By Asoka S. Seneviratne –

Prof. Asoka.S. Seneviratne

“Former leaders owe the nation stolen assets and future generations. The nation gets the ruler they deserve.”

About three months ago, I wrote two articles for the Colombo Telegraph, focusing on the future of Sri Lanka politics with utmost certainty. ​”The End Of “Walawawa” Politics & The Beginning Of NPP Politics​” to explain the drastic change in the landscape of Sri Lanka politics, paving the way for a government headed by AKD/NPP, the reality of the ground now. I asserted that there is a massive challenge for the NPP, among many, because mounting hardships are the main reason people want the NPP in power on 21 September 2024. Furthermore, in this article, I concluded that people and the country need to consider many aspects of economic changes, both short-term and long-term. Also, in another article, “The Meaning of Rata Anurata” (the country is for ANURA), I asserted that it means New ERA, which embodies the people’s and nation’s future. I concluded that “given the ANURA’s vision, character, nature, and grassroots origin, together with the utmost credibility, transparency, and accountability, he will undoubtedly work to meet the people’s expectations without any return or benefit whatsoever. Accordingly, he will succeed massively on 21 September 2024, marking a turning point after 76 years of independence in 1948 based on stable economic growth and sustainable development to be on par with the developed countries in the region and the world, being free of corruption, adhering to law and order, and good governance-the meaning of “RATA ANURATA.”​Sri Lanka witnessed the expected outcome as AKD is the country’s president, facing challenges and resolving them systematically and step by step, reaching the goal of a corruption-free country with prosperity for all.

 Govt. Of  AKD/NPP in a thorny path for 6 weeks

Along with the end of “Walawa” politics and the beginning of the NPP politics, and the meaning of “RATA ANURARA,” the meeting of the expectations of the people and the country is the massive task and responsibility of the government headed by AKD/NPP along with economic and other challenges towards the recovery of the economy. It should be noted that Anura Kumara Dissanayake is heading an Interim Government with a three-member cabinet until the formation of a proper government after the Parliamentary Election on 14 November 2024. In short, people and the country do not expect a miracle after a few weeks of forming the new government. ​However, the government managed to make pension payments and provided fuel subsidies to farmers and fishermen based on the availability of resources or fiscal space was there to do so. Noticeable reductions in fuel prices offered relief for the public and the economy. The economy is still fragile, and the AKD/NPP government is committed to working with the parameters of the IMF program. Recently, the government team went to the IMF​ and had discussions, including several critical amendments to the IMF program, with the utmost commitment to providing relief to the public. However, all, including the 3rd review of the IMF program, will be conducted after the 14 November Parliamentary Election, nothing hidden.

Apart from the economic challenges mentioned above, the US​  travel advisory related to possible terror attacks in Armugam Bay, the government responded swiftly, resorting to normalcy regarding national security concerns and safeguarding and protecting the tourism industry. Another massive challenge was related to two commission reports called for by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) about the 2019 Easter Sunday bomb attacks. Mr. Udaya Gammanpila thought the above was a bombshell to attack the government, but it was in vain, as many opposed Mr. Gammampila. Notably, the president stated that “Gammanpila had suddenly awoken from a deep slumber due to the fear of the probes being carried out by the government. Gammanpila is carrying out a contract for the real criminals. These people never wanted justice for the victims. They wanted to keep the culprits protected. Now they are in fear since we have started a proper probe”.

In short,  it indicated that Gammanpila is trying to discredit the ongoing investigations into the real criminals. On the other hand, it is widely known that  RW did not show any interest in implementing the recommendations of the Presidential Commission on Inquiry (PCoI). Instead, he appointed a new committee, the De Alwis committee, with the sole intention of taking political revenge against Ravi Seneviratne and Shani Abeysekara. ​However, the above wasted valuable time and energy for the government. Another essential matter that disturbed the government was the dead silence of the opposition parties, their concerns regarding the gazette issued by the President, the holding of Parliamentary Elections, and the date of the polls. As per the government, it was in order. Along with the above economic and other challenges, Elpitiya PS election results have strengthened the AKD/NPP government in the right direction.

