National Elections Commission (NEC) Chairman Nimal Punchihewa like his predecessor Mahinda Deshapriya is playing a proactive role, going by the various proposals he has been making in recent times to make the Commission a more positive and dynamic one. In the past, all those who headed the NEC confined themselves to supervising the holding of elections from time to time. They did not go beyond this routine task. However Punchihewa has decided to move away from this straitjacket and be an active participant in all aspects of the elections and beyond. It was only recently that he suggested far reaching changes to the proposed new Constitution affecting the conduct of elections and rules and conduct governing Parliamentarians.
Among the NEC recommendations to be included in the new Constitution is a proposal to make it compulsory for each candidate who enters Parliament after the conclusion of an election to submit accurate information regarding his/her campaign funding within 30 days of the release of the result, with powers vested in the NEC to unseat such candidates upon failure to comply. In the case of a defeated candidate action is to be taken on the basis of violation of the election law.
He also wanted a proposal to be included in the new Constitution vesting the NEC with powers to unseat an MP who has failed to attend Parliament for at least one third of its sittings within the first two years and to expand the scope of a referendum to include seeking public opinion to determine whether or not a particular Act passed in Parliament would be acceptable to the public. He also wanted the practice of accommodating those outside the National List (NL) to be done away with and making it compulsory for NL vacancies to be filled not later than two weeks following the conclusion of a General Election.
Punchihewa also wanted the NEC to be granted the power to directly intervene to unseat an MP whose election to Parliament had been through fraud and questionable means instead of waiting for a rival to file an election petition. The NEC Head has now plunged into rather controversial terrain that nevertheless would receive the support of all right thinking members of the public – that of instilling discipline and good conduct among our erstwhile people’s representatives.
The NEC Chief wants all Provincial Governors to ensure that Local Government (LG) members behave themselves and carry out their obligations on behalf of their electors. No doubt, the regular bouts of fisticuffs during sessions in LG bodies may have spurred the NEC Head to play a more proactive and determined role in bringing a semblance of Order to the LG bodies.
TV recently showed members of the Attanagalla Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) trading blows among themselves with even female members getting involved in the melee resulting in one of them being taken away by an ambulance. There have been a string of such incidents in other local authorities including the harassment of female members, which makes one wonder if the vast amounts of money spent to maintain these bodies are worth the trouble.
One cringes when considering that these LG bodies are the training ground for MPs in waiting. One recalls the incident of a PS member assaulting a villager who brought to the notice of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa the neglected state of a road during one of his Gama Samaga Pilisandarak (Conversation with the Village) programmes, sometime ago. Shades of what to expect if some day these PS members were to enter Parliament.
Like he has suggested for intervening to unseat a MP dubiously elected, it would be salutary if the NEC Chief is given this power to act on his or her own to instill discipline at all levels. It is futile to expect action to be taken against LG members by the Governments in power, which, from what has been evident mollycoddle these characters for obvious reasons. The NEC Chief should be vested with the authority to get rid of all the bad eggs down the line.
This is a sure way of ensuring that Parliament will be spared the ignominy of having to accommodate individuals who are totally unsuitable to enter its hallowed sanctuary. This, in the long run, will also encourage those with an education and men and women of standing in society to venture into the field of politics and better serve the nation. Cleaning up of the Augean Stables should begin from scratch if we are to see decent individuals entering Parliament.
The NEC Chairman ideally should also play a proactive role in eliminating waste involving those elected to Parliament and ensuring that public funds are put into profitable use. MPs should be given only one Duty Free vehicle permit for the duration of their entire Parliamentary career and not be eligible multiple times for this expensive facility which they abuse each time they get elected. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who has won wide admiration for his efforts to cut down on waste and eliminate corruption, should give his attention to these important matters.
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