Quality of democracy enhanced

WE are compelled to return to a subject we touched on in this comment yesterday on account of its vital importance from the point of view of democratic development and representative governance.

How President Mahinda Rajapakse has defeated the dark prophecies in some quarters on the eruption of war in the event of him being elected Head of State and Government of this country, has already been commented on.

Such dire predictions have not come to pass mainly on account of the President's democratic approach to problem-solving.

Rather than fight shy of diversity of opinion and heterogeneity of ideological perception, the President has reached out to the full range of political forces in this country with a view to generating a consensual approach to resolving our conflict.

Rather than be overawed and intimidated by the seeming diversity of views espoused by these political forces, he has set out to find common ground among them.

It has now been found that these diverse political forces have common, converging views on a number of vital issues, which were at one time made out to be contentious and divisive by some sections.

Two of these are the need to resolve our conflict by political means and the advisability of talking to the Tigers. Today, the JVP and the JHU are with the Government on a common platform on these questions.

No war drums are being beaten and no vociferous battle cries are being raised in any quarter. It could be said safely, therefore, that wide agreement has been reached across the Southern political spectrum on the need to negotiate a political solution to the ethnic conflict.

This consensus has been greatly facilitated by the President's consultative approach to resolving the conflict and also on account of the wide support base of the Government.

The President's strategy of coopting diverse, ideological forces into the decision-making process and making them have a stake in governance has compelled the latter to temper their views and conduct themselves in a fashion which is promotive of the national interest.

Thus, all in all, the quality of democracy in Sri Lanka could be said to have been enhanced. Besides a multiplicity of ideological actors having a stake in governance, a commonality of perception and policy on important issues has emerged from a consultative process. This is democratic decision-making in the classical sense of the term.

While it was widely expected that majoritarianism or the will of the majority community would enjoy a new lease of life and acquire an unprecedented prominence, such gloomy predictions have not come to pass.

On the contrary, deeply mindful of the importance of all shades of minority opinion, the Government has not only included, for instance, a representative of a prominent Muslim political party currently in the Government, in its official delegation but also called on the Muslim community to name its representative to the ceasefire talks.

There is a vast difference, therefore, in the current effort to kickstart the peace process and those previous efforts at conflict-resolution. Whereas the previous endeavours were not powered by a national consensus, the current one is and by virtue of this fact could be said to be more democratic in character.

Thus, an essential precondition for success in conflict-resolution could be said to be present this time round. That is, a near Southern consensus on resolving the conflict.

Whereas in previous times the LTTE could claim that any emerging solution could be sabotaged in the South itself, the possibility of this issue being raised has been prevented considerably.