NPP tightrope between rhetoric and reality

• It is common for political leaders of all hues to fine-tune their speeches with rhetorical language as a vote catching, crowd pulling exercise

With vital elections looming on the horizon , rhetorical remarks from across the political divide have become the norm for each passing day . It is common for political leaders of all hues to fine-tune their speeches with rhetorical language as a vote catching ,crowd pulling exercise. In the process, what is done is ostensible concealment of truth from the general public in the couch of rhetorical language . Voters who get carried away by political rhetoric are at the receiving end finally.   

In recent times , the National People’s Power , the political amalgamation led by the Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) , has launched into swift action ahead of the presidential election to be announced likely in September, this year.  Its leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake regularly hits the headlines because of catchy remarks made in addressing public meetings. 

In one instance , he spoke about imprisonment of those accused of corruption and frauds. He spoke in definite terms in this regard. Rooting out corruption is the dire need of the hour .  Nobody can be opposed to any measure being initiated to address the issue in whatsoever manner . However, imprisonment of anyone over corruption and fraud is only the result of a judicial process after investigation . 

Nobody can be opposed to any measure being initiated to address the issue in whatsoever manner . However, imprisonment of anyone over corruption and fraud is only the result of a judicial process after investigation . One wonders how Mr. Dissanayake, along with his NPP colleagues, speaks with precision about imprisonment even before any judicial process commences. After judicial process , it can even be a different form of punishment other than a jail term . As such , Mr. Dissanayake’s remarks amount to mere rhetoric aimed at mesmerizing prospective voters who yearn for an era sans corruption .  

In another instance , he is reported to have said that he will dissolve the security details assigned to him if he is elected to the top office at the elections. Normally , the security assigned to the Head of State depends on threat assessment by the security authorities at the time concerned . One wonders again how such pronouncements are made in advance even before the presidential election is conducted .  

The NPP was in the centre of controversy in recent times over remarks by one of its female leaders Samanmali Gunasinghe who stressed the need for legal protection of sex workers under a government led by her party. In an interview with online media , she said the number of women resorting to sex trade is on the rise under the current economic circumstances. Therefore, she emphasized the need to legalize it for better protection of women who indulge in sex trade. Once the news story appeared , all hell broke loose because legalization of prostitution is something against the social,cultural ethos of the country.

Another female leader from the N.P.P.  Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was at pain to contain the damage saying that prostitution would not be legalized , but the current laws related to sex trade would be amended only to give legal protection to women involved . It is just playing a game of words to cover up possible electoral damage arising from Ms. Gunasinghe’s remarks .  
The JVP- led NPP is now confronted with ideological contrasts among its own ranks .Previously,the party remained a cohesive force with a clearly defined lines on its policy approaches . All its members used to stick to one line in making public utterances.In the expansion of the party for the formation of NPP accommodating outsiders , the JVP appeared to have lost its cohesiveness as its members utter contrasting viewpoints.People are at a loss to find what its actual position is .   

The party is also in a struggle to reconcile its past and present ideologies . No doubt it has transformed a lot . The party which was critical of any deal with the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) now seeks engagement with it . The party which was opposed to private universities tooth and nail now accepts the importance of it. The JVP once shredded the 13th Amendment to the Constitution . It has a different approach to it now , though . Some of its members find it difficult to detach from from the traditional leftist thinking whereas others clamor for neoliberal approaches .  

All in all , it is in a political dilemma trying to garb its present ideology with the sheen of the former one .    

• Mr. Dissanayake’s remarks amount to mere rhetoric aimed at mesmerizing prospective voters who yearn for an era sans corruption