By Asoka S. Seneviratne –

Prof. Asoka.S. Seneviratne

The slogan “RATA ANURATA” (“the country is for Anura”) is not a new slogan at all because when the NPP was formed in 2019 under the leadership of Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), to serve the people and the country has been the sole purpose to be followed/pursued in the future with the support and help of the people democratically and along with elections without return, expectation or any benefit of asset/property accumulation whatsoever.  Given the above, “RATA ANURATA” is the foundation for the presidential election on 21 September 2024. The formation of NPP in 2019 was not an accident; it was the result of understanding the nature and extent of the economic, social, cultural, and political reasons that deprived a better life for the people since gained independence in 1948 and who created and supported such problems along the background of the selfish and power greed politicians and their associates related to family and class dominant and green and blue party politics. Being united as a nation, the Struggle or ARAGALAYA in 2022 indicated the utmost unsatisfaction and disappointment of the people of the family/class or green and blue politics, and it was not the new generation alone of Aragalaya, because the old generation who advised the new generation not to repeat the mistakes they committed since 1948.  Given the above and for various reasons, this article aims to explain and indicate the meaning of “RATA ANURATA”.

There are no corrupt or unscrupulous elements with ANURA

Compared with other opposition parties, this is the utmost different foundation and the starting point of “RATA ANURATA”. In other words, any single party of the opposition cannot say that they do not have anyone who is not involved in any form of corruption and fraud because the majority is corrupted. As a people-oriented political movement or one and only NPP, it is the nation’s cleanest, authentic, and honest political movement. The political history of green and blue party politics in Sri Lanka has vividly indicated there are only colour differences between the two groups, so the same group of corrupt politicians and their associates that go with impunity for an array of economic, social, cultural, and political crimes they have committed since 1948, as they scratch each other backs time to time. The people and the nation pay for the wrong programs and policies of green and blue politics. By winning democratically and with massive votes for ANURA, 21 September 2024 certainly will mark the end of the corrupt green and blue politics. After the above-mentioned historical date, people and the country will begin to feel the difference between the current political regimes since 1948 and the new regime with corrupt-free leadership of ANURA and his associates governing the country to accomplish the expectation of the people. Government means democratically elected representatives fully commit to looking after the people and the country and progressing towards prosperity. However, the people in the country have not seen or felt the above because of the green and blue politics since 1948, only looking after themselves by the accumulation of assets. The recent asset disclosures by the presidential candidates vividly indicate the above, as the youngest candidates have accumulated more than others, including a heap of gems and gold.  In short, the corruption-free ANURA will drive and help the people and the country to reach the goal of prosperity.

Law and Order with ANURA

Under the future government with ANURA. Law and order, including the President, will apply equally, ensuring a fair and just society.

The current government has created a massive vacuum because the law has been utterly neglected or violated. People and the nation feel that laws are confined to books. Still, their application consistently undermines less privileged and marginalized groups for many reasons, including economic and political influence from the top to the down and bureaucratic influence and power. In other words, small fish are caught by the nets, but many fish break the nets and escape, or they steal the nets altogether. As ANURA explained and indicated numerous times, most of the MPs in the parliament were supposed to have prison sentences if law and order were applied to them, as in books or equally. In short, none of the parliament members went against the statements of ANURA because they were unbreakable. If law and order are broken from the top, the ordinary people are helpless. From 21 September 2024, not only will law and order be applied equally to all, irrespective of any concerns about the lawbreakers, but ANURA will work against the lawbreakers who are enjoying impunity. In short, the above are fundamental for any nation to stand in the civilized world and to have sound governance principles. Currently, the ship of Sri Lanka is just floating the sea without a piolet to reach the desired civilized world, free of corruption, and law and order apply to all. RATA ANURATA means he will do the job as expected by the people and the country. As a result, people and the country can witness the difference.

