Rebooting government, its policies and institutions must start now – The Island
by Jehan Perera
Faced with the challenge of showing stable government, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a new cabinet, along with a large ministerial contingent. The government is currently building a superstructure that the base of popular sentiment neither wants nor supports. The heads of government of other democratic countries would have resigned for less. Sri Lanka effectively declared itself bankrupt, under this government, by renouncing the refunding of the international debt. This came at a time of growing mass protests against the government. The continuation of mass demonstrations in Galle Face, during the traditional New Year, always reserved for family gatherings, is a sign that the protests will not gradually stop. Instead of returning home, to the villages, entire families, young and old, left their homes to come to Galle Face. It seems that they come on pilgrimage to the site of democracy and many do not return but pitch their tent.
With tents dotting the large expanse of Galle Face land, overlooking the presidential secretariat, the main protests in Colombo appear to be reaching their second stage. The numbers at the protest site peaked during the holidays only to plummet at the start of the work week. But political parties are officially entering the campaign, which began with spontaneous demonstrations led by groups of farmers in agricultural districts. The farmers started their protests when they realized that their demand for fertilizer for their crops fell on deaf ears and that the government was indeed serious in banning all chemical fertilizers overnight. They could see their crops turn yellow in the field due to a shortage of nutrients and they could foresee the calamity that would befall them when their crops failed. So they took to the roads to protest. Farmer protests set the stage for others to follow.
The middle classes of the cities who came out for silent demonstrations by candlelight, the carpenters of Moratuwa, the fishermen of Negombo, the drivers and bus conductors and finally the general population came out spontaneously, led by their peers. Where appropriate, political parties were there in the form of individual representatives because of their organizational capacity. Those from political parties who attempted to join to gain publicity were not welcome and had to retreat in haste. In fact, political parties warned their members against joining protest movements that lacked clearly defined leaders because they could become anarchic. But so far the protest movement, and the self-directed groups within it, have been disciplined and cautious in their approach.
POLITICAL PARTIES
The official entry of the JVP, one of the best organized political parties, is independent of the mass movement that currently stands at “Gota-go-gama” in Galle Face. They started their protest march from Beruwela to join Colombo by the main road with a formidable number already assembled. In the coming days, the campaign is expected to expand as other political parties also see scope for expansion. Unlike the apolitical mass movement that has shunned partisan politics and called on all 225 parliamentarians to leave, the political activists movement is unlikely to be non-confrontational. They will want to expand and will be ready to fight any opposition against them.
Meanwhile, the causes of the initial mobilization of people to protest against the government continue to exist. Any government belief that things will work out in time is bound to be misplaced. Vehicles continue to form long lines in front of gas stations, waiting to fill their tanks. Those trapped in these long queues become enraged. Power cuts also continue despite the short respite during the New Year period. This too makes people furious as they cannot do their jobs and earn a living. Food shortages continue and prices continue to rise. This fuels the popular perception that the country’s foreign exchange earnings are continually being siphoned out of the country by corrupt government leaders.
By its actions, the government is further aggravating the grievances of the people. The Bourbon dynasty in France which fell with the French Revolution but staged a brief comeback when the revolutionaries could not rule successfully. The Bourbon kings were known for their stubbornness; the political thinker, politician and diplomat Talleyrand said of them: “They learned nothing, and they forgot nothing. But that was two centuries ago. It is hard to believe that in the midst of an economic crisis, when the country forgoes its international debt and has run out of foreign currency to pay for fuel, medicine and food, that it plans to lease up to 21 planes while that he has consistently suffered massive financial losses and is $1.7 billion in debt. Meanwhile, it still appears that a high-cost highway project is underway in which a Chinese company had submitted a bid of Rs. 210 billion but the contract was awarded to a Sri Lankan company which had submitted an offer of Rs. 375 billion.
ORDERLY TRANSITION
The protesters are sending a very clear message, evident in their slogans, that corrupt government leaders must go. Incredibly, the activities that have caused public consternation and anger appear to be continuing even at this very moment. It is tragic that by their actions, even at this time, government leaders are justifying their demands. If they were to really listen and heed the slogans that are being shouted, by old and young alike at the mass demonstrations, they would realize that they cannot stay. The current impasse in which the popular masses want the leaders of the government to go, but they refuse to go, must be resolved quickly. This transition can be done through an orderly process as provided by the constitution.
The orderly transition can begin with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announcing that he would take the lead in this process by repealing the 20th Amendment which was specifically introduced to give him superpowers. Such a reduction of his powers would give substance to his admission of serious errors during the short duration of his presidency. The errors of a single man should never again condemn an entire country. The repeal of the 20th Amendment is to be accompanied by a new 21st Amendment that transfers most of the presidency to Parliament and guarantees the independence of the judiciary, the civil service and special committees such as the bribes committee. bribery and corruption, the human rights commission and the police commission, among others. Along with this, the president must appoint a new prime minister and an interim cabinet made up of the most capable and least tainted members of parliament. This should be done with the consent of the opposition whenever possible.
In a seemingly desperate measure to show a new face to government, the president has appointed a large contingent of ministers who are not well known either for their knowledge or their experience. The appointment of new ministers is unlikely to meet the expectations of the international community, let alone the protesters. The goal must be to restart government, its policies and institutions, now. The other course of action is that of confrontation which would be most damaging to the country. In the absence of political behavior on the part of the president, the opposition political parties will feel compelled to pursue the motion of no confidence and the motions of impeachment against the government and the president, respectively. At the same time, as the mass movement grows, it will seek to expand beyond Galle Face and common spaces. The entry of the unions into the confrontation will lead to strikes and general strikes and the pushback of the international community and potential investors even as the country enters the vicious circle of conflict. The president and his advisers need to rethink their options.
