Many of us were not only disappointed, but also disheartened when Milinda Moragoda was not elected to parliament, for he stood for value based politics. His initiative to set up a new political party, inspired by the principles and values that were associated with the Ceylon National Congress of yesteryear, was considered most timely. Unfortunately, party politics being what it is in this country, he did not succeed on this occasion, but we take heart from the fact that he has stated that he would continue to campaign for those values he considers sacred.

Minister Moragoda has recently, in an address at the graduation ceremony of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of the Council of Legal Education, stated, “Today in Sri Lanka, after 30 years of conflict and violence, we must take stock of our democracy……. I would argue that the corrosive impact of this conflict has destroyed our institutions, affected our values and ideals and torn our society apart. Instead of a well balanced and functioning democracy, we have an angry society where hatred, jealousy, greed and selfishness are all too common. Our society has undergone this transformation incrementally, almost imperceptibly. In this post-conflict period, which offers unlimited opportunities and every reason for people and parties to come together to work towards a better future, we appear to be having to contend with the residual impact of the trauma we have collectively endured”.

Politics in this country has been described as a blood sport-governed by the rules of the slum — where the criminal underworld rules and where the scum of our society predominate. Politicians were for some years the patrons of the scum, but the wheel appears to have turned and the scum from the slums, with their values, have begun to lord it over the politicians. Some have even become politicians.

But it was not always like this, during the time of the Ceylon National Congress, politics was value driven; the politician valued his self respect. That was a time when our politicians both of the ‘left‘ and the ‘right’ would stand-up and defend unswerving commitments to civic commitments. Such a cadre of politicians would stand-up for a core of such progressive convictions; defending areas of national sovereignty in general, irrespective of personal self-aggrandizement considerations. Almost all our politicians of yore came to serve, and almost all of them pauperized themselves. The Sri Lanka National Congress is committed to restoring those values.

Moragoda, the leader of the SLNC, has decried the increasingly expensive, wasteful and vulgar campaigning including the putting up of posters and cutouts, and in the engaging of vitriolic rhetoric or character assassination from public platforms. He has called for change in the electoral laws of this country, to ensure free and fair elections, as we had till 1977.

A well known political commentator recently wrote of the two elections in 1960, when the putting up of posters etc. were unlawful, there was a code of conduct and election expenses had to be declared. The election of March 1960 was a history making one, when the Prime Minister (that truly great democratic politician, Wijenanda Dahanayake) conducted the cleanest election we have held in this country. It would be recalled that he himself lost his seat and left that same night for home by the late bus from outside Temple Trees. Such were the politicians of yesteryear.

Those were also times when politicians were unseated by court for having exceeded stipulated election expenses. To what depths have we deteriorated today. Moragoda seeks to have legal limits imposed on election expenditure. This is an absolute must. In addition to this (as the making of the laws of a society is the most sacred of all actions that could be undertaken in any society) it has been suggested that a minimum qualification be required to be a Member of Parliament.

Moragoda had in his Agenda for cooperation with the government, invited the public to stay engaged with him even after the election period, in the hope that they will committed to these principles and seek to have them implemented even at a future date. Let us now examine some aspects of his Agenda:

He seeks to change the political culture prevailing in this country; and among the initiatives/goals he set out are, to “Transform our angry society into a compassionate one”, to work with religious leaders to create a new political culture, and to encourage civil society movements and organisations to become partners in building our nation.

He has also sought to set up a Social and Economic Council consisting of respected religious leaders and eminent members of civil society to develop and implement a strategy for a national reconciliation and consensus-building process to unite people not divide communities. This is an absolutely laudable goal that needs to be supported.

Moragoda also referred to the importance of creating and empowering ‘Residents Associations’, this is certainly a much overdue matter; we need not only ‘Residents Associations’ but also Community Policing to go with it; for instance in Wellawatte there should be 20 police posts, one post covering three lanes. The police officers could work with the Residents Associations to prevent crime. If they win the confidence of the public they would also obtain valuable information for crime prevention.

The SLNC promised to sponsor 48 community projects for the urban poor who today live in slums. Those who have visited these human hell holes would tell you of what they are. Moragoda’s intention is to give these unfortunate people a better life. That would indeed be an achievement and a meritorious act. The government should also most seriously consider having a minister in charge of the huge network of canals in Colombo District. As advocated by Moragoda the canals could be used for many purposes and could be a source of income to many.

The Sri Lanka National Congress had also listed “Fighting crime, drugs and alcoholism”. Whilst preventing crime may be feasible, taking on the drug barons, some of whom are politicians, is another story considering the fact that drugs are a multi million rupee business in Sri Lanka. It is nevertheless a worthy cause and goal to create a drug free country.

An extremely important area which the Agenda addressed was the matter of ‘Corruption’, that of course cannot be wiped out from the face of planet Earth, but we certainly should seek to minimize it. It was only after 1977 and the big projects that corruption went into a gallop; the ‘commission system’ has indeed been refined, (if that’s the word) today. Both, the giver, who seeks to advance his business and the taker who may be unable to resist the temptation are guilty.

The SLNC also has another very important initiative, namely to have a Right to Information Act. This is indeed a first step, and as the Agenda suggests, creates space and encourages civil society to actively participate in the “Right to Information” process, with adequate safeguards for national security and legitimate privacy concerns. This is an initiative which must be supported by the media, who would be the biggest beneficiaries.

I am reliably informed that Moragoda is intending to mount a major island-wide campaign, using the media and civil society to take this message to the people. I was particularly happy to learn that he intends to set up offices in five provinces as a pilot project and to hold seminars and workshops and also have street theatre to take the message to the people. This is indeed a laudable undertaking which needs to be supported.

The SLNC has also advocated that those in public office declare their assets and also the assets of their families. The Congress also seeks to have the Bribery Act amended to enable the Commission to take note of all instances of corruption, not merely those formally brought to the attention of the Commission. The SLNC Agenda also calls for the enactment of a Victims and Witness Protection Bill and the streamlining of the criminal justice process, they also seek to have the Administration of Justice Law re-introduced, which is in the interest of the litigant and accords with the concept of Justice. The Congress seeks to enthrone the Rule of Law in this country.

The Agenda of the SLNC also called for a credible devolution framework that meets the aspirations and addresses the grievances of all communities, particularly those living in the Northern and Eastern Provinces; there is no question that we must address the grievances of the minorities without further delay. They must be made to feel that they are also equal citizens of this country, towards that end the SLNC calls for the re-introduction of the Equal Opportunities Bill once again.

The SLNC has also committed itself to ensuring that the minorities, who live in the north and east of our country, are politically empowered to decide on their own destiny, to the furthest possible extent that is compatible within a united Sri Lanka. This is certainly the issue to which the government should give the highest priority in the national interest. The minorities in our country must be able to live with dignity, in security and as equal citizens in this country, which is as much theirs as it is ours.

Moragoda may not have succeeded to get elected but we are glad that he has decided to keep his Sri Lanka National Congress alive, and continue his campaign to establish a compassionate and just society, where human rights are respected and the Rule of Law obtains, and where every citizen would feel proud to call himself or herself a Sri Lankan.