Does Politics Play Too Big a Role in Sri Lanka?

"Parliament Complex - Sri Lanka" by Hafiz Issadeen is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Sri Lankan politics plays a big role in its society. I feel that a case could be made that politics plays too big a role in Sri Lanka. A history of bad governance is an issue we unfortunately have experienced. I decided to write an article about this issue. I’ll begin with information on the current government.

Sri Lanka has had a National People’s Power (NPP) government over the last year which won both the presidential and parliamentary elections. I was concerned about the NPP prior to the 2024 Sri Lankan Presidential election. I had expressed my views in the articles “Displeased with All Sides” and “What I Wish to See Happen in Sri Lanka”. I was hoping that the NPP would not derail Sri Lanka’s economic recovery as their campaign rhetoric indicated they might. Thankfully that did not prove to be the case, with the NPP continuing Sri Lanka's economy on the right path.

The NPP is doing a better job than I expected. They are taking steps towards unity and are implementing the positive Clean Sri Lanka initiative. I will however add that I have not become an NPP supporter. I still have ideological differences with them. The leading party of the NPP, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) started as a Marxist party. Some government members have views in that direction and I hope the JVP/NPP will move away from Marxism. I’m not someone who sees the NPP as the saviours or as the villains. My views are that of an independent citizen who isn’t aligned with any political party. In last year's presidential election, I was not enthusiastic about the three leading presidential candidates. While I did not back the NPP, I want them to do a good job. Sri Lanka can’t afford to suffer another political tragedy after all the political problems we’ve had in recent years.

While the NPP is the government in power right now, my article isn’t about them. I gave my views on the NPP to give context to the current state of Sri Lankan politics. Regardless of which party is in power, it’s important to have politics play a healthy role and not a too dominant one. When politics is so entrenched in society, that gives corrupt politicians a greater opportunity to do harm. Another negative of too much politics is creating division between people who support the government and those who don’t.

A bad practice which has been carried for a long time is frequently inviting politicians for events in roles such as the chief guest and/or a speaker. I don’t advocate inviting politicians as the default approach. This practice can result in someone inviting a politician they are against and may believe to be corrupt. I’m not referring to cases where you invite a politician you didn’t vote for as engaging with the relevant Minister can gain their support for just policies you advocate. I’m talking of cases where you invite a politician of the worst type going against the values you believe in. I think politicians should ideally only be invited when there’s a valid reason and their track record should also be taken into consideration.

When dealing with politicians, whether it’s simply having a conversation or working with them, I believe it’s important to be cautious. Don’t let them use you or get you involved in a corrupt scheme. Turn them down if they offer you money to be part of their corruption. Be careful what you say to them. If they request you pay a bribe, say no to them, pointing out that it is against Sri Lanka’s best interest. To go into more positive aspects of engaging with politicians, talking with them gives a great opportunity to share sound policy ideas and initiatives you have. If you are pleased with projects they and/or the government are involved with, it’s good to tell them that.

The Sri Lankan news stories are dominated by politics. The media have a need to report on political matters, but it seems to me that politics is overfocused on at the expense of other sectors. I think positive stories about Sri Lanka is a topic the Sri Lankan media should focus more on.

I think it’s relevant to mention another type of government individual who isn’t a politician that plays an essential role. These are independent public officials. They will meet with and work with politicians, but maintaining their independence is important for them to perform their roles effectively. A positive example of an individual is Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe who played a major role in Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic recovery.

Based on my observations, it seems to me that politics does play too big a role in Sri Lanka. I will add that my views go more generally how it’s been over the years and I’m not criticising the current government in this regard. As I haven’t been to Sri Lanka in nearly six years, I am less familiar with what the situation is like right now. I’m interested to know, do you think politics plays too big a role in Sri Lanka?

