President’s UN address, a good eye-opener

Last weekend’s Provincial Council elections result was a resounding victory for President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his UPFA-led Government.

The landslide victories in the Central and North Western Provinces are ample testimony that the majority of people still repose absolute faith in the President’s leadership and the UPFA Government. The ruling party’s victory at the elections in the North Western and Central Provincial Councils clearly demonstrates that people are deeply cognizant of the Mahinda Chinthana policy and the Government’s development drive.

The masses have taught a good lesson to the main Opposition UNP which suffered its 27th consecutive election defeat under the tottering leadership of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. The JVP has been relegated to the political dustbin, having suffered another humiliating defeat.

Simultaneously, the TNA’s victory in the Northern Provincial Council proves in no uncertain terms the Government’s commitment to protect democracy in conducting elections in a free and fair manner, even ahead of their scheduled dates.

The masses still recollect the abominable calls by the 1977-1988 Jayewardene regime to fold up the electoral map. The UNP goons shattered the people’s aspirations in the North by rigging the 1983 Local Government elections in Jaffna and burning the Jaffna Library, which was well-known for its rich collection of books. The horrendous incidents that took place in July 1983 under the then UNP Government inspired LTTE terrorists to drive the country back into a dark era.

Nevertheless, President Rajapaksa and the UPFA Government are doing their utmost to give back everything that was lost due to terrorism, sans the human lives snuffed out by Tiger terrorists. By reconstructing the Jaffna Library and the Northern rail track destroyed by the LTTE and developing infrastructure facilities in the North, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to democracy by conducting elections to the Northern Provincial Council (NPC).

Certain quarters in the South vehemently opposed the holding of NPC elections, saying that the former Tiger proxy TNA would abuse its power. However, the President strongly believed in handing over the Northern Provincial administration to representatives elected by the people. Hence, he did not entertain any second thoughts in conducting the elections to enable the Northerners to exercise their sacred right.

Moreover, certain quarters both here and abroad did cast doubts whether the Government would conduct free and fair elections in the North. Even the UNP, which was notorious for malpractices at the 1983 Local Government election in the North, tried to paint a gloomy picture, alleging the Government would rig the elections to win at any cost.

Hence, the TNA’s victory in the North is an indirect victory for the UPFA as it reflects the Government’s commitment to protect democracy and permit people to run the administration of their choice.

However, we are amazed at the plethora of statements issued by certain Western countries on the recent Provincial Council elections in Sri Lanka. The jackpot question is where were those so-called champions of human rights when over half a million people were held as a human shield by LTTE terrorists, subjecting them to untold misery?

With the Security Forces liberating them from the clutches of the LTTE and the Government resettling them with improved infrastructure facilities, we find that some Western countries are showing extraordinary concern over the Tamils in the North. Did they even utter a word over the plight of Muslims and Sinhalese who had been driven out of their Northern villages by the LTTE?

Mega development projects were launched in the North to usher in a better tomorrow for the Tamils liberated from the grip of LTTE terror. The Government also restored democracy after the LTTE silenced the power of the ballot through the bullet. But lo and behold, certain Western countries seem to be playing the role of self-appointed governors by pontificating to the Government on what it ought to do.

Should an extraneous force tell the Government to take advantage of the opportunity to expand efforts towards greater reconciliation by working with the newly elected NPC administration? The West should not poke its snout and tell the Government to support the new civilian leadership of the provinces because this has been the practice from the day the Provincial Council Act was introduced in 1987.

Certain isolated incidents had been blown out of proportion by the West, in calling upon the local authorities to investigate reports of intimidation.

The polls have been described as peaceful by Commonwealth observers and other monitoring missions, with a high turnout in all three provinces. This demonstrates the people’s will to engage in the democratic process, which had ensured that all nine provinces now have their own Provincial Councils for the first time.

This milestone achievement was due to the Government’s commitment to restore democracy in the North. Hence, the West need not bother to tell the Government how it should conduct its relations with the provincial administration as it is clearly laid down in the Constitution. The Government would at all times protect and uphold the Constitution.

Conducting NPC polls is certainly an important step towards a lasting reconciliation. Western countries should desist from trying to impose their own agendas in the guise of national reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

Last week’s elections to the Northern, Central and North Western Provincial Councils will further strengthen democracy in the country.

Political parties in the North that were under terrorist control for a considerable period of time are now enjoying the fruits of freedom, thanks to the thousands of brave sons in the Security Forces who sacrificed their life and limb for the purpose.

The TNA, which was at one time remote-controlled by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran from his Wanni jungle hideout, is now free to practise its own politics sans intimidation or fear. Hence, TNA leader R. Sampanthan and the new NPC Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran should rid that Tiger proxy mentality and work with a sense of dedication for the people in the North towards national reconciliation. They should eschew the racist or separatist card as such conduct would only push people in the North towards that dark era again.At a time people in the North are jubilant over the restoration of democracy, it is the prime duty of one and all to remember the brave soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice on their behalf. It was due to the Security Forces’ immense sacrifices that people in the North are today enjoying democratic freedom.

The time is now opportune for all parties to sink differences and make a collective effort to steer the country towards prosperity in the face of mounting challenges.

President Rajapaksa’s address to the 68th United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday is a good eye-opener to all extraneous forces which try to meddle in the internal affairs of sovereign states.Expressing deep concern over the growing trend of international interference in the internal affairs of developing countries in the guise of human rights, President Rajapaksa told world leaders that the time had now come to evaluate whether turbulent movements for political change had led to greater stability in such countries or produced the opposite result.

As the President quite rightly pointed out, the world needs no policing by a few States, particularly when the United Nations is mandated to ensure international security through multilateral engagement. Such engagement must extend to protect humanity against nuclear and chemical weapons and not to tame the regimes which do not dance to the melody of the West.

He said it is disturbing to observe the growing trend in the international arena, of interference by some, in the internal matters of developing countries, in the guise of security, and guardians of human rights. Hence, we continue to witness agitations the world over, leading to violence forcing political change accompanied by turmoil.

The time is now opportune to contemplate whether such movements have led to better stability in these countries, or produced different results, due to inappropriate external factors. The positive outcome envisaged by those responsible have not come to pass, but contributed to making those countries unstable. Such unilateral or group action should not erode the authority of the UN Security Council.

Such a trend needs to be arrested, as it has now extended into areas detrimental to the people's well-being. The turmoil results from attempts to impose a type of democracy on countries with significantly different cultures, values and history.