To all political parties: These are our concerns

With polls fever heating up civil society groups have upped their demands for changes in Sri Lanka’s political culture and better awareness among political parties on issues that need to be addressed. The following are views of individuals and various organisations in this regard.

Make democracy and good governance relevant

by Siri Hettige, Professor of Sociology, university of Colombo

Governments come and go but the problems of people persist and even get worse. This is the experience of Sri Lankans over the last fifty years, despite a broadly democratic system of government during the period. While violent political conflict shattered peace and socio-political stability, giving rise to several waves of mass out-migration of citizens, the life chances of a majority of people have been adversely affected by persisting or even worsening issues in a whole range of sectors such as health, education, transport and environmental health.

Meanwhile, people have been voting to change regimes periodically, hoping that their elected representatives would address their problems and create better conditions of life for them and their children.

The continuing exodus of people of all walks of life in almost every direction of the world, looking for higher incomes or better living conditions clearly shows that the above hope has been shattered.

What is clearly evident from the above is that democracy has not produced the outcomes that a majority of citizens desire. Yet, most politicians continue to promise more of the same at successive elections, namely development and hand outs. While development increasingly became synonymous with big construction projects that can be declared open by leaders in a big ceremony on television, welfare became an integral part of patron-client politics whereby much of the public resources are channeled through political networks, not through established state institutions managed by public officials in keeping with rules and regulations.

This sort of practice encourages more and people to expect personal favours from their political representatives. The latter in turn do everything to build up his personal network of political supporters, rather than working with their party colleagues to find collective solutions to problems faced by their voters. In the absence of collective solutions to individual problems, more and more people look for their own solutions. The present state of transport in the country illustrates this point in no uncertain terms.

The situation is not any different in many other sectors such as employment, education, housing and health. It is obvious that there are no individual solutions to most of the common problems faced by citizens.

So, enlightened citizens hope that governments will strive to find collective solutions through discussion and debate based on available knowledge and information. This is what they expect their representatives in the parliament to do. What we have witnessed in the recent past is a far cry from such a practice.

The leaders have demonstrated in no uncertain terms that they have different ideas about the parliament. People only have to look at the line up of people who were often nominated to parliament on the national list.

It is obvious that the above situation must change, in order to make sure that democracy remains relevant and meaningful to hapless masses. We need to make the highest body of people’s representative a forum where political leaders discuss and debate collective solutions to myriad of problems the people are confronted with ranging from precarious work to national disunity. They should discuss and debate evidence based national policies to deal with social, economic, political and cultural issues rather than exchange filth across the political divide. The role of the intellectuals is not go behind politicians to find a lucrative posting but engage in their professional work with independence and integrity.

The recently launched campaign for sound national policies has made the above point in no uncertain terms. The response from many quarters including the highest level of government has been very encouraging. It is hoped that this initiative of a large group of intellectuals,professionals, civil society leaders and concerned citizens will help change the way the public affairs have been managed in this country over the last few decades.

[National Peace Council]

Peace-building and reconciliation, a must in polls manifestos

Sri Lanka is in a post-war state, but has yet to transition to a post-conflict state. The end of the country’s three-decade war in 2009 has left a multi-ethnic society that continues to be deeply divided on ethnicity, religion and politics. The reactions of some parties representing the majority community to these divisions have ensured that the fears and mistrust that prevailed during the war continue to persist and given this mindset in the post-war context, new tensions and points of conflict are emerging.

Due to the continuing polarisation between the ethnic and religious communities in the country, and electoral pressures, to win, the serving government and political parties have been unable to directly address the problem of conflict transformation.

The early dissolution of Parliament on June 26 due to the political deadlock between the government and Opposition means that most of the unresolved issues that existed prior to the presidential election continue to be relevant. The dissolution of Parliament that took place and the fixing of General Elections on August 17 have created uncertainty once again with ethnic politics certain to re-emerge in full force. Those who used ethno-nationalism to win elections and maintain power have already begun campaigning on ethno-nationalist lines.

However, the liberal democratic approach of the government during the past six months has given an indication of the progress that is possible in taking the country in a new direction in terms of conflict transformation.

In particular, the lifting of the fear psychosis that held society in thrall and the steps towards the reintegration of the ethnic and religious minorities into the mainstream of society were virtually instantaneous, due to the shift in the policy and outlook of President Maithripala Sirisena and the government.

They have publicly acknowledged the multi ethnic and multi religious nature of the polity and the value of adhering to internationally recognised systems of good governance.

There are three main issues impacting on the future of the country that relate to relations between the ethnic and religious communities.

