In the season of peace and dignity, whither Lanka?

Today is Christmas Day. For Lankan’s irrespective of religious or other beliefs it is, as customarily has been, a time for spreading goodwill, love and giving. It is widely celebrated as a time of peace. As this year comes to a close, there are many things Lankans can be proud of.

We elected a new president and members of parliament. We have ensured a stable government. Our president has a free hand to clear out corruption which has been the bane of our country. 

Even the minoritiy communities eschewed voting along ethnic lines and voted for the president’s JVP/NPP combine. This has brought about a sliver of unity and it appears we are begining to look on ourselves as Lankans, rather than diverse communities.

More good news, thanks to the fiscal policies of former President Wickremesinghe, ratings agencies have upgraded our country’s foreign currency issuer ratings. The outlook according to Fitch and Moody’s long-term foreign currency issuer defaulter rating is now stable. Meaning the risk of default is now reduced.

Having given the JVP/NPP combine the majority they sought, the country now wants its new government to sort out the day-to-day problems of the people. While the country’s risk of defaulting on foreign currency payments is reduced, more and more of our countrymen and women are falling into debt.

Once a proud nation of free men and women, as of May 2023 UNICEF statistics show that 3.9 million people in Lanka were moderately food insecure with over 10,000 households facing severe food insecurity. Over 2.9 million children need humanitarian assistance to access life-saving nutrition.

Wages of the poorer sections in society have remained static, while costs of food went through the ceiling. To change this was one of the reasons people voted en masse for the president and his party. Sadly, to date the authorities have not been able to tackle this problem. In fact prices have continued to rise.

A rice mafia has artificially created a shortage of our staple diet. Sadly even after three months our new leaders have not been able to control these racketeers. The government now threatens to import rice, a move they once criticised.

Big time corruption is common especially in the state sector. Whether it is to register a business or the import of essential basics, nothing can be done without money changing hands ‘under the table’. 

Worse, it has been the friends and families of the political leaders who have been involved in scams and corrupt practices. While our government is yet to act, the US has sanctioned relatives of a past president. US authorities claim the individuals were involved in robbing the country blind. 

Does our government have the political will to seek information from the US to prosecute these individuals? If it’s done it could possibly expose the chain of corruption and where the funds were secreted. 

On the international scene, last week saw President Dissanayake visit India. India helped us while we were in the throes of bankruptcy, when none appeared to help us out. Therefore it is not a surprise that Dissanayake paid his first international visit to India. 

The visit emphasised the changing stance of the president and his political party towards India. From its earlier anti-Indian attitude, AKD and his government have been forced to accept a defence co-operation agreement, in addition to enhanced economic links like trade as well as energy supplies. 

Next month President Dissanayake will be visiting China. This is not new. For years, local leaders have been playing this game -attempting to play China against India. This policy has not earned for us any respect, as both powers are aware of what our leaders are attempting to do.

Even in its manifesto -A thriving nation a beautiful life- the JVP/NPP combine has paid scant attention to the geopolitical constraints by which we are bound. Since the fall of the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) we are being buffeted by the winds and waves of international events over which we have no control.

It is time President Dissanayake and his band of intellectuals and revolutionaries give foreign policy more than a passing thought. There is crying need to give equal importance to navigate international waters without stepping on other’s toes.