By Neville Fernando –

Neville Fernando M.D.

Sri Lankans have been hopeful of making their country a respectable and modern nation for over seven decades of independence.They had reasons to dream. They were a proud, resourceful and talented people. But they were misgoverned, misled, and prevented from achieving their status as a developed, prosperous nation. There was ethnic bungling, self-promotion, corruption, and nepotism among other modes of mismanagement.

But on November 14, 2024, everything changed. The comprehensive victory by the NPP (National Peoples Power), was the consequence of disciplined behavior and policies of the NPP leadership. People were attracted to and put their faith in a promise of large-scale reforms in governance. The result was a massive, record-breaking endorsement by the voters at the General elections.

Even before the new Government was to begin the process of governing, there was the usual doomsday forecasting. The NPP had freshly secured more than two-third majority in the new parliament, that too without a coalition. Pessimists predict that this massive power will be misused by a cocky and over-confident party. They say that very soon, these representatives too will be corrupt and inefficient like most of their predecessors. They point out that talk is cheap and their promises are unlikely to be kept. Further, they predict that this victory is a short-lived mirage.

The new leadership is indeed facing enormous challenges. The country is mired in financial ruin. Any efforts to turn the country around will require sacrifice and support on the part of the people. But if this government proves to be just, responsive, and responsible, it will continue to enjoy the people’s support.

Voters have a rare opportunity to be stakeholders in a potentially unprecedented and meaningful reset in the politics of the country. At the same time, the newly minted political leaders have the chance to show that they want to be true statesmen. For decades, the country yearned for serious, genuine and trustworthy politicians.  At last, the people believe that a party that can meet that yearning is here.

The ‘Aragalaya’ ( Struggle) movement  in early 2022, whilst protesting against the rising cost of living, also highlighted a strong message of national unity. The movement rejected divisions of people based on ethnicity, caste, and religious beliefs. The present political leadership has demonstrated that they too are determined to give priority to reinstate ethnic and religious harmony. The NPP was successful in convincing a great deal of Tamil citizens concentrated in Northern and Central districts who hitherto were wary of any Southern Sinhala Politicians. Reconciliation and unification are prerequisites of national development. In this regard, the employment of confidence-building measures, for example, a program of cultural exchange among the ethnicities will be helpful.

We often talk about “economic development” as if it were a thing in itself. Far from being so, economic development is only a part of the of inner development of individuals. That is to say that the economy does not develop on its own, but only as an aspect of the totality of moral and social development of a given society. If political leaders build careers violating these values that are central to a happy and prosperous society, and instead perpetuate bribery, corruption, nepotism, discrimination and other forms of criminal and immoral behavior, such a society will only decline, as the Buddhist Parabhava Sutra teaches us.

Among citizens in developed nations, we can see a host of positive attributes which can be emulated by Sri Lankans. Among these are personal discipline, pride in one’s role in society, honest application to doing a job properly, civic responsibility, and rejecting racial divisions. In this task the religious institutions have an important contribution to make.

Historically, voters in Sri Lanka elect political leaders and let them have a free hand to conduct government business. This lack of engagement and neglect of the monitoring responsibility has led to waste, fraud and corruption in Government. To stem this mismanagement, it is important to be constantly vigilant and voice popular opinion to Government representatives.  Another way is to offer feedback, via the ever-important watchdog media outlets. Digital media has emerged as an important ally of the public, as it can be harnessed to inform, share ideas, and organize. It is not sufficient to rely on the parliamentary opposition to steer the government away from unwise decisions. We must note here that the citizenry has finally grasped the idea of the primacy of the people ( “people power” ) in all aspects of the country’s politics. The lessons of the Aragalaya have resulted in an electorate that is more engaged and aware of its own power.

This new government has a sensitive job of balancing the relationships with the big power blocks of the world. Our financially vulnerable situation makes that job even harder. But lessons from the past have to be learned. An enormous amount of money was spent based on what the foreign powers wanted us to do. They have coaxed SL to take on projects that favored them. In the process, SL was plunged into a pitiful debtor nation, with abundant misery for its people. India on the other hand, in its early development years, was wary of foreign investments and advice but chose self-reliance and homegrown solutions. The result was that they moved on to build their own industries, technology, and infrastructure. Eventually, those policies made them a leading financial power in the world. Based on that model, it can be learned that any proposed foreign project has to be carefully considered as to how it benefits the country. ‘Sri Lanka First’ should be the overarching policy.

With limited resources, it may be necessary to prioritize government spending. Handling multiple low-cost projects concurrently may be the way to go. Some work may not require much financial commitment. The utilization of policy, laws, and diplomacy could yield outsize benefits. The compelling concern now, among the people is the inordinate cost of living. The Government seems to be fully aware of the need to seek urgent solutions to this problem.

The determined efforts to enact a transformist agenda need help from many democratic and law enforcement institutions. An important ally in the quest to eradicate corruption is the Judiciary. It has been observed that the Judiciary had stood strong during the difficult transition period from the old regime to the new. Of course, for that, people were much thankful and appreciative. However, in the present context, there is a need for the Judiciary to be strengthened and more resources allocated appropriately. People have always hoped that cases be heard, and judgements given in a timely manner.

The incoming Government has, so far, shown all signs that its style of governance is on a good trajectory. Positive signs are emerging of an overhaul of the political culture.  The public has demonstrated overwhelming support for the new government via the ballot box. While people will continue to cooperate with the political leadership, persistent close attention and follow-up is needed to safeguard the hard-won victory.