As widely expected, the National People’s Power (NPP) emerged victorious at the just-concluded general election but even seasoned political analysts were left stunned by the sheer scale of the landslide victory. In fact, this was the first time that a party had recorded a two-thirds majority on its own after the Proportional Representation electoral system was introduced.
A sequel to the triumph of its candidate President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the Presidential election held in September, this is a massive endorsement by the majority of voters of the NPP’s post-PE trajectory and program of work. The NPP victory at the general election was a foregone conclusion, judging by the lacklustre campaign conducted by the other political parties which all argued for a “Strong Opposition”.
The NPP victory, second time around, is a clear repudiation of traditional politics. For far too long, the country’s traditional political forces had banked on the gullibility of voters to reach the corridors of power. The Aragalaya that emerged from the economic crisis of 2022 was an eye-opener in that it laid bare the unfettered corruption, rampant nepotism and economic mismanagement of traditional political parties and Governments they helmed.
Only the NPP was able to harness the sentiments of the voters following the Aragalaya and channel them into a truly transformative Movement. After all, it was the only party not tainted by allegations of corruption and malpractices. Most of the other political parties, which earlier derided the NPP as the “Three percent” party, had to eat humble pie as Anura Kumara Dissanayake ascended to the Presidency. This was no easy feat, perhaps, without parallel anywhere in the world. Again, the credit should go to the voters who wanted to start with a clean slate and gave a mandate to the NPP.
With the Presidency and the House in the bag, the NPP should get to the task of nation-building in earnest, without any delay. As President Dissanayake said, despite the popular notion that Sri Lanka’s Presidency is all-powerful, there are still many things that cannot be accomplished by Presidential fiat. For example, Parliament is in charge of the country’s finances. This is part of the checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution so that any one of the three branches of Government (Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary) cannot ride roughshod over another.
Getting rid of corruption should be one of the first tasks of the new Government. While the three-member NPP Cabinet has taken some action in this regard, there is still a long way to go in terms of nabbing the biggest culprits, bringing back the loot stashed abroad, and, of course, checking corruption in its tracks even before it happens.
Transparency should be the watchword here. Any reader glancing through our sister newspaper, the Daily News, will notice scores of tender notices by various Government Departments and agencies. But no one knows how these contracts are awarded and to whom. It should be made mandatory to publish the names of tender awardees and the sums involved.
It is well known that politicians worldwide line their pockets with commissions and kickbacks from tenders and contracts. Some are also known to embezzle foreign aid. This is, in fact, how some of our politicians who did not even have a push bicycle when they entered politics are now riding in luxury limousines and living in palatial mansions. The NPP Government is well placed to check this abhorrent crime and to take legal action against those who have profited from it.
Bringing the Cost of Living (COL) down is another major challenge. Prices have risen astronomically after the economic crisis of 2022 to the point where even many essential items are almost beyond the reach of the average salary earner. The prices of many imported goods have not decreased, even though the Rupee has appreciated against the US Dollar. There are mafias and cartels that hoard essentials including rice to create an artificial shortage and jack up retail prices. These rings should be smashed and relief provided to consumers battered by the high COL.
The Government should also find ways and means of reducing the tax burden placed on the masses mainly through the high Value Added Tax which everybody, rich or poor, has to pay. This is grossly unfair, in the light of reports that many companies are yet to pay taxes, tariffs and duties amounting to billions of rupees to the Inland Revenue Department and Sri Lanka Customs. Apparently, all previous Governments have given a free pass to these entities, which seem to be well connected to powerful politicians. These monies should be recovered first before the public is called on to cough up funds for the Exchequer.
Last but not least, comes the challenge of uniting the country and forging a truly Sri Lankan identity. Having experienced a 30-year-war that pitted brother against brother and sister against sister, it is time to move on from parochial notions of ethnic identity. If the massive crowds that greeted President Dissanayake at a recent campaign rally in Jaffna and the subsequent clean sweep of Jaffna by the NPP is any indication, the Northern population has reposed confidence in the NPP Government to deliver a just and fair solution to the National Question.
However, we cannot move forward without coming to terms with our past. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and wish international scrutiny would go away. It won’t. We have to engage with the international community to resolve the outstanding human rights and accountability issues. That, more than anything else, will help heal a wounded nation.
