{"id":123460,"date":"2014-04-20T00:02:10","date_gmt":"2014-04-19T18:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=123460"},"modified":"2014-04-27T02:02:19","modified_gmt":"2014-04-26T20:32:19","slug":"when-the-law-is-plaything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/when-the-law-is-plaything\/","title":{"rendered":"When The Law Is \u2018Plaything’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Malinda Seneviratne<\/span><\/a> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Malinda<\/a>

Malinda Seneviratne<\/p><\/div>\n

The gains made by the Democratic Party (DP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) at the recently concluded elections for the Southern and Western Provincial Councils, along with modest performances by the ruling party and the main opposition party as well as a relatively lower voter turnout can be read in many ways.\u00a0 One explanation has been dissatisfaction with the law and order situation in the country.<\/p>\n

This is not about rise in crime. \u00a0It is not about a blanket dismissal of all entities coming under the Defence Ministry.\u00a0 After all there\u2019s been no objection whatsoever about the operations that led to the elimination of a group that sought to re-invent the LTTE.\u00a0 What probably demanded disapproval to the point that many stayed home while other gravitated to the DP and JVP (and not the UNP) is the abysmal track record of this government when it comes to dealing with the vexed issue of politicians playing policemen and policemen playing bystanders.<\/p>\n

Certain crimes are solved at amazing speed.\u00a0 Kidnappers are nabbed and abducted children rescued in record time.\u00a0 The whole business of capturing Gobi<\/span><\/a>, Appan and Thevian, all hardcore terrorists, along with the entire network of operatives was swiftly done.\u00a0 Thus incompetence is a non-factor.\u00a0 The police and other investigative entities of the state are more than capable of bringing to book criminals.\u00a0 They can uphold the law and enforce it too. If and when they want to. Therein lies the catch.\u00a0 In other words there are \u2018untouchables\u2019 in the business of maintaining law and order.<\/p>\n

During the last election, there was an incident where thugs working for one of the ruling party candidates assaulted a fellow candidate from the same party.\u00a0 The police refused to act on the complaint.\u00a0 Friends of the victim had to use all resources they could muster to do their own investigation and then call upon high-ups known to them before the perpetrators could be apprehended.\u00a0 A senior minister was part of these moves.\u00a0 If that\u2019s what it takes for justice to take its natural course in instances such as the one described, then what hope is there for an ordinary citizen who is not thus endowed if and when he\/she has to deal with an abusive politician?<\/p>\n

These things are noticed. They are known. They are talked about.\u00a0 Some may take it as a \u2018systemic inevitable\u2019 but others will fault those who are able to but do nothing about correcting these flaws.\u00a0 Some may stay at home and others will choose to \u2018teach a lesson\u2019.\u00a0 The dynamics will no doubt be different when it comes to major elections when other issues come into play, but these \u2018minor\u2019 elections can make \u2018loyalists\u2019 do a bit of \u2018betrayal\u2019.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, lesson-teaching can have consequences, especially if it is felt that lessons are not being learned.\u00a0 In 1994, for example, the People\u2019s Alliance (PA) led by Chandrika Kumaratunga<\/span><\/a> won not on account of the lady\u2019s alleged charisma or some kind of manifesto-edge the party enjoyed over the UNP; it was largely about \u2018had enough\u2019. \u00a0Things add up.\u00a0 True, even then the PA secured only a wafer-thin majority in Parliament and Sarath N Silva hadn\u2019t issued a determination that made for large scale \u2018purchase\u2019 of MPs by the ruling party, but 1994 was nevertheless a turning point.<\/p>\n

We are a long way from a 21st<\/sup> Century version of 1994.\u00a0 We won\u2019t get another 1977 anytime soon either.\u00a0 We won\u2019t get another \u2018LTTE time\u2019 if we are alert enough.\u00a0 We might, however, get to 1988-89 not because people are starving to the point of desperation (the wine stores and clothing stores were full during \u2018Avurudu\u2019 and even a cursory glance at Diyatha Uyana on a holiday would make the UNP\u2019s doomsday predictions sound hollow) but because they feel they are lesser citizens vis-\u00e0-vis the politician.<\/p>\n

This government is not only saying \u2018the law is our plaything\u2019 it is giving a green light to the lawless.\u00a0 Those who are left out of this game will find the government a more tangible target to vent anger on than hooded thugs that prey on the random helpless.\u00a0 It might take the \u2018lesser form\u2019 of picking Hirunika Premachandra<\/span><\/a> in order to let the powers that be know that bending over backwards to protect Duminda Silva<\/span><\/a> is nauseating.\u00a0 It might take a more potent form of looking for a default -option outside the UPFA.\u00a0 It could also take violent form which needless to say won\u2019t change status quo but would probably plunge the country into a blood-letting situation that no one really wants or would applaud.<\/p>\n

The primary flaw here is the callous disregard for system and a preference for a case-by-case approach which of course is basically a play of protecting favorites.\u00a0 Systems, logic, strategies and such are what made it possible to defeat the LTTE. Systems are not perfect but they tend to deliver more than random, hit-miss, one-off tactics.<\/p>\n

This is about elections and regime-preservation, which of course are what politicians are most concerned about.\u00a0 It is also about squandering all the positives of eliminating terrorism just because egos get in the way and because \u2018friends must help friends\u2019. That\u2019s politics.\u00a0 It is not statesmanship.\u00a0 Whatever you want to call it, a door is slowly being opened for anarchy.\u00a0 When that door swings open fully, there\u2019s no telling who will be left to tell the tale.\u00a0 The UNP regime prevailed over the JVP, the TULF\/TNA survived the passing of the LTTE, but many in these political parties didn\u2019t live to see \u2018Victory Day\u2019.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a problem that politicians must resolve, especially those in the UPFA.\u00a0 As for the people, they have little choice in \u2018methodology\u2019.\u00a0 Having \u2018little choice\u2019 is breeding ground for insurrection.\u00a0 It constitutes \u2018final push\u2019 from apathy to action.<\/p>\n

*Malinda Seneviratne is the Chief Editor of \u2018The Nation\u2019\u00a0and his articles can be found at\u00a0www.malindawords.blogspot.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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