Born to leadership
 

by Prof. Bertram Bastiampillai

Reproduced from the book "Visionary Leadership of Sri Lanka" published recently to mark the completion of 11 years in office by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who is leaving her post this week.

The President of Sri Lanka since November 12, 1994, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was elected to power as Head of the State, the Republic of Sri Lanka for the second time. She completed eleven challenging years in office and in addition as Head of the Executive and of the Government, and also as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in terms of Chapter VII, Article 30(1) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Even if President Kumaratunga wanted to, she would have been unable to reverse the objectionable examples of her predecessor, Executive President Jayewardene, as for instance when on the past he postponed due national elections to Parliament holding a referendum instead and gaining a simple majority win so as to postpone the General Elections.

The sovereign people lost a right to elect their representatives afresh. Present President Kumaratunga did not resort to use such steps of an unfair arbitrary character as her first in order predecessor had done without compulsion. She held national elections in time, monitored by foreign and local eminent personalities were permitted to oversee it, even if others may be alleged to have acted foul, the President did not do so herself.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), hitherto a guerilla militant body, graduated into a regional nationalist force by enhancing its armed strength and entered into a challenging duel with the Sri Lanka State's forces.

A general perception is that during the immediate successor to President Jayewardene, President R. Premadasa's office, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) grew stronger. The last years of Premadasa made the Tigers quite belligerent. With his killing, D.B. Wijetunga succeeded for a brief time as President.

It is in such a context when Gamini Dissanayaka too had been assassinated that Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga embarked on the political scene with a formidable victory. She gained people's support at the General Elections. Other sectors soon followed with a Presidential post for her when President Kumaratunga gained her convincing victory and assumed office, thereby inaugurating a third Bandaranaike regime. She belonged to a background of national and political leaders.

President Kumaratunga made it central and vital in her election campaign that an historic unfairness had been perpetrated on the Tamil community in Sri Lanka and announced that she would solve the problem personally through a major share of devolved power being granted to the Tamils after devising a federal system of Government for the land.

One early attempt to discuss a peaceful settlement of the communal conflict under Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was attempted with a mission visiting the North and meeting Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam representatives. It abruptly ended inconclusively causing a regrettable loss of opportunity and time.

Yet, President Kumaratunga without getting daunted has now initiated another endeavour to bring an end to Sinhala - Tamil conflict. Already her immediate predecessor Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe had brought about a creasefire between the Tamil Tigers with the forces of the State.

A memorandum of understanding had been concluded between the two parties, the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka. Talks between them had taken place outside Sri Lanka at different places on various dates. But no worthwhile official conclusion was reached except for same useful ideas that a solution with a federal state may be acceptable to the rebel militants. Norway immensely assisted as facilitator.

The talks between President Kumaratunga and the rebels have yet to take place more constructively and towards a clear end. But in the past the militants have eschewed violence in their quest for autonomy and abandoned the concept of dividing the country. Recent flow of information from India after the Leader of the Opposition visited the leaders there lends credibility to the above views.

The ethnic war has eaten into the land's economy and caused severe loss in lives and emphasized the autonomous division between the Tamils and the Sinhalese. Much life, time, effort, and capital which could have been constructively utilised in the land's development, and in progress being created in the lives of Sri Lankan inhabitants, have been lost owing to dissipation caused by conflict.

It now looks more likely that with President Kumaratunga's dedicated endeavour to bring peace and cordiality among peoples through consultation with different groups and consensus being encouraged to develop among a plural citizenry, peace is bound to follow.

The President's industry to heal a rift and end vain and wasteful violent hostility among communities in the same country needs the support of all right thinking persons to be ended. Since, undoubtedly, peace is absolutely essential, the ordinary citizens believe that diverse groups would cooperate and act in concord in securing this most paramount and urgently required objective, and thus act in agreement and consonance with President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

This will indeed be a fitting tribute to one who hails from a family that had served the nation even before Independence and whose father who made the ultimate supreme sacrifice on behalf of the Island and whose mother valiantly carried the mantle thereafter conspicuously ably.

In addition, the President has strongly exhibited a firm interest in furthering education within the Island, be it primary, secondary or tertiary. She has demonstrated an abiding and profound interest in encouraging institutions of learning.

This again illustrates a valuable facet of President Kumaratunga's concern for the betterment of the standards of teachers and institutions. She has recognised and appreciated, an inextricable connection between education and development. Education provides the means to improve the life and welfare of humanity, and naturally merits surveillance.

