With the election of Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the National People’s Power (NPP) to the Presidency, Sri Lanka is on the cusp of a new era in governance. The rallying cry of the Aragalaya (Struggle) in 2022 was “System Change” a.k.a. a complete change in governance. This was a call to do away with the traditional party politics that had led the country to socio-economic ruin just 75 years after Independence.
In President Dissanayake, the voters saw a candidate who could effect a System Change in a meaningful way. His manifesto calls for a complete overhaul of the status quo that had made politicians rich at the expense of the people. Voters saw how some politicians, who rode push bicycles at the start of their political careers, amassed wealth for several generations in just a few years. Their sole aim was to accumulate wealth through corruption and malpractices.
The economic crisis of 2022, brought about by economic mismanagement and corruption of successive Governments, was the catalyst that changed public attitudes towards local politics. The people realised that they had been taken for a ride by politicians who wanted to fatten up their pockets. All this time, corrupt politicians had appeared as saviours of the people, only to rob the public purse.
In this light, the victory of President Dissanayake at the September 21 Presidential Election was a foregone conclusion. The electorate had made up its mind to vote for a candidate untainted by corruption allegations. True, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe played a commendable role in alleviating the hardships faced by the people vis-à-vis the economic crisis. But then, he was surrounded on the political stage by many Ministers and MPs who had corruption allegations against them. One of them had even been found guilty of extortion and given a suspended sentence by the Courts. Likewise, many of those who were involved in Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s campaign were equally loathed by the public due to their corrupt activities. And the less we say about political scion Namal Rajapaksa, the better.
Now the real work must begin, to address the expectations and aspirations of the masses. As President Dissanayake correctly said, he is now the President for all Sri Lankans, including those who voted for his electoral opponents. He made the correct call in appointing Dr. Harini Amarasuriya as the Prime Minister. Even though the absence of even a single female candidate at the Presidential Election was a telling indictment on male domination in local politics, President Dissanayake has rectified that anomaly to some extent through this well-deserved appointment.
Moreover, she is the first female to have reached this coveted position without having any familial political connections, unlike most other women in local politics. She is also one of the most educated professionals to have entered local politics, male or female. This is a combination that we should see more of in local politics – educated, professional women. We hope that all political parties will heed this call at the forthcoming General Election (GE). It should also be an opportunity to discard all corrupt elements in the respective political parties and give an opportunity to young, educated, professional candidates.
Electoral circumstances have dictated a rather small Cabinet of four this time, but after the GE, the Cabinet should be pruned down to around 15. Sri Lanka usually has bloated Cabinets, as leaders are forced to accommodate crossovers and favourites for political expediency. On the other hand, countries that have far bigger populations have a maximum of 15 in the Cabinet, for the most crucial subjects.
As discussed in this space last week, President Dissanayake must give priority to the economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already expressed its willingness to work with the new administration and President Dissanayake has reiterated that he too is willing to continue the dialogue with the IMF. But as promised, he must renegotiate the terms of the deal, especially with regard to taxation. After all, many professionals left the country solely due to this reason.
Law and Order should be another priority. There simply cannot be one set of laws for politicians and another for the ordinary people. We have never seen the Police giving a ticket to any politician, whereas in other countries even Prime Ministers have been fined for speeding and not wearing seat belts. These are simple steps that can make a difference. The new President must also end the practice of politicians and security top brass using backup vehicles and motorcades. There is no need for this “boru show” in peacetime and in any case, it is a huge waste of vehicles, fuel and manpower. Two police officers are more than enough even for a Cabinet Minister. However, as per protocol, the Head of State, Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader must be given adequate security.
The elimination of corruption and the prosecution of those who bankrupted the country must also be taken up urgently. There should be no clemency for those who have been named by the Supreme Court as being responsible for the economic debacle of 2022. The new administration must also pursue in earnest measures to bring back the ill-gotten monies parked abroad by these very same elements and unscrupulous businesspersons. All cases pertaining to corruption must be expedited and the guilty punished. No politician or any other person with corruption allegations against them must be allowed to leave the country.
If all these steps and more can be taken within the next two months or so, President Dissanayake can expect to gain a bigger mandate at the GE to push his progressive agenda forward and guide the nation in a new direction.
