Clean Sri Lanka vs. bureaucratic breaks

Apart from environment cleanliness, the Clean Sri Lanka project is meant for the changes in the current value system and behavioural patterns

How many of the 22 million people of this country might have had the interest to listen to the speech delivered by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during the launch of his ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ project on January 1?  
He, during this speech stated that this was a project that has to be implemented by the people guided by the government. Yet, how many of them were convinced that he/she is a part of the project? Similarly, how many individuals in the country would have agreed to play a role in this project, as he suggested? More importantly, in how many people was he able to instill confidence that this was really a viable project to carry the country forward and that they would really be benefitted? 
The President, it appears, totally relies on this project in his professed effort to change the destiny of the country and the people, as it covers the entire political programme of the ruling National People’s Power (NPP). Yet, the challenge that the government encounters is winning the conscious support of the masses to this project. 
Hardly any member of the Opposition parties seems to have taken note of the Clean Sri Lanka project despite it being a habit of the Opposition parties to criticize anything that come from the government. In fact, they have been rather preoccupied with finding holes in the education certificates of ruling party parliamentarians and finding out if there are illicit affairs among them.

What should alarm the government is to see the total apathy on the part of the masses towards what could be termed as the President’s prime governance project. It could not be seen or heard in the public domain; it has not been a topic among people nor in the media after his speech. However, it should hardly worry the leaders of the government as this is how people look at much touted programmes and projects of governments due to their disappointing experience on so many unsuccessful past projects with attractive tags attached to them, such as Wagaa Sangramaya, Sudu Nelum, Eliya and Viyathmaga. 
The most recent one among those past projects was the “National Transformation Road Map” for the economic recovery for the crisis hit Sri Lanka presented by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe on June 1, 2023. During an address to the nation on the subject he said that the Road Map was built on four pillars including an investment drive on which a high-level discussion would be held within six weeks. A National Reorganisation Plan was also to be presented during the final quarter of the year after extensive negotiations and public participation. Ironically, the Road Map preparation efforts did not get off the ground and even President Wickremesinghe was not heard of referring to the matter thereafter. 
In spite of the indifference on the part of the masses towards the President Dissanayake’s Clean Sri Lanka project, the system change that was promoted by the NPP during the past few years would definitely draw a blank without the support of the people. The President in his speech said that Clean Sri Lanka is one of the three main projects of the government to take the country forward, with the other two projects being eradication of rural poverty and digitalisation of the governance mechanism.
Apart from environment cleanliness, the Clean Sri Lanka project is meant for the changes in the current value system and behavioural patterns, according to Dissanayake. In fact, this is more relevant to the public sector, as all three main projects of the government cited above would be doomed to fail without the integrity, accountability and conscious creativity of those in the public sector being ensured. Politicians can formulate policies and programmes, but it is the public sector officials and employees who are really running the show on the ground. 
The NPP won the hearts of the masses during the pre-election campaigns by its vitriolic attack on corruption that has been an integral part of politics during the tenures of other parties. However, despite corrupt politicians of other parties being routed out, corrupt practices are still an inherent part of state institutions. The NPP leaders have already begun to feel the heat and two senior ministers of the government have already expressed their frustration over it.

Agriculture Minister K.D. Lalkantha had accused bureaucrats days ago for obstructing the Government from taking the country forward. A controversial figure he has been, Lal Kantha warned “The next tsunami will happen against the corrupt bureaucracy of this country.” Minister of Industries Sunil Handunnetti also during an event held last Saturday said that the “state officials, who have gotten used to work according to the corrupt policies and practices of former governments are not prepared yet to get rid of those old practices.” 
It must be recalled that former President Maithripala Sirisena who had been a minister for a long time stated during the 45th National Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka that Ministers cannot steal without the knowledge of their secretaries and chief accountants who later begin to follow the Minister’s example, and this practice trickles down to lower levels as well. Hence, there is no reason for the public institutions to be corrupt free just because of a regime change.
Nonetheless, President says he was not prepared straightaway to take the cudgel to tame the fraudsters. During his address at the inauguration of the Clean Sri Lanka project, he said “We are prepared to take this turn smoothly, yet, in the same vein we are prepared to do so aggressively, if we are obstructed.” It is interesting to note that a materialist groomed by Marxist doctrine is giving priority to subjectivity. Governance cannot rely on individuals’ integrity and/or commitment. Those qualities must be ensured through appropriate mechanisms. 

Dissanayake might have meant this when he said “The Attorney General’s Department has a critical role to play in this endeavour. Similarly, institutions such as the Criminal Investigation Department and the judiciary bear the principal responsibility for transforming our country into one, free from corruption and fraud.”
However, we would be able understand the viability of the Clean Sri Lanka project only at least in another six months. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, they say.