What I Wish to See Happen in Sri Lanka

As Sri Lanka is about to have a presidential election, I decided to write about what I wish to see happen in Sri Lanka going forward. It includes what I want to see discontinue and remain of the current happenings. Out of the three main presidential candidates, the one I’m most concerned about coming to power is Anura Kumara Dissanayake. He leads the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the National People’s Power (NPP) alliance. My issues with the JVP are their communist ideology and the two insurrections they were responsible for. I don’t think they have a viable plan.

I’m pleased with the interim President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s work on Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, but am displeased with his handling of human rights and the politics he’s playing. He is contesting the presidency as an independent candidate. I think Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) candidate Sajith Premadasa has sensible views on human rights, but I do not like his embrace of populism & the politics he’s doing and have concerns about his economic policies. I am not endorsing any political party or individual. I had written an article a few months ago about the current situation called “Displeased with All Sides”.

Abolish the Executive Presidency

I am of the view that the executive presidency should be abolished. The amount of power corrupts the person holding office. Recent cases of presidential abuse of power include President Ranil Wickremesinghe delaying the local government elections last year. The Supreme Court last month declared this to be a violation of voters’ essential rights. It was distressing to hear the President say following this that he wasn’t sorry for postponing the election.

In February this year, the President appointed the controversial Deshabandu Tennakoon as Inspector General of Police (IGP). This appointment was made a few months after the Supreme Court ordered Deshabandu Tennakoon to pay compensation for violating a citizen's fundamental rights and appeared to be unconstitutional. In July, the Supreme Court gave an interim order preventing Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning as the IGP. It’s disappointing to see a lack of commitment from Ranil Wickremesinghe to abolish the executive presidency. Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake have committed to abolish the executive presidency.

Sensible Government

I wish to see a sensible government elected with sound policies. This would be a transparent government that follows proper processes and good governance. They would rectify the bad human rights situation currently going on, bring good human rights policies and repeal the controversial Online Safety Act. This government would not be corrupt and be without scandals. System change which people have been calling for would be implemented. Unity is needed in Sri Lanka with it being important for the government unifying the country including winning the trust of the minorities.

No More SLPP

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is the party of the Rajapaksas which caused Sri Lanka to be in the mess that it’s in. There are members aligned with the Rajapaksas who have been part of the interim government and the SLPP independent group known as the Freedom People’s Congress (FPC) who are with the SJB. With the presidential election, some changes have been made. The SLPP decided to field their own candidate Namal Rajapaksa, yet most SLPP MPs chose to support Ranil Wickremesinghe. Two SLPP members who were in the interim government decided to contest this presidential election. I consider the SLPP to be a toxic party so I don’t wish to see any faction of them having a presence in the government.

Action Against Bribery and Corruption

Bribery and Corruption are major problems occurring in Sri Lanka. Action needs to be taken against politicians who’ve been engaging in these practices, especially those responsible for Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. We also need to work on bribery and corruption prevention. Sri Lanka is reported to have stolen assets stashed abroad, with serious allegations against the Rajapaksa political family. It’s essential to recover stolen assets utilising the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) & the World Bank Group.

Reducing the Crime Rate

Sri Lanka unfortunately has a high crime rate. Criminal activity seems to have been growing over the last five years. It’s distressing to hear of shootings going on causing loss of life. This gun violence needs to stop. The government needs to take action to reduce the crime rate as this is a serious national security concern. It’s important to incorporate teaching against crime in the school curriculum. It’s imperative to establish the rule of law in Sri Lanka.

Economic Recovery

I am of the view that Sri Lanka’s economic recovery is one present initiative going in the right direction. It’s good that the IMF program was secured. Both the SJB and NPP have said they would renegotiate the IMF agreement if they come to power. My view on the issue is this. If the IMF is willing to renegotiate and the new government comes up with sensible modifications which are able to ease the burden on the people and better reach the targets, then I am for it. My concern is of the government playing politics with Sri Lanka’s recovery where their attempts at renegotiation results in the IMF agreement being withdrawn or it’s approved with changes which makes the situation worse. I think the SJB is more sensible than the NPP when it comes to the IMF agreement.