Top priority of ANURA- Welfare and well-being of the people

As I have explained and indicated on numerous occasions, Sri Lanka possesses plenty of resources to care for 22 million people on par with developed countries. To demonstrate that, it is so painful to hear that 60 percent of people do not have access to clean water. It is a matter of systematic organization and strategic management of resources and better use of them to meet people’s needs. If the government is honest and committed to improving the overall welfare of the people, it is possible to do so. However, a lack of commitment or negligence towards people’s welfare means people are suffering for nothing. On the other hand, from the top to the down, politicians and bureaucrats accumulate various forms of assets at a rising cost for most of the 22 million people. The above is the reason for the widening gap between the politicians/rich people and the poor, which cannot be denied. How do we narrow the current gap? The foundation is to provide and ensure that all meet the basic needs of food, shelter, medicine, and education. These are at a critical point as the economic collapse impacted whatever people had, so they are depleting.  In other words, people are struggling with the rising cost of living in the context of the so-called stabilized economy by the government. If the economy has been stabilized, what is the purpose of the government’s decision to grant salary increases in a hurry only to the government’s workforce of 1.5 million by ignoring the private sector and the ordinary people? Does the government think that people have faced mounting hardships over the last two years and that people should be supported or helped only during the election? Given the above, RATA ANURATA means that overall welfare improvement for the people based on the four basic needs mentioned above (indeed, this is a continuous process irrespective of any election) is the most crucial purpose of the government, so the NPP government headed by ANURA will do the best. It is pertinent to write that grating Rs 10,000 per month after 21 September 2024 to vulnerable or low-income groups under the extended safety nets program of ANURA or NPP. This means welfare improvement of the people by understanding the nature and causes of hardships that people face and forming and introducing immediate and short to medium meditation measures to cope with those hardships in the context of the IMF program, of which fiscal prudence is the core concern. It will be secured under the banner of “ RATA ANURATA”.

President, Government, and the Constitution with ANURA

Rest assured, the President and the government under the RATA ANURATA after 21 September 2024 will always respect, accept and uphold the Constitution. ANURA understands this document’s importance in safeguarding our citizens’ rights and freedoms and is fully committed to its protection and preservation. It is reported that the current caretaker president and the government broke the constitution more than ten times, like Daylight robbery with the local elections, of which “No Money. No Election. Even money is there, no election…” is prominent. The people and country will never hear or see such a Mr. Bean-like comedy and action after 21 September 2024 in the August house (parliament) and the country along with RATA ANURATA. Given the government’s economic problems, there are many systematic and logical ways to explain and convince the parliament and the nation; being a well-educated law graduate with over 50 years of political experience, the President behaved like Mr. Bean. Indeed, one day, the president will regret what he did in March 2023 regarding the local election. It is worth writing that the Supreme Court (SC) recently ruled that President Ranil Wickremesinghe violated the people’s fundamental rights by postponing the local election as the Minister of Finance and the president himself. Holding elections in time is the foundation to protect and safeguard human rights in a democratic country, but nothing else. The truth is that the President postponed the local elections due to the imminent defeat; he cannot stay in power for two years. However, it is good that the president accepted the SC’s ruling instead of rejecting it, stating that he cannot take the SC’s ruling as he is a presidential candidate.

The anchor of communal harmony and reconciliation with ANURA

As I have written many times, ANURA is the anchor of communal harmony and reconciliation, and this is of utmost and equal importance, similar to the meaning of RATA ANURATA as explained above, like the veteran and old South politicians of green and blue, young ANURA is not a cunning and crafty politician who makes promises that cannot be met or fulfilled in a united Sri Lanka or promises to make North and East paradises. Even communal harmony and reconciliation are carved on the rack, along with institutional and constitutional reforms; they can only be achieved if commitment and dedication from the heart are coming. ANURA is firmly committed to fulfilling the above out of heart. Furthermore, in any part of the country, people are Sri Lankan, ANURA feels and states. Like the South, many in the North and East need to meet the basic needs of food, shelter, medicines, and education. Anura’s first and most crucial commitment after 21 September 2024 is to fulfil the above together without any hate or anger for anyone. As a result, all are on the same footing in the North and South.  Equally important is the provision of safety and security. ANURA  will do this as well. As of these days, when time permits, Anura will be with the people in North and East, having a close and constructive dialogue and looking after their needs.

The commitment to work with the debt burden

It was not ANURA/NPP or people in the country who created and contributed to and escalated the current debt burden to well over US$100 billion. The politicians of the green and blue political parties and their associates created the massive debt problem, for which the same politicians boastfully recused, stabilized, and revitalized the economy. However, the government borrows from the IMF, imposes exorbitant taxes on the masses, and runs the show. People are sandwiched while politicians are signing songs of a stable economy.  At the same time, a lousy question was raised in a meeting when the President was present: Who would go to IMF to discuss whether it was Hadunneththi or Harsha de Silva? It is none other than the government of Sri Lanka, headed by Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Regarding the debt burden, the future government, headed by ANURA, is committed to following the IMF’s fiscal policy measures while adhering to the required macroeconomic variables such as stable price levels and exchange rates, taking due care with interest rates. In short, ANURA will not take any measures that harm the restructured debt program and its sustainability or that will burden the people.

