National Christian Council urges voters to reject corrupt candidates
Following a Supreme Court ruling, the calendar of Sri Lanka’s presidential election is expected in days. The Christian advocacy group urges candidates to limit the powers of the presidency and work on healing the wounds still left open 15 years after the end of the civil war.
Colombo (Asia News) – The National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCC) has welcomed a recent Supreme Court decision that reiterated the need to hold the presidential election by the end of the year, in compliance with the Constitution.
Just as the Election Commission of Sri Lanka stated that it will announce the calendar of presidential election within the next two weeks, the NCC calls on all Sri Lankan voters to exercise the power inherent in their vote with diligence and responsibility.
The Christian advocacy organisation urges voters to reject candidates “facing charges of corrosive corruption, racism, and heinous crimes,” reminding voters that “the root causes of the current economic crisis are essentially political."
“The economic mismanagement that has plagued the country in recent years, the corrosive corruption, and the expenditure on vanity projects that lacked any economic justification, were possible because there were inadequate checks and balances on those who exercised political power, ineffective scrutiny of the executive and the coopt[at]ion of the legislature, so that there were no effective accountability mechanisms as well,” the NCC statement reads.
The NCC renews its call for the abolition of a powerful presidency, regardless of the office holder or the political party he or she represents.
"The over-mighty presidential system also nullifies other democratic institutions. We note that in the past most presidential candidates in successive elections have promised to abolish the executive presidency during their election campaigns but conveniently ignored this once elected to office.”
The NCC urges all presidential candidates to “commit to support the abolition of the executive presidency within a specified period and implement it without fail."
The Christian group also cites the legitimate grievances of northern and eastern Tamil community that led to the war and massive polarisation between the country's main ethnic groups, noting that the interethnic conflict can only be resolved through a political solution that addresses its root causes, including the discrimination endured by certain groups.
In addition, it says that it is also important to address the genuine aspirations of the Malayaha Makkal in plantation areas, communities who have been denied dignity and other human rights for decades.
Fifteen years after the end of the civil war, the military and various government agencies still occupy land, impose restrictions, and engage in intimidation and the suppression of dissent, even preventing certain communities from remembering their dead.
Finally, the NCC notes that the vote is a political-spiritual act, an opportunity for voters to express compassion and solidarity with all marginalised and vulnerable groups, to build a better country for all and ensure the prosperity and well-being of their homeland.
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