In April this year, the ADB forecasted Sri Lanka to reach 1.9% and 2.5% growth in 2024 and 2025 after two years of negative growth. I hope to see economic growth exceeding those numbers. A few years ago, the State Owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit (SOERU) was set up at the Ministry of Finance. Many State-Owned-Enterprises (SOEs) are a drain on the economy with their losses so this is an important move. Unfortunately, the restructuring unit has been facing delays and hasn’t restructured a single SOE so far. I hope that the SOERU would be strengthened enabling it to successfully restructure SOEs.

I’m writing this just before the presidential election has occurred. When you read this, the results of the election may have come out. I know that some of these topics I’ve written about are unrealistic. I see indications to some of them in different parties, but I don’t see one party having all of them. Our messed-up politics is causing so much damage and needs to transform into something new.

System Change in Sri Lanka

 

A key demand of the protests in Sri Lanka which kicked the Rajapaksas out of power last year is system change. This is something we have yet to see. In this article, I’ll be giving my thoughts on how system change can be carried out.

Constitution of Sri Lanka

One aspect relates to the Sri Lankan Constitution. Both Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, during their presidencies introduced draconian undemocratic amendments to the Constitution strengthening the power of the President, doing harm to rule of law and independence of government institutions which were the 18th Amendment in 2010 and the 20th Amendment in 2020. Following these two Rajapaksa presidencies, there were restorative amendments to the Constitution passed which were the 19th Amendment in 2015 and the 21st Amendment in 2022.

We can’t keep going back and forth between authoritarian and restorative constitutional amendments. This cycle must end. What’s tragic is that many parliamentarians voted for the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st Amendments. They didn’t see the dangers of draconian amendments and even if they did, their thirst for power prevented them from voting sensibly. Then with the 20th Amendment, they went back to voting for an authoritarian amendment again not learning their lesson.

Firstly, it’s important that we learn not to vote again for rulers who seek to strengthen their powers and engage in corruption. Secondly, we need to elect sensible parliamentarians who won’t vote for such authoritarian laws. In the Parliament we should have, the government and opposition members will have different ideologies and policies, but they would all believe in values such as rule of law, integrity, good governance and serving the country well. Both sides should be competing to perform better in these fronts which would be a healthy competition.

Unity

Unity is an issue Sri Lanka has had a problem with for many years with mistrust occurring among different communities. A positive factor of last year’s protests is that it was a rare case of Sri Lankans of different ethnicities being part of a common movement. While that was one moment which didn’t solve unity, it’s imperative that we don’t go back to the way we used to be. That can very easily happen.

We need to have a united Sri Lanka with a common Sri Lankan identity. We should use what happened last year as a stepping stone to overcome our divisions and make permanent unity. It’s important to reflect on how politicians divided Sri Lankans. Unity is a valuable subject to be taught in schools. This issue ties into my previous point of the need for common values across parliamentarians. Unity should be another common value across the political divide.

Abolishing the Executive Presidency

I am of the view that the Executive Presidency needs to be abolished. This concentrates too much power on one individual. I believe it has caused much damage to Sri Lanka and is a major factor which contributed to Sri Lanka’s present state. A President who gets elected on a reform mandate gets corrupted by the system resulting in him or her not performing as promised and infuriating much of Sri Lanka.

It’s worth noting that Gotabaya Rajapaksa got elected President when the 19th Amendment was in force. The 19th Amendment greatly reduced the powers of the President. A parliamentary system could make it less likely for an individual with no political experience to be elected Head of Government. I think that we should transition into having an Executive Prime Minister with a ceremonial President.

Bribery and Corruption

Bribery and corruption unfortunately is very common in Sri Lanka including politics, the public and private sector. We need to have systems in place to deter individuals from engaging in these practices. There needs to be successful bribery and corruption prosecutions especially politicians.