Rural/agriculture development and export-led industrialization

Anura strongly feels that the country must produce its total food requirements, take all measures for rural development, and assist and facilitate farmers of all types. Currently, importing foods means spending hard-earned foreign exchange while depriving employment opportunities to the local people, including women. There is a great need to curtail rural-urban migration and modernize agriculture for increased production and preservation of production. All the above measures will increase the income level, along with the forward and backward linkage of the economy. Also, ARURA strongly feels that local raw materials, particularly minerals, must be exported only after added value. ANURA’s priorities are reforming the education system without burden to the parents, meeting the labour market demand, promoting and developing green energy, etc. Furthermore, with FDI, the industrialization process will be expedited to increase foreign exchange.  Regarding the above, trade policy and international relations will be reviewed and strengthened to generate the expected outcomes. Increasing remittances by ‘RANAVIRUWAN” and export earnings along with the promotion and development of the tourism industry are other main priorities under the banner of RATA ANURATA.

The government protected and supported business people and ANURA

Dozens of individuals, including Arjuna Mahendran and some business tycoons, have deprived the government of billions of revenues/funds in many ways. Imagine that Tax evaders alone amount to Rs. 1131 billion. Furthermore, some audit reports describe the waste and misuse of billions of government funds. When millions of people are having and serving only one meal per day, the bottom line is that the above are some forms of crimes against the poor and vulnerable, or they have caused to widen the gap between the rich and the poor. ANURA wants not only to recover all the above-due money but also to punish tax evaders and other wrongdoers according to the law in the county.

Violation of Human Rights and ANURA

The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner issued statements about human rights violations in Sri Lanka over the last five years. ARURA condemned all those violations in the parliament and outside.   

As indicated by various media outlets, the Human Rights Office report issued recently identified “renewed threats to fundamental freedoms in Sri Lanka, evidenced by new or proposed regressive laws, erosion of democratic checks and balances, ongoing threats and intimidation against civil society and journalists, and the recurrence of serious human rights violations of the past”.

Furthermore, “ the report points to several laws and bills introduced by the Government since 2023, giving security forces broad powers and significantly expanding pre-existing restrictions on freedoms of expression, opinion, and association. “

As stated above, ANURA vehemently condemned all the above on various occasions in parliament and outside it and indicated that it would take due action when it is in power After 21 September 2024.  ANURA will undoubtedly work to stop all human rights violations and punish all who committed such offenses.

Working against the mysteries/murders

Impunity for the people who are responsible for the Easter Sunday bombings, the disappearances of some journalists, and the murder of some imminent people are mysteries. Parliament debated the above many times, and Anura participated and condemned them. Regarding the Easter Sunday bombings, ANURA personally promised and committed to punishing the criminals.

Furthermore, the underworld and its mounting criminal activities are a source of worry for many people facing economic hardships. As per ANURA, some top politicians gave birth to those underworld criminals, nourished them, and protected them, and some were promoted as island Justice of Peace or JP. Given the above, the bottom of the underworld is the politicians, so without them, the underworld can’t thrive and succeed. By knowing the source and cause of the problem well, ANURA has stated how to deal with underworld criminals and their harmful activities. In short, as ANURA has no relations with the underworld and is not getting any help or benefits, it is easier to work against them.

Stolen Asset Recovery

Once the Pandora Papers documents leaked in 2021, they indicated that stolen assets belonged to Nirupama Rajapaksa.

Then, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered a probe into his niece’s overseas wealth. But none knows of the investigation or outcome of a report. “The opposition immediately cried foul, saying the investigation would amount to a cover-up by the Rajapaksa family, who have been powerful in the island nation for decades,” the media reported. Nirupama’s wealth exposed by Pandora Papers may be the wealth of those in power. In October 2021, it was stated, “…Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan were not those outside the crooked circle of the current….. wealth exposed by Pandora papers was of those within the current regime”. According to another report, as of 2020, at least 408 Sri Lankan nationals owed 590 properties valued at US$205 million in Dubai. The above is only the tip of the iceberg. As per the UN Asset Recovery Initiative, “Restoring proceeds of corruption to their rightful owner is a development imperative. By returning corrupt funds, we can mobilize resources to reduce poverty and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also the right thing to do”.

Given all the above, ANURA will work with the authorities to recover the billions of stolen assets and punish the perpetrators.

Conclusion

“RATA ARURATA”,  (the country is for ANURA) means New ERA that embodies the people’s and nation’s future. 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 by working as indicated above, 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.”   

*The writer 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.