These are:

•First, the issue of post-war accountability and reconciliation. We believe that the truth of what happened during the three-decades of the war must be known to the people and accountability sought, with reconciliation rather than punishment as the primary goal.

This needs to be accompanied by appropriate compensation and reparation to enable the conflict affected populations a fresh start in their lives, with the institutional reforms to sustain this change.

• Second, the rights of ethnic and religious minorities need to be guaranteed and protected through the rule of law and the manner in which future generations are educated to respect the diversity and pluralism in our country.

In particular, speech that offends, insults, demeans, threatens, disrespects, incite hatred or violence against those of other ethnic or religious communities needs to be prohibited by law. Hate speech is not merely speech, but is, in fact, a form of violence. Hate speech does not merely cause violence, it is violence.

• Third, there needs to be a just political solution in which there is a fair sharing of power between the ethnic and religious communities, through a variety of mechanisms, in particular through the

devolution of power, but also including mechanisms for power sharing at the level of the central government in a manner that recognises the plural nature of our society.

Election campaigns provide the greatest opportunity for public education.It is necessary that the political leaders who seek genuine change in the country should address these key issues that Sri Lanka as a country needs to resolve.

[Ceylon Chamber of Commerce]

Ensure good governance and political stability

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce has identified 10 fundamental principles which the Chamber considers important and crucial for the government to be elected to adopt as its overarching socio-economic development initiatives in addressing the aspirations of the people of Sri Lanka and for achieving inclusive growth. We also believe that this is the most opportune time, for the government (both legislative and executive arms), the private sector and the civil society to agree on a common agenda and shared goals, shedding all socio-political prejudices and differences. They are;

1. Good governance, policy stability and regulatory quality
2. National integration, harmony and inclusiveness
3. A market-oriented and private sector-led economy
4. An economy based on national competitiveness and driven by exports

5. Forging mutually beneficial trade agreements and deeper/ broader integration with global economy

6. A strong and thriving SME sector
7. Bridging regional growth disparities through business and technology
8. Attracting quality FDI and Sri Lanka becoming a preferred investment destination
9. Sustainable and development focused technology advancement and innovation
10.Demand focused education and skills development

It is imperative that the elected government initiates and create an environment for prudent consultation with all stakeholders and arriving at national consensus leading to a shared and consensual national agenda and SMART goals and concurrently implement requisite policy, statutory and structural reforms,directed towards such goal accomplishment.

Further, the Chamber expects urgent action on the following unfinished tasks that were identified during the last Presidential election, and remains pending.

1.Full implementation of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, with the appointment of the Independent Commissions and enactment of relevant supportive statutes, allocation of appropriate resources and making them effective.

2. Enactment of the Right to Information Act.

3.Bring in electoral reforms through a broader dialogue with all political parties and the peoplethat would bring about a cleaner and more accountable political culture.

[Centre for Poverty Analysis]

Vote to end poverty

As we approach a crucial Parliamentary election, the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA) underlines the importance of renewing the pledge to end poverty, an injustice that can and should be overcome. Guaranteeing access to basic entitlements and a decent minimum standard of living for everyone assumes even greater significance in the post-war context. Even though Sri

Lanka managed to ensure access to food, health and schooling for most of its population despite a 30-year war, in reality significant disparities remain. Many forms of deprivation and vulnerability continue to be stubbornly entrenched while new ones have emerged, particularly in the aftermath of the war. It is in this context that CEPA urges action on the following seven issues.

First there is a need to build economic and social policy on more robust estimates of poverty. Officially 6.7 percent of Sri Lanka’s population is considered to be below the poverty line. But in reality this hides more than it reveals. The cost of a basket of food items (that can provide at least 2030 kilo calories per day per person) and other non-food basic needs is used to calculate the poverty line.

As of May 2015, the poverty line for Colombo district was Rs. 4003 per person per month; a meager 134 rupees per day to meet a person’s minimum requirements of food, clothing and shelter, health, transport, energy and other needs.

It is obvious that even as a statistical measure it woefully underestimates what is needed for a decent standard of living. In other words, 6.7 percent of the population are not merely below poverty line but are in fact destitute.

In addition, a large number of households are clustered around or near the official poverty line; in 2013 pushing the poverty line up by 10% would have resulted in an additional 800,000 people being classified as poor. It is time to count everyone who deserves to be counted and refocus policy so that it accounts for a more multi-dimensional approach to poverty rather than relying on narrow measures of income and expenditure related to consumption.

Second, there is an urgent need to redouble efforts to address poverty in the Estate sector. While a near hundred per cent increase in wages may have helped contribute to a dramatic fall in the percentage of households counted as poor in the estate sector—from 32 % in 2006 to 11 % in 2009-10, the average income and expenditure of Estate sector households continue to remain significantly lower than national averages and other sectors of the economy.