We have been enabling bribery and corruption for a long time. This needs to change. Saying no to paying bribes including politicians will make a difference. If a politician asks for a bribe, when saying no there are important points to tell them. They are, this is causing damage to Sri Lanka, the need for system change and mention their election comments against bribery if they said it. Sri Lankan businesses should implement policies of not paying bribes to the government and for their staff not to solicit bribes from customers.

It’s important to teach school students the dangers of bribery and corruption including not participating in it and saying no to paying bribes. It would be useful for public servants and elected representatives to be instructed not to get involved in bribery and corruption when they start their roles. While this won’t prevent all public servants and elected representatives from engaging in these practices, it has the potential to noticeably reduce it.

Conclusion

I gave my perspective on four issues I think need to be fulfilled for system change in Sri Lanka. This is a small selection I gave with many more issues relating to system change needed. This process is an enormous challenge for us to undertake, but that shouldn’t deter us. We can accomplish system change. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on this topic.

Sri Lanka at 75

Today, the Fourth of February 2023 marks 75 years of Sri Lanka’s independence from Britain. Unfortunately, it’s so tragic that Sri Lanka is in one of its darkest periods right now, going through a severe economic crisis. I wish Sri Lanka was in a much better place without all the current and long-term problems that predated the crisis. I decided to give a short reflection on this anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence. My view is that the corrupt politicians may be able to steal Sri Lanka’s money & resources and use its people, but they cannot take away the meaning and importance of the country, including Sri Lanka’s Independence Day. We Sri Lankans must not let them do that.

Sri Lanka’s Independence Day represents breaking free from colonialism which the country had suffered greatly from. Though the British became the first colonial power to colonise the whole island in 1815, Sri Lanka had been colonised by the Dutch & Portuguese prior to the British having experienced a total of almost 400 years of colonialism. This day is also a day to enjoy and celebrate Sri Lanka. 75 years of independence is a landmark anniversary for Sri Lanka. Sri Lankans of all generations can look back to positive memories and experiences of theirs in Sri Lanka covering 1948 to the present day. This can include beautiful Sri Lankan scenery you’ve seen, trips taken with family and/or friends, great Sri Lankan days of yours and much more.

A positive aspect of Sri Lanka’s independence movement is that it was achieved peacefully. That gives us hope of what we can achieve with sensible movements for change in Sri Lanka. May we gain wisdom to take Sri Lanka forward. We must learn from our wrongdoings, failures and mistakes. Let’s make the next 75 years much better than the previous 75 years. We need to do this for our future generations. We can make Sri Lanka clean, transform our bad politics into something good, remove discrimination, have a unified Sri Lankan identity, diversify our exports, attract needed foreign direct investments (FDI), build a stable economy and more. Happy Sri Lankan Independence Day!

Six Songs for Sri Lanka

My country Sri Lanka is currently facing its worst crisis right now. The country is running out of money so there is unfortunately a shortage of power, cooking gas, medicines, paper and fuel. Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s victory at Sri Lanka’s November 2019 Presidential election is what set the stage for this crisis. There have been massive protests calling Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign since March. I decided to write an article highlighting six songs I like that can apply to Sri Lanka’s present state. There are five western songs and one Sri Lankan song featured which have their official YouTube audio embedded.

Takin' It to the Streets - The Doobie Brothers (1976)

This is Michael McDonald’s first hit with The Doobie Brothers. Michael wrote it, sings it and plays piano. This song is about someone who has grown up in poverty through a very difficult environment. Sri Lanka has issues of poverty and people in Sri Lanka are going through the most painful and difficult time in Sri Lanka’s history. The current protests in Sri Lanka match with the theme of the song. I hope they will succeed in getting Gotabaya Rajapaksa to resign and take Sri Lanka out of its current mess. Michael sings powerfully and plays his melodic piano colourfully. There’s a nice saxophone solo.  

