The bane of Sri Lankan politics is that it is dominated by various personalities belonging to the ruling elite or dynasties. Besides, there have emerged other leaders who are on empire building missions in the provinces.

These politicians bent on self-aggrandisement have become so powerful and influential that there are instances where even the national interest is subjugated to their whims and fancies. After an election, it is not the deserving politicians in the winning party who make it to the Cabinet but others capable of swaying the party leadership or holding it to ransom. The PR system that usually brings about weak governments has placed the party leaders at the mercy of ambitious politicians sans ability.

The UPFA, after its victory in the East, is faced with a situation where it has had to yield to political compulsions in appointing a Chief Minister. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is placed in an unenviable position. The new Chief Minister had not been named at the time of going to press, though it was speculated in some quarters that Pillaiyan would be the government’s choice.

It was heartening that Pillaiyan and Hisbullah had agreed to meet and settle the tussle over the chief minister’s post through a dialogue without going for each other’s jugular, thus setting an example to others. Similarly, they ought to realise that they must be prepared to compromise their ambitions and petty political agendas if it is the wellbeing of the eastern people that they are interested in. Only one person could be the Chief Minister at a time and the other has to play second fiddle. That is reality. If they are wise, they could take turns in that high post and make a tremendous contribution towards achieving ethnic harmony. Then only will both of them be in a win-win situation and their victory become meaningful to the people of the East.

The real issue in the East is not who will be the Chief Minister but how to achieve normalcy and help people who have suffered for twenty years or more owing to war to rebuild their lives. If Pillaiyan and Hisbullah lock horns and/or the ruling party and the Opposition resort to a tug-of-war in a bid to bring each other down, the people will continue to languish in the predicament they are in today and development will continue to elude them.

Plunging the East back into the depths of hopelessness will be the greatest disservice to Sri Lankan democracy. There are already signs of despondency setting in there. The task before Pillaiyan and Hisbullah, both of whom have risked their life and limb to help re-democratise the East, is to avoid ego trips after victory and join hands for the sake of the people.

Meanwhile, the UPFA should desist from unleashing the government propaganda hounds on the Opposition and try to secure its support to run the newly set up council for the benefit of the people. UNP National Organiser S. B. Dissanayake proposed the setting up of a ‘friendship council’ the other day.

That, we reckon, will be a tall order, given bitter acrimony that both sides are consumed with. All that they need to do is to prevent their political battles currently being fought in Parliament and in the southern parts of the country from spilling over into the East, where democracy is recuperating.