ACCOMPLISHMENT OF PLEDGES GIVEN AT THE ELECTIONS:IS IT FEASIBLE ?

Pic - BBC

Out of multiple strategies implemented by JVP/NPP leadership in order to secure victory at the last Presidential and General elections, hatred politics and gamut of crucial pledges given to the people have played a predominant role to change the mindset of the mass scale of people in favour of JVP/NPP. 

In a nutshell, hatred politics means rousing of antipathy and antagonistic feelings among the masses by one fraction of politicians against another faction of politicians or traditionally by Opposition in Parliament against the ruling party by disseminating of malicious allegations on corruptions, frauds, bribery, money laundering, violation of human rights, killings, abuse of power etc. Remember, the prime objective of hatred politics is nothing but rousing of anger by one against the other to gain political mileage and capturing governmental power. Hatred politics is completely different from democratic politics. It is not in consistent with one of the cardinal principles of constructive criticism and peaceful co-existence in parliamentary democracy.

Urging Public to Treat all as Roughs

AKD has repeatedly pronounced at the last parliamentary election campaign that “Politicians who occupied parliament and the Cabinet of Ministers in various capacities which implies MP, Minister, Deputy Minister, State Minister, Prime Minister, and Executive President as well  under previous regimes from Mahinda Rajapakse to Wickremasinghe are to be treated as collective of roughs, thieves, corrupt and dishonest personalities, who did nothing but soliciting of bribes, underhand commission, plundering of public funds and spending of luxurious life whilst drifting  out masses of this country to the miserable stage of dire poverty and starvation”. He urged masses to flush out those rotten stuff, en bloc from parliament and fill it with JVP/NPP candidates whose integrity, honesty, competency and suitability required for the post they contest are beyond reproach when compared to the rotten collective of personalities above referred to.

These are highly prejudiced and provocative statements which reflect nothing but hatred politics.

He had recalled the memory of the masses on gamut of allegations levelled against those politicians whom he has classified as rotten stuff, and provoked the masses to abstain from casting their votes in favour of them.

While being head of the nation, categorising candidates at the election campaigns in that manner just prior to the election in front of general public seemed to be an undue influence on the exercise of franchise by people, judiciously on the one hand and it is tantamount to misdirecting of people to vote in favour of JVP /NPP candidates and abstain from voting for rest of the candidates on the other hand.

Accusing All in Public 

In order to substantiate his categorisation of candidates as above referred to, he had cited allegations levelled against those candidates openly in public. It is unfair to condemn point blank any person or group of persons as offenders based on allegations alone due to the fact that most of the allegations on corruptions, bribery, unjust enrichments, defrauding of public funds etc. have been based on fabricated stories with the prime objective of tarnishing their image or assassinating their characters in order to gain a political mileage by one party against another party. Most of the allegations levelled against Rajapakse regime and the allegation on Central Bank scam levelled against Ranil Wickremasinghe are still pending as unproved allegations.  All successive governments from Rajapakse regime up to Wickremasinghe government have been continued to trigger package of allegations against predecessor governments, but intentionally ignored to prove those allegations before Court of Law due to the fact that most of them have been based on fabricated stories and lack of credible evidence to prove them, as well as, they are being kept at AG’s Department or CID in order to use them against political rivals as and when required.

It may be noted that Article 05 in Chapter 03 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka under the caption “Fundamental Rights” states ‘every person shall be presumed innocent until he is proved guilty (by Court of Law)’. It is a fact that majority of rural and urban folk are ignorant of the legal impact of the word allegation. Most of them are inclined to believe those allegations are offences actually committed by alleged parties.

In that context, unproved allegations based on fabricated stories have been used as an effective strategy by shrewd politicians to provoke the anger of the masses against their political rivals.

Although AKD had condemned almost all politicians who occupied parliament under previous regimes are corrupt collective of personalities, he cannot simply ignore certain distinguished performance of some political leaders of past regimes such as eradication of LTTE terrorism, effective control of Covid-19 pandemic, resolution of fuel, gas, medicine, and forex crisis and the rescue the country from bankruptcy etc.  In spite of his claims at the last election campaign that candidates who contested election from NPP are absolutely clean, honest and uncorrupt characters, it is a fact that past performance of some JVP activists have been involved with some violent course of actions to grab governmental power by means of paralysing Sri Lanka’s economy, sabotage of industrial peace, confrontation with law and order of the country, causing rigorous hardships to the general public, carrying out chains of political strikes and street protest etc.   

In addition to the hatred politics, pledges given to the people at the election campaign have played a vital role for the victory of JVP/NPP.

The necessity of a ‘system change’ seemed to be one of the pivotal pledges given by NPP leader at the Presidential as well as parliamentary election campaigns. The ‘system change’ was the principal motto of ‘Aragalaya’ in which JVP had played a prominent role. It is presumed what JVP/NPP leadership has portrayed as ‘system change’ is nothing but a change in the existing political system of parliamentary democracy and the political culture that emerged there. The tactic adopted by JVP from its inception including two insurrections to capture governmental power by the bullet instead of ballot has been changed by the leadership of NPP by entering into the existing political system of parliamentary democracy through franchise and elections. Those who hail democracy should appreciate AKD for the change of system practiced within JVP although he came to the forefront in politics pledging for a ‘system change” in the existing political system based on parliamentary democracy. In that context pledging for a ‘system change’ reflects its duality and lack of feasibility. In that context ‘system change’ seems to be a political slogan used by activities of ‘Aragalaya’ and JVP to cover their activities in the process of power struggle. 

Any change in the corrupt political culture is also considered as part and parcel of ‘system change’.  Hatred politics is considered another facet of corrupt political culture. In that context it seems JVP/NPP has adopted corrupt political culture by practicing hatred politics at the last Presidential and parliamentary elections, instead of rejecting it, based on their principle ‘system change’.

Follow the Pledges to People

Although prime requisite needed to fulfill the pledges given to the people at the election campaigns has already been secured consequent to the massive victory gain at the elections, there are some pre-requisites that needed to be fulfilled to implement most important and crucial pledges as follows.

(a) Concurrence of the IMF should be obtained in advance to adjust term and conditions of IMF agreement in order to reduce taxes, to be shared tax burden on equitable basis and thereby to reduce the burden of cost of living imposed on masses

(b) To generate appropriate financial strength needed to give effect the overall package of relief to the masses as per pledges given at the elections.

(c) To convert the present status of the economy to export oriented economy in order to meet the financial capacity needed for repayment of debts after the moratorium commencing from year 2028.

(d) To establish genuine commitment and dedication for replacement of the Constitution with a new one and abolition of Executive Presidency as per vibrant pledge given in this regard at the last elections.

The responsibility on the part of people in that regard has already been fulfilled by securing a thundering majority in his favour at the last Parliamentary election. In that context it is not possible for AKD to find excuses for any failure or delay on his part to fulfill the pledges given to the people at the last election campaigns. It is a fact that AKD needs sufficient time and appropriate planning to accomplish at lease some vital pledges pertaining to the substantial relief to be given to the desperate masses. In that context there is a limit to resort to ‘wait and see’ tactic which is usually put into practice by shrewd politicians in the past.

In the event of failure or unbearable delay on the part of the government to give effect the pledges given to the people, hatred politics or passing the buck to the IMF will not be able to bail out the government from antagonistic reaction of the people.

The writer is a former Executive Director at BOI, HRM Consultant on Fiscal Reform Program ADB – covering Sri Lanka Customs, Excise Department and Inland Revenue Department, a former Lecturer and Management Consultant.