Feel Like A Number - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (1978)

This is an intense rocker featuring powerful piano. There is both a piano and a guitar solo. Bob mentions standing in line at the start which is apt as Sri Lankans have been standing for hours in queues daily. The protagonist feels like a number because of the difficulties and lack of recognition in his life. Corrupt politicians in Sri Lanka have been discarding the citizens of Sri Lanka which can result in people feeling like a number. The line “I’m just another consensus on the street” reflects the Sri Lankans out there in queues and protests being a consensus of Sri Lanka’s colossal failures in governance. This song has the signature Bob Seger rock sound.

Where Have All The Good Times Gone - Elton John (1982)

This is a soul influenced song that’s very musical. Elton John wrote this song with his long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin. This song is written nostalgically looking back in the early 1980s, but the statement “Where have all the good times gone” applies to Sri Lanka. You can think of this question bringing back positive memories of Sri Lanka. This song features piano, electric piano, an orchestra and subtle guitar parts. Elton sings passionately asking this question. In the final section of the song, Elton brings in some rock piano and sings more intensely.

The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby & The Range (1986)

Its lyrics open with the fitting words “Standing in line, marking time”. This is a piano driven rock song with the piano played by the singer. The chorus has the lines “That’s just the way it is. Some things will never change.” It also adds “Don’t you believe them” which I like. This message is useful for Sri Lanka, as the common defeatist statement “That’s just the way it is” has been said for years regarding Sri Lanka’s problems. I hope the protests will result in action to fix the problems plaguing Sri Lankan society currently and for decades. Bruce gives inspired piano playing throughout including two piano solos. 

Sihina Lowak - Clarence Wijewardena (2002)

This is an instrumental version of a song by Sri Lankan musician Clarence Wijewardena. It opens with a keyboard part which comes back later. The song features catchy guitars. There is a saxophone played in the Sri Lankan style. In the last section of the song there is some subtle singing by Clarence going with the guitar parts. This is a relaxing gentle song which reflects the wonder of Sri Lanka. The wonder of Sri Lanka is something to look at in these dark times. 

Working On a Dream - Bruce Springsteen (2009)

This is an optimistic song. Bruce sings of working on a dream. Many Sri Lankans are dreaming of what they wish to see for Sri Lanka. I dream of a Sri Lanka where there is clean politics, peace, no racism & discrimination, a thriving economy, a good quality of life among other much needed developments. This song features good dark, rock piano notes. There is a nice section where Bruce whistles. This song talks of the importance of working on a dream.

These are a collection of songs I selected that I feel are suitable for the current times in Sri Lanka. Music when done right can express our thoughts and feelings in a truthful manner. It can touch us, comfort us and inspire us to do better. I’m very sad by the current state of Sri Lanka, though I am pleased to see the unified call for change coming from Sri Lanka’s different communities and groups. I’m so sorry to all the people back home in Sri Lanka for the suffering you’re going through. It’s my wish to see a better Sri Lanka emerge.

Sad for Sri Lanka

 

Unfortunately, Sri Lanka is in a dark place right now. Besides the COVID-19 pandemic that is ongoing in both Sri Lanka and throughout the world, there are power cuts, rising food prices, foreign reserves falling to low levels with the risk of it running out, exploding gas cylinders among other issues. The biggest problem facing Sri Lanka is a majoritarian, incompetent government causing damage to the country and concentrating power in one political family. I believe the bad governance is the root cause of much of the bad news coming out of Sri Lanka. The pandemic has exacerbated the bad governance problems facing Sri Lanka making the negative results come faster. 

It appears to me that there is a growing number of long-time supporters of the Rajapaksas who are dissatisfied with the current government’s performance. As Sri Lanka is disunited right now, we can use the common dissatisfaction as one reason to be united. A bad political tactic which is common in Sri Lanka is to divide the communities by rulers as a means to be in power. By uniting together for the country, we will be defying this strategy of the politicians. We will have our differences due to being from different communities or social groups, but we can focus on the type of society we want based on our common goals. 

