point to ponder

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"Thaaththa", Bindu Udagedera asked, "what is this historic step that they are all talking about now?"

"Why, Bindu, they have agreed to set up this Constitutional Council and some independent commissions."

"What's so special about that?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Why, Bindu these commissions and the council will ensure that the police, the elections, the public service and the judiciary are independent."

"What's so important about that?"

"Why, Bindu," Percy explained, "it will be better for democracy."

"But thaaththa, does that mean that all the elections held so far were not democratic?"

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"Why, thaaththa, does that mean that the sixty-two per cent mandate that someone received was from an election that was not free and fair?"

"Not exactly," Percy said, "though there may have been some incidents."

"Then thaaththa, there are those who are saying that they won ten elections over the last seven years." Bindu said, "Were all those elections also rigged?"

"It is not that all those elections were rigged, Bindu." Percy observed,

"It is to ensure that even small incidents will not occur in the future."

"But, thaaththa," Bindu argued, "does it also mean that the police was also biased all this time?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why, thaaththa, when they fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the recent 'jana bala meheyuma' the government told us that it was done to protect democracy and prevent the Tigers from infiltrating into the city."

"So, what's wrong with that?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, thaaththa," Bindu pointed out, "if it is only now that the police is being made independent, that must mean that they were not independent all this time."

"I don't know about that," Percy conceded, "but it will hopefully help them to do a better job in the future."

"But thaaththa," Bindu persisted, "what bothers me most is not that."

"What is it, then?" Percy demanded.

"Why, thaaththa, are they trying to tell us that even all those judges were biased all these days."

"What makes you say that?" Percy asked.

"Why, thaaththa, if they are trying to make the judges independent now, it can only mean that they were dependent all these days."

"It is not that they were dependent, Bindu," Percy tried to explain, "it is just that all their promotions were being handled by the President; so, even if they were truly independent all these days it would be better if they appeared to be independent as well."

"So, thaaththa, now that these commissions will be appointed do you think that democracy will suddenly begin to flourish in our country?"

"No one can guarantee that," Percy said, "but this is certainly a step in the right direction."

"I'm not so sure about that, thaaththa." Bindu said.

"Why do you say that?"

"We must do one more thing to guarantee that, thaaththa." Bindu said.

"And what is that?"

"We must get these independent commissions to appoint not only the police, judiciary and the elections staff but also our Parliamentarians." Bindu proposed.

Percy didn't want to disagree.

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