By Chula Goonasekera –

In a true democracy, the selection of candidates and the election process should involve the entire population equally. Unfortunately, our current election rules allow only a select few to become candidates without requiring any public endorsement, such as a stepwise regional election process within the party. Our system favours existing politicians and makes it virtually impossible to register a political party to address specific issues. It is a significant obstacle to a fair and inclusive democratic process. Despite the wishes expressed by the ordinary people during ‘Aragalaya 2022,’ we are left with mostly the same 225 candidates to choose from once again, a situation that should concern us all.

The election process in Sri Lanka is inherently biased, designed by politicians to serve their own interests rather than those of the electorate. The presidential election could be a straightforward meritocratic process, less costly and more transparent if the candidate with the most votes was declared the winner. However, the system is complicated by introducing a second count based on the 2nd and 3rd choices if no candidate secures more than 50% of valid votes in the first count. Since failing to achieve this majority is quite likely, the 2nd and 3rd choices become crucial. It is essential that we, as ordinary voters, recognise this nuance and use the opportunity to achieve the best possible democratic outcome. Make your vote count and avoid it being discarded. Did you know that using a ‘cross’ increases the likelihood of your vote being discarded in the first round unless it’s marked with a 2nd or 3rd choice or both?

Let’s consider a hypothetical scenario. There were six candidates, and voters used a ‘cross’ in the election. Candidate A received 32% of the vote and was declared the winner since no one marked 2nd or 3rd choices. In other words, we could elect a president with just 32% of the total valid votes cast.

Given our volatile situation, let’s hope most voters cast their ballots using the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices rather than just a single ‘cross’. In this scenario, only the top two candidates will remain in the race after the first count. The first-choice votes for candidates C, D, E, and F will be discarded, but their 2^nd  and 3^rd choices will now become valuable. If voters for D, C, E and F have selected A or B as their 2nd or 3rd choice, these votes will be added to the top two candidates’ counts. As a result, Candidate B might end up with 49 votes, which accounts for 52% between the two remaining candidates, and be elected. This demonstrates that in the current election, the best democratic outcome can only be achieved if everyone casts their votes with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices (M – මනාපේ).

It is wise to wait until mid-September to decide, then cast your first, second, and third choices on the 21^st for any potential front-runners, ensuring that your vote contributes maximally to the final outcome.

Thus, please vote; do not abstain. Remember, we are not a Nordic country. Our corruption index is now 34 and within the worst 1/3^rd among 180 countries. Thus, please vote and also do not use the cross. Instead, use all choices you can 1, 2, and 3.  This is the best democratic outcome that we can achieve from our tinkered election system rules.  Luxurious promises come and go in Sri Lankan politics. Thus, decide, based on the words ‘Character is Destiny’ by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who wrote it 3,000 years ago—dishonour criminality. Look at the track records for qualities such as honesty, integrity, pragmatism, respect, lawfulness, and understanding; your decision matters, and it deserves to be based on the candidates’ character.