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Strengthening the sword of sovereignty

16 Jan 2021

To the best of our knowledge, there are only two countries on the planet that depict a sword on their national flag – one is Sri Lanka and the other is Saudi Arabia. The juxtaposition of the two could not be more striking. Sri Lanka has been a thriving democracy; in fact, the oldest in Asia, governed by an elected legislature, while the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains an absolute monarchy devoid of a legislature. The national flag of Sri Lanka, first adopted in 1948, with subsequent modifications in 1951 and 1972, has had the lion holding a sword since inception, depicting the sovereignty of the nation. This is in harmony with the Constitution of the Republic, which has reposed absolute sovereignty exclusively in the people of Sri Lanka. Therefore, the elected government derives its power directly through the will of the people, which remains the fountain of power for sovereignty.  The bedrock of a democracy is the right to elect a representative of one’s choice, and that right is fundamentally connected to the constitutionally guaranteed right to free expression. Over the years, those in authority more often than not have been tempted to toy with this fundamental democratic principle as a means of stifling dissention, forgetting that the right to dissent is in itself a pillar of a democratically governed sovereignty. Many governments, especially those that were elected with an overwhelming majority, have more often than not fallen to the temptation, with profound consequences for the country. Examples of such attempts are many, and the country continues to bear the painful scars of such attempts, even through the veneer of a healed nation.  Up until 2009, it was relatively easy to put a lid on dissention in the name of national security and the war at the time. However, since the end of the war and the proliferation of media platforms, especially social media, governments have struggled to contain dissention, often resorting to tactics not in keeping with evolving times and technology, painting themselves into a corner. Governments then and now, often dizzy with the “people’s mandate” in resorting to such constrictive action, have almost always regretted such action.   What our rulers often tend to forget is that no Government, either then or now, has ever obtained more than one-third of the votes of the actual population, even though around 20% on average are ineligible to vote due to being underage. But their voice more often than not influences the way the adults around them cast their vote, more so in today’s technologically advanced context. Therefore, it must be noted that two-thirds of the population are in effect silent observers of how their leaders perform.  In a traditional sense, it is the Opposition that is expected to give leadership to this group and speak on their behalf. The current Opposition seems to be up to the task, which is what has ruffled feathers, which in turn has resulted in a local as well as international outcry.   Being that as it may, with the Opposition getting its act together, the once-mighty United National Party (UNP) seems lost at sea, with no sense of whether it is coming or going. As things stand, one is at a loss to understand where it actually stands, whether it is part of the Opposition or the Government, for it continues to maintain a deafening silence on the matters that matter, despite the hullabaloo of the past week involving two of its former stalwarts.  For all intents and purposes, the UNP Leader seems hell-bent on a suicidal course by yet again going back on his word of installing a new leadership for the umpteenth time. In his signature style, he has bided his time till things cooled down within the party, and has now re-established himself as Leader. The usual musical-chairs charade has been executed for cosmetic purposes and he is probably of the belief that the party faithful would have fallen for this clapped-out ruse, and will now come flocking back to the party fold. For a man that counts over 40-plus years of political activism, he has shown a shocking inability to read the writing on the wall.   The UNP’s primary failing has been its failure to comprehend the changing demographics of its base vote, which comprises the more educated, urban population as opposed to the less educated and more emotionally driven rural base – which has been acquired lock, stock, and barrel by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP). What the UNP base expects, or rather, expected the last time around, was performance, defined as delivery of promises. That did not happen. Rather than catching the villains as promised, it became the villain. The rest is history. Now, at a time when its voice should be heard, it continues to falter and fail. The Leader is busy playing his stale old game of getting rid of those aspiring to the leadership and surrounding himself with non-entities. His and the party’s fate is sealed.   Sri Lanka’s sword of sovereignty has undergone many a test of fire in the recent past owing to its political leaders. Their actions and inaction have resulted in riots, rebellions, insurrections, and a three-decade war. Yet Sri Lanka, as a country, has come out stronger on the other side. As Hollywood Actor and Former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger recalled last week in response to the insurrection at the US Capitol, “the more you temper a sword, the stronger it becomes”, adding “the more you pound it with a hammer and thrust it in fire, then water and fire again, the stronger it becomes”.  At the rate our democracy has been made to undergo these very same elements in the recent past, it should be pretty strong by now, and surely it shows. Two years ago, when an elected government was thrown out by an irritated Executive, the sovereign was mature enough to act with restraint and pursue the democratic means of redress through recourse to the law. Though two years later it may seem like a blip in our colourful political history, it is these events of fire and water that have strengthened our democracy and created the resilience to bounce back stronger.  It is in that spirit that it is important for the Opposition to not only play its part, but be provided the space to do so within the Constitutional framework. How the Opposition chooses to engage in that duty is entirely up to them, as long as they respect the laws of the land. At the end of the day, both fire and water are needed to strengthen the sword that the lion of Lanka so proudly holds.  Therefore, it is incumbent upon the powers that be, to ensure that not only the Opposition but ordinary people with divergent views are allowed to express themselves within the constitutionally provided space, which in the end can only strengthen the pillars of our democratic edifice.  Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are the most sacred of fundamental rights, and invariably the most violated as well. As Evelyn Beatrice Hall recounted in her biography of Voltaire, expounding the latter’s belief: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”  The day our rulers aspire to this democratic idealism and choose, on their own accord, to embrace this enlightened world view, would be the day that the sword of our sovereignty, so proudly held by the Lion of Lanka, attains its true strength.

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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