“I have understood you’re problems”
Duminda Silva has a pretty good website. The martial music hits you, but if you turn it off there’s a lot of content. He is basically giving stuff away, building houses, throwing money around. And people need money, God knows they need money. But where does it come from?
I don’t know where Duminda’s money comes from. I won’t get into that.
A lot of politicians get their money from the underworld or drugs. Where else do you get envelopes, bags and suitcases of cash? Sri Lanka’s drug industry is no joke – especially kudu, or heroin. Most alcohol consumption is also illicit homebrew, kasippu. There is any amount of money flowing under Colombo, especially in part where sewers don’t flow. This drug and black money that keeps the hood down is also what politicians end up flashing around, giving the illusion that it props the hood up.
How this bad loop works is that it plays on the existential needs of both groups, that is, their need to exist. A politician needs money to exist and to win votes, and people need money to pay medical bills or put the kids in school. Hence it flows. How do you break the cycle?
The first and most obvious way is time. Left broadly undamaged, a society flows towards better politics, ranging from kingship to feudalism to democracy to some kind of sensible socialism. This is theoretical, but the demonstrable fact is that as a people become less poor they become more empowered.
More directly, however, it is possible to reform the electoral system. For one thing, it only makes sense to return to ward politics, where a rep represents a discernable area. MPs are now elected from such wide and diverse swathes of land that they have to spend almost nationally to get the votes and thus cannot possibly comprehend the needs there, let alone address them. Even if they build three schools and tar the roads, unless they can show up on TV they’ll be out. And so the drug money. Then the real constituents are the money bags, not the people.
Another thing is some degree of public financing. This will never be complete, but the government should use state resources for elections. All candidates should be given some time on state TV, newspapers, and the use of some state hoardings. This can’t be party based, but it can at least give some hope of communicating content. Right now all a candidate really communicates is their name and a completely random number. However, when you get in the booth, that is what matters. We should make it so that others issues have room to matter.
Personally, I also think that names and faces should be posted outside of the polling booth, and that even a platform should be available on polling day. Make it standard and not an ad, perhaps the answers to a few questions. Then at least you get voters as they’re voting and communicate something more useful as than a number.
Third, in addition to public financing, private financing can get better. Small mobile donations are a start. Sri Lanka is not America where online donations can upend the whole system, but they can make a difference. I also think there should be a centralized web portal where you can get info about all the candidates, and where all the candidates can raise funds. You should also be able to SMS a candidates number to make a donation off your mobile bill. This would at least be a start to breaking a hold that black money has over our politics, and the black characters that emerge like Duminda Silva.
The problem with private financing is that the politicians become indebted to the people who donate to their campaign. While in an ideal world we can hope these people actually support the policies of the party they donate to and don’t expect anything in return… that’s not quite the case.
If it is the drug lords who ‘lend’ money for campaigns, then that politician would probably have to provide that drug lord with protection (the whole having friends in high places) and if it’s a business then they’ll expect the politician to support them, advertise their products and use them at a higher cost while spending tax money.
With the convolution of corruption, I think the solution would be for the government to determine a set amount that parties can use for campaigning and each party should account for how they spend it. And of course, equal state resources should be allocated as well.
This way the strings of underworld can be cut off from politics and the government can ensure that tax money isn’t squandered.
I always thought the propaganda ban as election day (especially electronic propaganda) neared was completely irrational. But I guess it’s the “name and number, now go xxx” mentality that makes it necessary. :/
Agree that we need to return to a seat-based system. The district system is not working and has made distanced the voter even more from his ‘representative’, or ‘member’ ;) as he used to be called.
Black money will continue to flow, but at least if people of a seat get to select their representative, who is directly responsible to them, there is a hope that democracy in this country can become less “oh noez, another election?!” and more “let’s go vote, foo’!”. (I suck at this, no?)
In the specific circumstances of Sri Lanka, where the state holds enormous power over the private sector, it will be deadly to the opposition to require disclosure of campaign contributions. This is not America, where companies (or even individuals) can be assured of no retribution.
I am told that even now there is some public financing. Everyone should not get the same amount, so one would need a good formula. Otherwise people might contest for the funding! Micro contributions over the phone is a great idea. Should not prohibit the larger contributions, but good micro payment may displace some of the money that comes in paperbags.
One key action would be to reduce the costs of campaigning. Going to wards, at least for local government elections, is an obvious solution. But the office of Mayor/Chairman is an executive office, more powerful than that of a Chief Minister of a Province on many counts. It may be best to have that person accountable to entire electorate. Then of course, bring down the costs of advertising in media.
The election law needs to be rethought. For example, the reason why there is a ban on campaigning on the last two days is to rest the Police. Unthinkingly the Elections Commissioner extends this colonial rule to media and the Internet.
All this should be tried at Local Govt level first. The legislation is in limbo, stuck in committee stage in Parliament. I think also that the census results are needed to implement. So this is the window. Would be interesting if netizens engage and shape the law. Now that all the LG elections, except two are done, the time is right.
Without some transparency regarding campaign finances – e.g., at least a statement of total income and details of where this was spent that can be audited, I am not convinced that micro-contributions will displace the black money that gets put into political campaigns for two main reasons:
(a) there will still be people (be they corporations or underworld figures) who want to buy influence; and
(b) if there is no obligation to account for campaign contributions, what is to dissuade the politician from pocketing the extra funds generated from the micro-contributions??
Whilst the original reasons for stopping campaigning two days before the election might be archaic, I do think it is appropriate that voters should be given some space to consider their voting choices without being influenced by campaigners. So maybe campaigning should be allowed until the day of the election, but banned on the day itself. The problem with people being unable to remember the number associated with their candidate can be resolved by posting a standardised list of candidates names, photographs, parties and numbers inside the polling booth.
I agree that campaign spending and finance is a complex issue that needs careful thought. Whether there is the political will on the part of *any* of the parties to have an open discussion about this and develop some effective proposals is another matter entirely.
Well said Puppeteer.
I would suggest we go to a purely state financed campaign, with no private money (including the candidates own), this is the only way to ensure that policies, not money wins the day.
Kudu duminda’s site may have to shut down. RIP.
Kudu Duminda should not come out. He is a danger to the public as he is not a normal human being like the madman he works for at the defence ministry along with lakshman hulugalle. Look at his arms and body. drugs and steriods. Sick man. Maybe Gotabaya should also be given some steriods and kudu,