Post-Election Sri Lanka and the road ahead

Professor Mahinda Werake

However, an emergence of a new political culture in which unity and harmony instead of division and conflict are emphasized is essential for it to be successful. Time has come for Sri Lanka’s political leaders to put the country first instead of their narrow political interests.

They need to abandon ethnic and political differences and work together for the well- being of the people of Sri Lanka and usher a bright future for them. In that context, it is heartening to note that President Rajapaksa has already taken the initiative by calling the people to shed their differences and rally behind him so that the new Government could take on the gigantic task of rebuilding the country devastated by three decades of war and conflict.

In the same token, it is important that the Government also treat the opposition with respect and be open to their constructive criticisms. Even though the Opposition has significantly weakened after the election, the key role of the Opposition in a democracy has to be recognized. The decision of the Government to allow DNA Leader General Sarath Fonseka’s entry into the Parliament is a correct step in that direction.

Combat corruption

The President’s decision to reduce the size of the Cabinet is also a positive sign which shows that he wants to stop wastage and ready to work for the interest of the country. Hopefully, the new Cabinet will work with efficiency and support the President in the nation building effort. The selection of D M Jayaratne, a man from the rural heartland of Sri Lanka as the new Prime Minister can be considered an indication of President’s desire to serve the interests of the common man and rural Sri Lanka.

During the recent elections, the strength of the UPFA came mostly from rural areas and consequently it is not surprising that development efforts of the new Government would focus on the rural sector which has been relatively neglected by the concentration of most of the economic activity within the urban areas of the Western Province.

It is time to take the torch of development to the other provinces, particularly to the war battered North and East. The appointment of an Economic Development Minister and placing it in the hands of Basil Rajapaksa, who is an able political leader and administrator signals well for a new era of development in Sri Lanka.

The main criticism of the Opposition against the UPFA during the elections was corruption and the high cost of living. There was the charge that the country is moving towards an authoritarian rule.

Perhaps, one of the main reasons for the emergence of such shortcomings and trends was the threat of terrorism and the need on the part of the Government for an aggressive approach to meet the threat. However, with ending of terrorism, it is hoped that the Government under President Rajapaksa would move quickly to address those issues.

Reforms

With an almost two thirds majority in Parliament, the President has an excellent opportunity to reform the Government according to his wishes and aspirations of the people and mobilize the Government machinery effectively to solve peoples’ problems, particularly the high cost of living.

He has clearly indicated that he wants to share the benefits of development with the people of the whole country during his second term. He has also vowed to take steps to end corruption during his second term. It is hoped that the status of emergency that has existed in the country for so long would end in the near future paving the way for the restoration of full democracy.

Elected leaders in many countries, during their second or third terms, generally turn their attention towards carving a niche for them in the history of their respective countries. There is a tendency for the leaders to move away from being a politician to become a statesman. Even in the case of President Rajapaksa we expect him to follow that path during his second term. In that process it is hoped that he would move quickly to rectify deficiencies existed during the previous administration.

National reconciliation

To achieve peace and stability which are key ingredients for development, national reconciliation between the majority and the minorities is essential. In that context, the Government has indicated its willingness and commitment for a permanent solution to the North-East problem within the framework of a united Sri Lanka.

Results of the National parties (UPFA and UNP) in the North and East at the recent elections can be considered an indication of Tamil peoples’ rejection of separatism and their willingness to integrate and work with the rest of the country. It seems that the Government has recognized the importance of devolving power from the centre to the periphery within a united Sri Lanka.

However, the mechanisms of such devolution, or the means of taking the Government to the people by empowering them, are yet to be worked out. Hopefully, anticipated changes to the Government structure would lead to purposeful devolution of power so that people of Sri Lanka could live peacefully according to their customs and traditions.

It is the duty of the opposition to support the Government in search for such a solution which would lead towards national reconciliation. In the past, the lack of cooperation between the Government and the Opposition due to political opportunism was the main reason for the lack of progress in finding an appropriate solution to the North and East problem.