In spite of the innumerable calls on her time and attention, the President during her ten year long service has been interestingly concerned in the uplift of the citizens in respect of their health, and at the same time in lessening poverty and stimulating the growth of manufacture, industry thereby reducing unemployment.

She has built in a positive manner Sri Lanka's foreign relations inheriting the flair her father and mother amply illustrated in external affairs, and adequately and richly treating it in practicably strengthening foreign ties.

The position of the President demands, because of its versatile and omnicompetent nature not only the dexterity and efficiency, to move with expertise and ease from subject to subject. This has been demonstrated by the diligence and attention with which President Kumaratunga has handled urban as well as rural requirements, be they economic, social or administrative.

She has endeavoured to inculcate among the staff in the public sector, especially in those handling matters of intrinsic importance to the citizens. Cutting across boundaries which divide them into ethnic communities, the President has generally responded appreciably to the wants of all those in need.

The President works to commit herself to incessant labour in an unenviable way, so as to avert public displeasure or blame aimed at her does not accrue.

Since this protracted Ethnic conflict is the most baffling problem that has viciously vexed the country for a long time and caused so much distress and disarray in lives, in the economy, society and politics, naturally President Kumaratunga's positive role to bring peace qualifies to be examined primarily.

Nevertheless, justifiable and legitimate preoccupation with ending the obstinate to cure conflict has not negatively diminished her contribution assiduously made toward bettering the life of the people imperatively. Her performance has to be judged to have been laudable in the ten memorable years of her Presidency.

Approbation and popular acclaim testify to accept her as Head of Sri Lanka. It is no mean achievement to have managed the Government successfully for a decade wielding a leadership over politically mature people that had exercised the franchise since 1951.

On this significant occasion one wishes, President of Sri Lanka, Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, success in her efforts, good fortune, good health and happy life along with her family. The President in public life, even when relatively young, showed adroitness in handling public and national matters.

She had the healthy benefit of getting acquainted with provincial politics in which her first campaign brought laudable success. She graduated into national politics reaching a distinctively high level but was able t prove beyond doubt that she was equal to the task the confronted her. As a leader and administrator the President has shown immense prowess in handling problems that one at the helm of national affairs has often to confront. As a leader of men she was able to manage cabinet affairs, and other general questions of country-wide interest.

As a young and energetic Head she led a team as she has demonstrated more than once gaining immense success in achieving desirable ends. In particular, children's affairs, yearnings of youth and similar issues have captures her concern. She has endeavoured energetically and intelligently to solve problems. The lot of the average citizen has been her concern as she often retired in speeches.

She, as noted, took a keen and anxious interest in bringing to an end the baffling protracted problem of the ethnic divide that culminated in the unending conflict.The ethnic problem as in the Middle East between Arabs and Jews and in Ireland between followers of two different forms of the same faith have indicated that solutions does not come easily or swiftly.

Patience, tenacity and labour alone can yield success. Now once again the national peace issue in the country seems to have occupied, rightly So, in the mind of the President. One hopes that this time efforts will be leading to fruitful reward of ethnic concord.

Another important matter to which the President switched her attention is building the economy and taking the country a better plate to comfortably live in. I turn towards fostering agriculture and sponsoring investment and growth of a buoyant economy. Goodwill of other countries has to be sought and this motive moves the President. Unemployment is yet another issue that bewails the country. The President is well aware of this problem and set her mind to deal with graduate unemployment and other forms of unemployment.

The economy is difficult to handle. It is not easy, because of under production. Production should grow. This can come with the climate being improved to encourage investment. The President is doing this excellently despite constraints. The island has to expect much from tourism. Here a stimulus is being afforded by the President to encourage growth of tourism.

Throughout the country lopsided development has tended to create haves and have nots. This is why the President stresses uniform development on an even basis without discrimination. Fortunately the President is endowed with sharp intelligence and boundless capacity to undertake the task of making Sri Lanka a strong and pleasant nation.

The President is responsible ultimately for managing the Island's foreign policy. A small country must get on cordially with all nations. Trade too requires good connections and warm understanding with all countries. Sri Lanka can not afford to make enemies and the President has ensured this with wise and good arguments.

Sri Lanka is a country with a mixed population. These people of differing religions, speaking various languages and with diverse cultures have to be kept together in harmony. This is a serious challenge and the President has contended with the challenge.