AKD/NPP Govt. And Claims of RW   

RW had a humiliating defeat in the 2020 Parliamentary Elections, and he had another such defeat, as former opposition leader Sajith Premadasa defeated him during the last presidential election. Given the above, RW stated that he would neither contest nor play a role in the upcoming Parliamentary Election, and the public expected it to end his political life of RW. Contrarily to the above, RW is desperate for power, has become active in politics now, brutally attacking the AKD government behind the alliance of Gas Cylinder Symbol through statements and cluster meetings organized by his loyalists. He emphasized that AKD must implement his proposal for salary increases for public servants. Still, he forgot how he welcomed the public servants who demanded salary increases with tear gas and water cannons. Anyway, as I have explained from A to Z of his salary increase proposal with my Colombo Telegraph article, “AKD/NPP & Salary increase: Facts and Figures,” there is no need to write about it. However, this topic has come to an end as President AKD publicly pledged for a salary increase along with the next budget.​ Accusing the government of borrowing loans is another popular topic of the opposition. It seems that the opposition does not have the basic knowledge and understanding of the government borrowing through Treasury Bills, as it is customary that maturing loans are paid back by borrowing money,  irrespective of who or which party is in power. As I have responded to this with my article to Colombo Telegraph, “Does President AKD Borrow Money Like Ex-Prez Ranil?” there is no need to revisit the subject.

RW insists the AKD government reveal the outcome of the recent government discussions with the IMF, where there in nothing to hide by the government. Indeed, the IMF is happy that new government headed by AKD is doing well. RW is seriously concerned about whether the AKD government will be able to secure the next tranche from the IMF and obtain budgetary support funds from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank so that the government will be in crisis in April 2025; RW is daydreaming. The latest is that RW wants to teach Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya about the constitution because RW is a well-known gold medal winner or genius for working against the constitution and the judiciary. At the same time, RW must understand that more than fifty of his loyalist colleagues who followed and got political lessons from RW disappeared from the political stage following the last presidential election. RW can hardly organize even a cluster meeting, and he is desperately isolated, which is an excellent political lesson for him.       

 ​In short, unfortunately, RW cannot see any positive signs of the AKD government because he is deaf and blind due to the “class“ he belongs to, together with political immaturity at age 75. As usual, RW made a Mr. Bean-type hilarious statement: “I am a former President without a majority; the incumbent President without a majority.” “Is there any difference between us? Aren’t we both in a similar position,” RW desperately questioned. The point is that RW is deaf and blind, and AKD jumped from 3% to 42%. The other point is that, without majority votes, AKD has been at the President’s House for five (5) years, and RW went home forever, but he has yet to thank Aragalaya for creating a job vacancy. The former president RW also defended the privileges afforded to former presidents, criticizing President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s NPP for trying to do away with them. RW may need psychiatric treatment soon, not 16 cooks; President AKD can certainly help.    Sajith Premedasa also criticizes the government, but it seems no one is interested because those are based on very cheap and weak points; hence, there is no buy-in.  However, as I clearly explained in my article with Colombo Telegraph, “Political Tsunami Of UNP, SLFP, SJB, And SLPP & Their Destiny with General Election”, except SJB, other parties will not win a parliamentary seat notably more than 75 of senior politicians of the previous government alone have disappeared from the political arena, either retired, fed up or disappointed along with politics. However, RW repeatedly emphasizes that seasoned politicians who worked alongside him must return to Parliament to address the country’s ongoing economic challenges. He further stressed that “without experience, you cannot run Parliament, and you cannot achieve the goals we have set. Those who worked with me have the expertise to solve the economic challenges,”. ”I will explain the above adequately next.

