Election chief stuck in the saddle

by Amal Jayasinghe
Dayananda Dissanayake wants to retire. The 62-year-old Sri Lankan election chief has suffered five heart attacks in recent years and says he has had enough. The only problem is that he’s not allowed to.

Under the Constitution, Dissanayake — entrusted with overseeing the third parliamentary election in four years — will have to stay in the job until a three-person commission due to replace him has been appointed.

But President Chandrika Kumaratunga has refused to name the commissioners and Dissanayake has been kept on way past the mandatory retirement age of 60 in this former British colony.

"I may remain the commissioner till the year 3000," he said recently.

"I went to the supreme court because I wanted to retire." He told the court he had suffered five heart attacks due to his highly stressful job, but his plea went unanswered.

A further quirk of the constitution means that if Dissanayake were to die, Friday’s election would have to be postponed.

Kumaratunga has not said why she is blocking the new commissioners but political sources say she is unhappy with at least one nominee put forward through a bipartisan process.

In the meantime, Dissanayake has no choice but to remain in the saddle and conduct a gruelling election in which a record 6,024 candidates representing 24 political parties and 192 independent groups are vying for 225 seats.

Despite his failing health, Dissanayake appears fighting fit and shuns personal protection. He is also no pushover.

Dissanayake said he will set in place "secret measures" to prevent rigging and malpractice and also for the first time order fresh polling in areas where balloting is marred by violence on polling day.

He is also inviting foreign observers and giving unprecedented access to local poll monitors to go into booths — in sharp contrast to previous polls when such entry was denied.

Dissanayake may be an unhappy man on the job but he is becoming the darling of poll monitors, who are pouring millions of rupees to ensure a freer election. (AFP)