The Right NOT to Vote
Approximately one year ago on May 18th 2009, I wrote an article on Sri Lanka’s second “independence”, the spirit I fostered at the time is not reflected in this article one year later. On April 8th 2010, Sri Lankans went to the polls to vote.
Yet I did not vote. Many others did not as well. It is clear cut that Sri Lanka’s population did not feel that their vote counted, and rightly-so. Yet, was it wise NOT to vote? Perhaps if one thinks of it as legitimizing an increasingly theocratic government by participating in the hopelessly flawed façade of democracy, then it makes sense not to be a party to it. Post-conflict human societies are usually vacuums for militant or ambitious leaders to fill. Now this can either be through questionable installations of “democracy” e.g.- the Hamid Karzai establishment or it could be military dictatorship much like Idi Amin’s.
In a society that has just emerged from a murderous war, humility and reconciliation should be foremost in the agenda of Ministers. It seemed to have slipped the minds of many candidates to pause and realise how important and historic this election would be in redefining our lives.
Though not a direct parallel, Sudan held its first multi-party elections on 11th April, just days after Sri Lanka. The undemocratic nature of the elections was brought to light in the international media. Opposition parties, who believed that the results would be rigged, boycotted the elections. This was an important move. If opposition parties boycotted elections in Sri-Lanka, it would have also brought to sharp relief concerns over the Rajapaksa regime’s democratic credentials.
So what now? With two elections post-LTTE, are we still an optimistic island? Yes, investment is increasing, job options are diversifying, and international tourism has increased. But what can be said about domestic concerns? Have you visited the Cancer Ward at the General Hospital? Have you witnessed the deteriorating Education system and the strain it has put on children driving them to suicide? Have you seen the environment, the garbage dumps, the rancid air? Have we taken the next step to include IDPs in Sri Lanka’s civil society? Is it safe for women? For ethnic minorities? For the media?
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“So what now?”
Right after that question you pointed out some areas in need of improvement. So what are you doing asking what now?? Isn’t it clear!? You pick maybe one of those areas and you get ur ass to work! Do something to improve the situation in your capacity.
“Have you seen the environment, the garbage dumps, the rancid air?”
There is something easy to start with. Get you wheelbarrow, a broom, a spade and clean around your house. If you’re too posh for it, get a labourer to do it. There is plenty do!
All those people who abstained from voting…. Why did you do so, wasting a valuable power you have? You were unhappy with all the candidates right? I at least hope that was the reason. What signal does that send to you? Get together and find a candidate you would like to vote for and put him/her forward.
Bottom line is, those who didn’t even bother to vote have no right to complain at all. If you stayed silent at the election day why bother to voice you opinion now? You opinion didn’t count that day and it doesn’t count today! Useless!
Do you think these things you complain about don’t exist in other countries? What I find is that Sri Lankans are always putting the country down, complaining & complaining. Many visitors I have met have been amzed by the development in Sri Lanka even with an ongoing war. Can’t even be bothered to vote because it was an undemocratic election? Elections are what a democracy is about – if holding elections is undemocratic what do you want?
Do you know statistics about youth suicide in the developed countries? Do you know that people actually die waiting for a hospital bed in Australia? The difference in those countries is that ordinary citizens take it upon themselves to improve things not sit at home in luxury & comfort complaining.
What is your point? Do you expect to resolve all our economic and social problems that were dragging over many decades within a year or so? Vote is a right. If you (and those others) did not vote, well you have exercised your right. The people who concern about the country and society have made their voice loud and clear through their vote. Their vote has been counted. I am inclined to think that you have a brain to understand this. Stop bloody nonsense. It’s time we all get together and contribute to nation building. There is, of course, a second option: continue to degrade our country and our institutions you will get a ticket to the West. [Edited out] Cheers!
Your missing the point when the writer asks “So what now?” as in what will the “democratically” elected post war government of Srilanka NOW do to combat those areas in need of improvement and when you look at it from outside like visitors and most expats do, things are improving ‘Yes, investment is increasing, job options are diversifying, and international tourism has increased.’ everything looks good, yea we have reason to be optimistic, the government is actually fulfilling their promises and along the way ministers (who need reminding the meaning of democracy, most probably have no idea what it means) are continuing to be more concerned about their pockets, no doubt. Ok now look at it from the inside, i take it Observant person you don’t live in the island because if you did you would have observed the mess it is in, look at more pressing issues that concern the people, areas of concern; education, transport, environment, integrating IDP’s back to society etc it’s a mess that needs sorting out and its the responsibility of the respected MP’s of the “democratically” elected government to fix, not the responsibility of people asking the question what now?
“Yet, was it wise NOT to vote?” Nope..it wasn’t wise not to vote, in my opinion you should have still gone out and voted for another candidate if not for the main candidates..say you voted for Mohamed Casim a minority candidate, he wouldnt have won the election but you wouldn’t have lost your right, your chance to protest your unhappiness your distrust of the whole situation by practicing your “democratic” right to vote by not voting for either of the leading candidates, now if everyone who did not vote because they felt the same as you chose a candidate from a minority party or anyone else and voted them rather the 2 main candidates it would have made an interesting pie chart and headlines, its all about the numbers .. think about it by not voting did you achieve anything? by voting you would have had A say at least!
JUST A NOTE: the reason i did not vote.. is because although i am registered, i didnt get a voting card..just like scores of others in lanka who were not given voting cards, not because i did not want to vote. Nevertheless the Minister i did want to vote for was elected to parliment. yet the manner in which these elections were carried out was arbitrary at best.. if u beg to differ otherwise u need to recheck your lenses… the same can be said for the phillipines election or even that in england.. wat we forget to realize is that the dynastic system which we sri-lankans have now legitimized by these elections, negates participation by the ruling elite. as the seat “throne” is almos ascertained for the heir, so why bother doing anything for the country.. we must’nt let the govt, get slack.. hopefully they’ll come to their sense, but with a reshuffle in the scales in november, it is just a matter of marking time for most of them.
VOTING IN ALL ELECTIONS SHOULD BE MADE COMPULSORY.
AGE OF VOTING SHOULD BE SET TO 21 Years of AGE.
Legal age should be 18 years.