A golden era before us

The ceremonial opening of the new Parliament by President Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled for Thursday.

The country has found a stable government elected by the people for the first time since the 1977 July general election. The then UNP Government, headed by the late President J.R. Jayewardene used the massive five-sixth majority they obtained to introduce a new Constitution, which paved the way for the controversial preferential voting system.

The Jayewardene regime denied people of a general election in 1982. It resorted to a controversial referendum, marked by numerous instances of election rigging, to extend the period of the existing Parliament by another six years.

The successive elections in 1989, 1994, 2000, 2001 and 2004 provided only a slim majority to the governing parties. In fact, the People's Alliance Government elected in 1994 had a majority of only a single seat, creating many uncertainties in the local political arena.

Hence, this was the first occasion in 33 years that the country got an elected government with an absolute majority. Considering the overwhelming 1.8 million majority of votes President Rajapaksa secured when he was re-elected at the last presidential election in January, the country has political stability at last.

The Government's stability, coupled with the eradication of terrorism in May last year, augurs well to usher in economic prosperity. Simultaneously, the clear mandate given to the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) by the masses could take Sri Lanka to new horizons with a new political culture.

All Sri Lankans fulfilled a 'sacred duty' reposing implicit faith in the President and the UPFA. The President has said that he and the UPFA are duty-bound to preserve the trust reposed in them. The President has proposed to make the historic victory an opportunity to build an exemplary government on the road to building the 'miracle nation'.

The preferential voting system has increased election violence, even amongst the candidates of the same party and electorate. There is no gainsaying the fact that we should abolish such a controversial system which only generates political violence and animosity.

President Rajapaksa has already vowed to abolish the preferential system and revert to the old electoral system which will be coupled with the National List members based on the number of votes each party polls. This is a welcome sign which would eventually save millions of rupees each candidate spends when canvassing in a district.

It would also lead to a new political culture as there would be less animosity and confrontations at elections. The masses would be only too happy to meet their elected parliamentarian in the electorate to seek solutions for their problems. The district-wise preferential voting system made voters nobody's baby as they do not have an MP for a particular electorate.

As the President has emphasised time and again, it is the undeniable task and duty of all newly-elected parliamentarians to build an excellent nation for our children. It is the bounden duty of all political parties represented in Parliament to join hands with the President to fulfill that gigantic task.

The President took the first step when he extended goodwill even after the UPFA's resounding victories at the presidential and general elections. He told his party supporters not to condemn the defeated but to enjoy their victory in humility. This was indeed an exemplary and commendable act by the First Citizen who is keen to put a fullstop to petty political differences which obstruct the country's forward march.

The newly elected public representatives in Parliament, irrespective of petty party politics, should contribute to the Government's development drive in a tangible manner. It is the paramount duty of all loyal and patriotic citizens to support the Government to steer the nation towards prosperity. President Rajapaksa, a charismatic leader, has always put the country before self, safeguarding Sri Lanka's sovereignty and territorial integrity at all times.

The masses have reaffirmed their confidence in the President at the general election as well. The Mahinda Chinthana policies are the most apposite for the country. This is precisely why the people have pledged their wholehearted consent to the Government's policy statement - the Mahinda Chinthana Idiri Dakma.

The results of the general election are ample proof that the sovereignty of the people is supreme. The international community should also respect this and extraneous elements should stop interfering with Sri Lanka's internal affairs.

Sri Lanka will undoubtedly achieve its development target in the near future. It is a gigantic task but if all of us make a worthy contribution, it is well within our reach.

The need of the hour is a disciplined and dedicated team of public representatives in Parliament. We fervently hope that all newly elected parliamentarians would conduct themselves in an exemplary manner and spare no pains for the betterment of the country and its people.

The parliamentary culture of yesteryear should be re-established. It should be replete with rich debates, not the mere political mudslinging we have often witnessed during the past few decades. A conducive environment should be created where even schoolchildren could learn something worthwhile from those interesting debates in Parliament.

It is our sole responsibility as a nation to inculcate in our children the best values and rich traditions preserved through thousands of years and bestow on them the cultural heritage that has enriched our nation.

It is the supreme duty of all parliamentarians, social and religious leaders to extend their fullest support and help contribute to rebuild the country. The best opportunity to start working towards that goal lies with us. Let us all make a concerted effort to take Sri Lanka to greater heights and another golden era.