We can look at the type of government we should be having. We need leaders who will give equal treatment to all communities, take a firm stand against bribery & corruption, have honesty & integrity, work to take Sri Lanka out of the economic mess it’s in into a strong stable economy among other needed changes. 

We Sri Lankans can work to reduce the indecent values and behaviour which stem from the top. Those of us who live in Sri Lanka can strive to take the country in the direction to where it should be. Civil society has an important role to play in this. Business leaders can work to strengthen the quality, ethics and services of their businesses. It’s important to give a good image of the country to the outside world, especially online. 

I’m conflicted as I don’t want to sound very bleak about Sri Lanka’s future, yet I see more bad things headed for Sri Lanka including the potential for ones that are catastrophic. We can do our part to try to prevent potential bad occurrences from happening. While the awful politics is wreaking havoc in our country, we are not defined by it. We are a beautiful island nation with diverse cultures and communities. We offer a lot of interesting different places in a small country. Sri Lanka is a special country and an important part of Asia. Let’s work to make the society we need a reality one day. 

A Plea For Peace and Unity in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka sadly witnessed devastating terrorist attacks on Easter Sunday this year in hotels &

churches which killed over 250 people and injured over 500 individuals. As the country was

recovering from this tragedy, two weeks later racist individuals in response to the Easter Sunday

attacks terrorised Muslim communities in many towns across Western Sri Lanka which resulted in

homes, businesses & mosques damaged and one person murdered. The fact that the terrorists

behind the Easter Sunday attacks are Muslim has led to an emergence of racism against the Muslim

community which I believe is bad for the country. In this article, I’m making a plea for peace and

unity in Sri Lanka which is needed right now. 

It is common for individuals to boycott Muslim owned shops and businesses at the moment. I do not

agree with this action for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is falsely associating the actions of the

terrorists with the whole Muslim community. It is probably a minority of Muslims who support the

actions of the terrorists. This can alienate Sri Lankan Muslims from Sri Lankan society and result in

some Muslims becoming radicalised, thus being bad for national security. Secondly, it is being

disrespectful to both fellow Sri Lankans and Muslims. Thirdly, it is doing damage to the economy as

the employers and employees of those companies go through financial difficulty as a result of the

boycotts. In many cases, it is not only Muslims who are employed by these businesses. The families

of the employers & employees suffer as a result of this.

I think that boycoting Muslim owned businesses and shops as well as racism against Muslims is

playing into the hands of terrorists. This is the kind of behaviour that terrorists want. They want the

other communities to be hateful and do bad things to the Muslim community to further their deeply

deranged cause as a recruitment tactic. When it comes to the economic damage from the Easter

Sunday attacks, they are adding to the already prevalent economic issues facing the country.

Boycotting these businesses and shops causes even more economic damage to the country. I’m

sure that those who are involved in these boycotts would feel distressed, disappointed and

saddened by negative news of the economy. I plea with you not to cause more negative news to Sri

Lanka’s economy. The economic problems of these shops and businesses will likely further extend

to the country as a whole. It could make the already difficult cost of living issues get worse. No one

wants to hear of Sri Lanka experiencing negative economic growth. 

If you’re engaged in boycotts, think back to the kind of people these Muslim owners you previously

interacted with were like. Think logically about how they compare with extremists & terrorists based

on how they behaved and what they did. Recall the positive and good memories of them, e.g. if

there were acts of kindness, good quality of service, discounts they gave you etc. If you know of an

instance of them speaking against extremism and/or terrorism in their own community/religion, recall

those remarks and think about it. 

I was focusing mainly on shop and business boycotts, but I what I say does apply to the problem of

racism, terrorism, extremism and hatred in Sri Lanka right now. Work to make Sri Lanka the country

you want it to be. In the same way that negative actions by a group of people can disrupt society,

positive actions by a group of people can enrich society. Think of things you can do to make Sri

Lanka more safer, secure, united, tolerant among many other improvements needed for the country.