The new Government would be able to push through reforms leading to a final resolution of the problem with the support from at least some Opposition members since it needs only six more members to amend the Constitution through a two thirds majority in Parliament. Unanimously electing the Speaker with the support from the Opposition parties may be considered a good omen for future cooperation between the Government and the Opposition.

Maintaining law and order in society, is also important if Sri Lanka is to achieve peace and stability. Law and order in Sri Lanka was adversely affected by the war and people have been living in fear and insecurity. In the recent past, violence and crime rate has increased significantly resulting in lawlessness in the society. The right to live without fear and intimidation is a basic human right which applies to both the majority and the minority communities. It can be achieved only by effective enforcement of the law by relevant authorities.

The recent pronouncement by the Defence Secretary to the effect that the next war will be launched against crime is most welcome. Also, the Government and other political leaders need to set an example by strict adherence to the rule of law. Unfortunately, in the recent past, there were several occasions when some politicians took the law into their hands and set a bad example to society undermining the respect for the law of the land. It is hoped that during the next term, the Government would take steps to make Sri Lanka a law abiding and disciplined country.

New vistas

Sri Lanka’s foreign policy is another area which needs a new approach during the Government’s next term. It should gear towards promoting cooperation with the Asian region both at the bi-lateral and multi-lateral level with special emphasis on emerging economic power houses such as China and India. While expanding on friendly relations with China, our special relationship with India needs to be further broadened and strengthened.

There is enough potential to use assistance and resources from both India and China for Sri Lanka’s economic development. Sri Lanka’s continued active participation in the SAARC and other regional groupings are also important. Russia, Eastern Europe and Latin America are countries that need special attention in giving a new direction to Sri Lanka’s foreign policy in the future.

A new approach to foreign policy is particularly important in view of the apparent loss of GSP + privileges in Europe and the strong pro-LTTE lobbying against the Sri Lankan Government, in the West.

However, such an approach does not mean abandoning Sri Lanka’s friendly relations with USA and the Western Europe where engagement and not confrontation should be the focus of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy. New efforts and strategies to improve and strengthen Sri Lanka’s relations with those countries need to be undertaken.

However, during the next six years, it is imperative that Sri Lanka fully explores new economic and political opportunities elsewhere as well. As the national interest is considered to be the cornerstone of a country’s foreign policy, Sri Lanka needs to re-evaluate its foreign policy in terms of its own national interest.

We need to realize that we are a small developing country which needs the friendship and understanding of all countries in the world and in an era of increasing globalization, there is no future for a restrictive foreign policy. While safeguarding our national independence and preventing undue pressures and interventions from the outside, the next phase of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy has to be geared primarily towards promoting country’s economic development. We hope that the new Foreign Minister will be able to face that challenge successfully.

In addition to improving discipline in our schools and other institutes of learning (which has deteriorated significantly in the past), our education system has to be reformed with the goal of ending divisiveness in the country and promoting national reconciliation and integration. It needs to focus on ethnic harmony by highlighting similarities between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil cultures and how they have enriched each other in the past.

Unfortunately, there are some who emphasize their differences rather than similarities and give prominence to political conflicts that occurred between Sinhalese and Tamil rulers.

While recognizing the unique features in each others culture and heritage, education should explore ways and means of integrating the majority community with the minorities. Accordingly, a genuine effort should be taken to make the students understand and respect each others’ cultures and learn to celebrate the cultural diversity among us.

In addition to promoting teaching spoken English as a link language as already proposed by the Government, facilities should be made available for Sinhalese children to learn Tamil and Tamil speaking children to learn Sinhalese.

Needless to say that such an effort would go a long way in building an inclusive society and thereby fostering a Sri Lankan identity which we desperately need to march successfully towards peace and prosperity in the future. It is hoped that the new Government under the able and pragmatic leadership of President Rajapaksa, would take the country in that direction.