No Need For Repeater Weapons If Free & Fair Elections Take Place

DR  Jehan Perera
 

The government’s decision to provide every MP with two repeated weapons is an indication of concern about an escalation of violence that might target parliamentarians as the election approaches. A defence ministry letter to the parliamentary secretariat states that in view of the violence of the Aragalaya period, a decision has been made to provide every MP with two repeater weapons for which they need to make payment. This is in addition to the semi-automatic pistol which MPs are entitled to obtain for personal protection. The shotguns obtained through this facility can be retained even in the event the MP exits Parliament, on the basis that the licence is maintained and renewed annually.

The government’s concerns about a repeat of Aragalaya conditions needs to be questioned. The situation today is different from that which existed two years ago. The Aragalaya protests of 2022 arose in a context in which the government in power had won a mandate from the people at the presidential elections of 2019 and the general elections of 2020, and had a legal right to continue in power. Unfortunately, that government showed no signs of wanting to step down and give up power despite their abject failure to deliver the basic essentials to the people. Therefore, the only way to pressurize such a government to leave office was to publicly protest against it. Today, by way of contrast, the term of the president is coming to its legal end, and the people have the right to vote for...