All Party Interim; a Grand Alliance of Thieves?

People shout slogans against Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and demand that Rajapaksa family politicians step down, during a protest. REUTERS

Integrity, intelligence, capability, conscientiousness, and experience should take precedence over party loyalty in appointing an interim administration. The President has confessed/apologized that it was a blunder to impose organic only instead of agrochemicals and not seeking IMF assistance earlier. The two mistakes or grave errors are sufficed for a Head of State, irrespective of the degree of his involvement in the decisions, to tender his resignation. Is readiness to confess/apologize a sign of strong character or of weakness?  Did he know apology can turn hostility into personal triumph? An apology that is too late or tactical can result in individual and an institution’s ruin. The leader is accountable not only for his own behaviour, but also for that of their followers. The degree of damage; the harm caused was widespread, serious, and enduring.

Robert McNamara, former US secretary of defense apologized continually for his pathetic judgement on the Vietnam War. Why do they apologize? Aaron Lazare has the answer in his book, ‘On Apology’, offering plenty of evidence that apologies by politicians is increasing, and has been remarkable. He says, ‘It has become a tactic that they frequently use for forgetting the errors and disasters at minimal cost.’ Nicholas Tavuchis, wrote in, ‘Mea Culpa: A Sociology of Apology and Reconciliation’, that, ‘apologies verbalize to acts that cannot be reversed. Leaders do publicly apologize if the costs of doing so is lower than that of not doing so’. Gotabaya has apologized; now he must GO!

 All protest campaigns rise and fall over time in the absence of people’s support, irrespective of they are backed by leaders or leaderless.  It is the public participation that matters. Others fail and run out of steam. They need fuelling to maintain enthusiasm and momentum; not material benefits like supply of food and other paraphernalia by rich businessmen. Fuelling means sympathetic consideration and backing by the masses. The writer visited the site last week and spent virtually eight hours sharing views and ideas with a cross section of men, and women of all ages. The patriotic youth, sans any ethnic and religious differences, protesting near the Old Parliament, demand that 225 + 1 vacate.  Their agitation is as good as an accusation of all those who participated in ruining their motherland, especially during the past four decades. Their call for a sweeping change is sensible and needs to be listened to. 

The introduction and intensification of the Constitutional Council (CC), is another urge they shared; an important area proposed by the group of eleven as well as included by SJB in their submissions.  The Independent Commissions should function as autonomous entities and be totally free of any interference from ruling powers [cause of its failure during Maithri-Ranil cohabitation].  In a dramatic turn of events, the latest to join the procession in proposing  Constitutional restriction on politicians is none other than Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Prime Minister himself [a move for survival?] who is advocating the reintroduction of 19 A.  

"A haphazard interim committee consisting of Government and opposition’s old faces is certainly not the answer"

He may be under the illusion that he will then receive more powers and the beleaguered family can expect a little breathing space for a limited period, before intense pressure being exerted upon them to depart. The  youth who are demanding sweeping changes, forces them to give in totally. The leaderless mass uprising has caused many swollen-headed Pohottuwa men who boasted of their two-thirds [besieged and struggling] in the government to seek places to go into hiding. Being unable to make their daily morning physical stints at Galle Face Green, the opposition greats are not faring any better either.  Five of them made a bold declaration announcing their availability at the ‘G-G Gama’ if the need arose, which statement their leader asserted in Parliament on the 21st. In a more emphatic tone, he said, “I warn the government, do not touch them, and if you do any harm, I will not hesitate to make my presence at the site.” However, none have received a positive response from the determined youth who stick to “No-politics”.  

 We have observed, in the past that when they are out of power, politicians of all colours and shades, pledge to abolish the executive presidency. The SJB under Premadasa has submitted a draft for constitutional amendment to Parliament proposing the scrapping of the executive presidency and strengthening the Parliament, indeed a praiseworthy welcome move. While the Ranawake faction maintained stoic silence over the decision, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, addressing Parliament on April 21, said that any Constitutional amendments will not resolve the country’s political crisis; “Stern action against the school principal is necessary whenever he ill-treated or abused a child in the school rather than scrapping the principal’s post.”  Ruwan Wijewardene, deputy leader of UNP is reported to have stated, that the time has come for the opposition members to forget their personal political dreams and unite. Yes, there are too many vying to be future presidents. There are divergent views within the SJB; many competent aspirants [SF, CR, H de S] referred to by Premadasa [who is suspicious of his chances of being nominated to contest the authoritative post] on an earlier occasion as -‘those who have placed orders for the EP garb’, are voicing their dissent.  

Elaborating further on this SF continued, “I don’t agree with an interim government, what is required is a transformation in the political culture”. The war-winning commander added, “Those who are protesting at Galle Face push for a change in the political culture. I advice these youths not to give up their struggle; they are certainly going to win the battle—the victory is at hand,” thus making his intensions clear.

 In the Premadasa proposed amendment, among many progressive clauses, there is an attempt at imposing restrictions on Supreme Court’s jurisdiction concerning the members kicked out of parties from seeking redress at judiciary. This idea should not be welcomed at all. The youth have proved themselves. The non-violent gathering in numbers have brought the most powerful government that ever ruled this country, to its knees. The Rajapaksas who refused to obey and did utmost to consolidate their hold on power through a draconian 20 A, have confessed to their folly and they seek to make amends by diluting the hastily acquired constitutional decrees. 

 As long as the present political culture continues not even a miracle can take the country back to its past pristine glory. Urgent  action is needed to straighten up the economy and refashion the political structure to ease the misery the masses undergo. The country needs an efficient, honest, competent and committed professionals to handle its affairs on an interim basis until such time a permanent  political entity is formed. The latter should be only under a new constitution which is  capable of restricting the politicians’ excesses and empowering people. A haphazard interim committee consisting of Government and opposition’s old faces is certainly not the answer. We do not deserve another team of dishonest politicians to replace an existent corrupt and inefficient group: certainly, not another grand alliance of thieves and ruffians too naïve to rule this nation.

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