Clean-Up Operation By AKD/NPP: Next Parliament Will be Empty With Criminal

The sole purpose or the foundation of AKD/NPP, and now the government of AKD/NPP, is to serve and look after the public and the country’s interest given the 76 years of “curse” along with SLFP and UNP or blue and green politics from time to time. In a broader sense, SLFP and UNP politics means selfishness, exploitation, assets accumulation, rampant corruption, misuse and mismanagement, absence of law and order, impunity,   political immunity, dishonesty, frauds, bribes, ransom, nepotisms, and many more anti-​good governance elements or practices that infected all parliaments since 1948, practically last parliament led many to conclude parliament is a den of thieves;  not meant undermining the parliamentary democracy at all. Indeed, a few MPs with good characters were there.

​RW wants all those “confirmed wrongdoers or criminals” or convicted murderers, fraudsters, illegal business tycoons, swindlers, crooks, outlaws, criminals, bribe-takers, and many more back in the parliament against the good “character” of Individual or societal norms.

As the AKD/NPP government is fully committed to serving the public and the country as the sole purpose of its good governance, the next parliament will be empty, along with the “confirmed wrongdoers or ccriminals” mentioned above. This may be a surprise indeed, but it is the way that AKD/NPP has selected candidates for the general election on 14^th November 2024, based on high caliber, “clean” certificates of character, free of all harmful elements or unscrupulous characters mentioned above. In other words, the NPP candidates lack experience and skills, as RW asserted of confirmed wrongdoers or rogues. On the contrary, they are excellent and well-disciplined politicians who have lived, nurtured and thrived under the banner of AKD/NPP for decades. Given the above, the next parliament will be empty with “confirmed wrongdoers or criminals”, as NPP MPs of caliber will fill it.

The AKD/NPP government needs MPs as public servants only, so they will not seek privileges as per Act 27 of 1997, Parliament (Powers and Privileges) that ordinary people do not have and enjoy. ​In other words, the culture of 225 is looked after and cared for by 22 million people and will end after the 14 November 2024 general election. It is a certainty, as carved on rock, that part of the system change of AKD/NPP. 

No doubt, having a 2/3 majority in the parliament, AKD/NPP will formulate all laws required to fulfill its pledges to the public and the country. Given the above, the slogan that 225 must go home will not be there anymore because MPs will not have anything that people do not have; all will be seen and treated equally. Having a quality and strong government, there is no doubt all anti-good governance practices of the previous SLFP and UNP governments will be dealt with accordingly; together, more than 500 complaints that the law informants authorities are receiving daily will come to an end with a clean government of AKD/NPP, the system change in depth. The destiny of UNP, SPFP, and SLPP with the political Tsunami has been carved on rock, while SJB will then put it there.​Given all the above, the country and the parliament will have a complete clean-up after the general election on 14^th November 2024, enabling good governance and the principles of parliamentary democracy to thrive, ensuring all benefits to people and the country in the right direction after 76 years of independence, the meaning of “RATA ANURATA”, [A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life]

Conclusion

My two articles for Colombo Telegraph have become a reality, as AKD is the president of Sri Lanka. While the public does not expect miracles from the AKDF/NPP government and the yet fragile economy, the government is moving forward, addressing and resolving economic and other challenges and mounting criticism, particularly by RW. RW wants his loyalists back in parliament, but the people and the country know the true nature of those “confirmed wrongdoers or criminals” well, so there is no room for them anymore in the August House. AKD/NPP has candidates with high caliber and clean certificates of the character of politicians so that it will win at the general election with a 2/3 majority in the parliament with the sole purpose ensuring MPs are there only to look after and care for the people and their country, so the ending of the culture 225 is being looked after by 22 million people. After 76 years of the curse of the country, “RATA ANURATA” means that AKD will no doubt generate the expected outcome with utmost certainty,  along with the true meaning of economic growth and development to the people and the county, “A Thriving Nation, A Beautiful Life”.

*The writer, among many, worked as the Special Advisor to the Office of the President of Namibia and was a Senior Consultant with UNDP for 16 years. He worked as a Senior Economist with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (1972-1993) before he migrated to New Zealand. The author can be contacted at asoka.seneviratne@gmail.com
.