{"id":69407,"date":"2013-01-13T22:55:32","date_gmt":"2013-01-13T22:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=69407"},"modified":"2013-01-16T10:55:05","modified_gmt":"2013-01-16T10:55:05","slug":"the-unp-should-be-factored-out-of-the-governance-struggle-in-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-unp-should-be-factored-out-of-the-governance-struggle-in-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"The UNP Should Be Factored Out Of The Governance Struggle In Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Springer<\/a><\/span> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

We cannot deny that Sri Lanka is in a crisis at the moment. Even if the country does not meet the indicators of a failed state, it is as good as one.<\/p>\n

Whatever impression the government would like to give, fiasco upon fiasco is mounting. if we go from the most recent – the illegal impeachment of the CJ<\/a><\/span>, to the totally botched up case of Rizana Nafeek<\/a><\/span>, the mess in the Judiciary before the CJ’s unfortunate fate, to the Z score, to the messed up education system at all levels, to the\u00a0almost non existent implementation\u00a0of an LLRC Action Plan<\/a><\/span>, to\u00a0all types of religious fundamentalism rearing its ugly head, to the increasing violence, the increasing cost of living, to the failed administrative system, to the over employment of graduates and resultant burden\u00a0on the economy and the final nail in the coffin – the economic down turn.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The economic failures are most serious from the\u00a0time of the removal of the GSP+ concessions.The country is on a steady economic decline, whatever the Central Bank would like to say. The real growth rate can only be estimated at best as an inflated one is given in the Central Bank Report. Foreign\u00a0Direct Investment for real growth in enterprise\u00a0does not seem to be there as most of the money received is invested in infrastructure. In fact the government is investing\u00a0in infrastructure and external investment is limited to\u00a0 Chinese assistance for infrastructure yet again\u00a0and a few\u00a0others lenders.The economy is also affected by the many strikes and bad fiscal management as evidenced\u00a0by unhealthy investments and playing around with people’s savings such as EPF.<\/p>\n

Let us say for the time being that citizens dream that \u00a0the government should correct itself\u00a0eean at this stage and move on. May not happen, but it is one of the few possible roads ahead.<\/p>\n

What is the UNP doing while the country is burning?<\/strong><\/p>\n

President Rajapaksa<\/a><\/span>\u00a0very successfully defends the impeachment process and the fact that the CJ has to go out. Citizens are made to believe that the Divineguma is the best thing that happened since sliced bread. In fact as found out in the process of a discussion with Heads of\u00a0Civil Society Organizations\u00a0today, many of them were unaware that the passing of the Divineguma Bill<\/a><\/span> was not a cake walk for the government. That many amendments had to be made\u00a0and a few clauses dropped<\/p>\n

There has not been a single concentrated communication\u00a0campaign on the part of the UNP\u00a0to tell the public what is happening in reality. Citizens need information to make decisions. Citizens need to be made aware of the tremendous power that goes with their sovereignty.<\/p>\n

Even during a talk show the UNP makes a very poor argument except for Harsha de Silva, Kabir\u00a0Hashim, Rosy Senanayake<\/a><\/span>, Ravi karunanayake, Sajith Premadasa\u00a0and Eran Wickramaratne<\/a><\/span>. But\u00a0such events\u00a0are\u00a0 islolated\u00a0 and not strategic campaigns that run with a theme and muti faceted communication tools and events to change the mindset of the polity.<\/p>\n

So many demonstrations and marches were held both by the Government, Lawyers’ bodies, civil Society\u00a0Organizations and Trade Unions mainly of the left. However, the UNP could not even mobilise people onto the streets once,\u00a0for the past 3 months, while all this was happening.<\/p>\n

So in the struggle ahead it might be more prudent for citizens to factor the UNP out and for professionals and other Civi Society Groups to take the lead.\u00a0However bad governance is, still the government is effective though diabolical. The\u00a0leadership of the UNP has become so ineffective that it is pulling back its own members from doing something progressive.<\/p>\n

Many people’s struggles have been successful without an opposition, so let us think\u00a0about\u00a0a Civil Society led struggle\u00a0in the months and years\u00a0ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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