A year has passed by since the present government came to power, and so many changes have taken place within then.  The budget was passed,   independent commissions have been formed, and a new financial crimes investigation division (FCID ) has been established    and  new measures have been  taken to take the country towards prosperity and  recognition. 

From the day  the FCID was established,  it has been  bringing  culprits for many financial frauds  before justice,    though some who do not still agree with the  concept of “good governance” claim  that nothing important has been done so far, except taking    accused  parties  into custody and  found  corruption in State  and private institutions. But there is always two sides to every story, while some people  might disagree,   others seem to be having a favourable perspective of the present situation and of the future as well.    Democracy, freedom of speech, and being united as a nation are frequently discussed topics  when it  comes to the  field of  politics and the purpose of holding an election and electing a government to  change the previous system of ruling a country and create an environment where every citizen gets their share of   benefits  to  live in peace, share the  equal rights  and   enhance their livelihood both economically and  socially.  During the famous January 8 revolution, the public gave a chance for a new government to prove what they were worth of, ending up a 10-year-old regime.   Has everything been done  to the people’s expectations up to now? Or does it need more time?  We decided to inquire from a few noted figures from the aesthetic fields including cinema, arts and music to get their opinion regarding the current progress of the “good governance”.   
Those were a few of the opinions we got from the cine field. Let us hope that the  present government  would take all these into consideration and adopt strategies and continue the development process with the view to bring better prosperity to the country.

A year has gone by but still there is no visible progress 

“It is a very sad situation at the moment. A year has gone by but still there is no visible progress.  I recently went to a State institution to get some work done, and I was thinking how State institutions have been corrupted compared with the previous regime, and the present regime that was elected in 2015.   After the war, there was a speedy progress in many fields.  There were new projects and plans to develop the country. But now, the country’s progress is on the crossroads.  If two political parties get together, there should be more progress in plans for the betterment of the country.    Even the economy is declining.  Considering all these, nothing called development has been done up to now.   

 We can see the changes after the new government

“We can see the changes after the new government. Everybody has some concern over it. Things have to be in the proper manner, and we can see this happening.   Commissions such as the   Human Rights Commission seem to be doing their contribution towards our society.  Hopefully, there is a liberal kind of action. There are still certain issues such as the Uma Oya project and Port City   which have to be given much concern.  Economic matters of course, are very crucial for the people but we should allow the government to adjust.   It will be better if we can minimise the Jumbo Cabinet.  This is not an easy job and it takes time. So we should give a chance to the new regime.  During the previous regime, there was no media freedom.  Media personnel were arrested and harassed, except for those who inclined with the government. But we can see a vast difference now.”  

 The society has got the ‘feeling’ of freedom

“Compared to the previous regime, there has been a change.  The society has got the ‘feeling’ of freedom.  We cannot see any waste.  There is a certain extent of the ‘family’ concept. Though a new government had been elected,   it seems there has been no change in people’s attitude.  Still, only a year has passed.  We still have an old and rusted   system.  By now, it can be seen developing gradually.  It is true that we don’t see a huge progress.  A lot of people say that.   We cannot expect rapid progress.  We have to put plans into action.  We will have to wait and see for sometime.   Any institution needs some time to be developed.  When arresting people, they should also show others as well as the mainly accused.  Be it a government official, or a parliamentarian, law should be impartial on them.”

We have to implement the Rule of Law

“Well, a lot has been accomplished.   We should be a little more patient and wait for the results.   We all know there are certain changes which still have to be done, and nothing can be changed overnight.  These things take time, and its hard work.  Whoever is arrested for    various financial frauds or crimes, we have to implement the Rule of Law.  We should get enough evidence and facts as well.   Regarding the film industry, this is the only country where there is no digital cinema and   there was a time when I had to take all my digital cinematic equipment back.   We had a President who had a love for the Cinema and arts field, but those who were around him mislead him giving the wrong information.  Therefore, the progress of the present government seems to be favourable”.