Notwithstanding recent measures to safeguard land and housing rights, measures to redress the structural problems associated with the enclave system that also reduce the effectiveness of social welfare investments and programs are an imperative. Equally critical are measures to address the political economic and ecological imbalances that contribute to entrenched multi-dimensional poverty in the sector.

Third, the raft of economic reconstruction initiatives launched in the post-war North and the East merit a significant review. In particular it is vital to take measures to address fast-growing indebtedness, whether in connection with housing programmes or the rapid proliferation of microfinance and leasing operations. Expanding social protection programmes, also critical in terms of enhancing state legitimacy, possibly as part of a comprehensive post-war reparations and development program that also includes addressing damages, restoring assets, addressing household indebtedness as well as economic precariousness is critical.

[Women and Media Collective]

Ensure women’s rights and gender equality

There are selected issues concerning the rights of women that all political parties are requested to commit to address:

Independent National Commission on Women

There is an urgent need to set up a strong formal institution with legal powers to address specific issues to ensure the upholding of the rights of women. We call on all political parties to ensure:

- the setting up of a well resourced, independent women’s commission

- formulate a women’s rights act that will be a firm foundation for a holistic policy on women which includes commitments made in the Women’s Charter of 1993 and incorporates Sri Lanka’s international treaty commitments

*Ending violence against women*

The three decades of war in Sri Lanka has left a society heavily marked bya pervasive culture of violence that has continued to affect women and meneven 6 years after the ending of the war in 2009.

Since the end of the war,reports of sexual and gender based violence against women have risenphenomenally, in the north as well as the south and the east of thecountry. We call on all political parties to:

-Formulate and implement a policy of zero tolerance on violence against women

-eliminate the practice of giving suspended sentences to those

found guilty of acts of violence against women

-criminalize marital rape

*Increase Political Representation of Women*

Sri Lanka has the lowest rates of women’s representation in the political arena among all the countries of South Asia.

Women’s representation is less than 7% in Parliament is less than 6%, in Provincial Councils and less than 2% in Local Government. We call on ALL political parties to ensure:

- Minimum 30% nominations for women in electoral reforms.

*substantive electoral reform, through an inclusive process of discussion, that ensures a mandatory guarantee to ensure at least 1/3 representation of women at local and provincial government and in parliament

*a commitment to field at least a third of candidates at the current parliamentary election and at the forthcoming local government election

* a comprehensive policy to deal with the specific gendered needs of all women affected by conflict

*a commitment to ensuring an equitable representation of women in the Constitutional Council

*Gender Responsive Budgets*

Despite women being the majority of the population, national budgetary allocations for women specific programmes is consistently low, if not the lowest amonggovernment Ministries. We call upon ALL political parties to commit to:

* gender responsive budgeting across all sectors and an increase in the budgetary allocation for women up to at least 5%

*Ensure Right to Health for All Women and Girls*

The Right to Health for All for women rests on their opportunity to be informed about sexuality, reproductive health and the SRH rights and the space to exercise these rights and enjoy the benefits. We demand that ALL political parties commit to ensure:

* comprehensive sexuality education at all levels in schools and programmes for those who are not in school to ensure all the right to informed and responsible choice in sexual and reproductive health and rights

*Ensure Right to Choice *

Abortion is illegal and considered a criminal offence, except if the pregnancy puts the woman’s life is at risk. Estimates suggest that up to 125,000-175,000 clandestine abortions take place every year.

Nearly 12% of maternal deaths in Sri Lanka are due to septic abortions- the second most common cause of direct maternal deaths; 86%

* 96% of these abortions are sought by married women.

*De-criminalize abortion and allow women to make informed choices

in their reproductive

*Repeal section 365A of the penal code to ensure that adult consensual same-sex relationships are not criminalized as suggested to the Sri Lankan government, by the CEDAW Committee in 2011. Recognise Women’s Work and Rights The labour force participation rate is 34.8 for females and 75.2 for males. The total unemployment rate is 4.5.The unemployment rate for females is 6.4 while that for men is 3.4. Those deemed *outside* the labour force the figures for females is 5.7 million and for males it is 1.9 million.There is little recognition of women’s economic contributions as unpaid care workers. Domestic Workers are not protected by

the labour laws of the country. We call on all political parties to ensure policy that:

* Recognise *Unpaid care work* contributions of women to household and national economies.

*Ratify ILO C189 that would bring domestic workers into the formal labour force and the protection of their rights as workers.

*Rights of Women Migrant Workers*

Women have been the backbone of the country’s largest foreign exchange earnings for more than four decades.