Must the President do all the work?

At a party leaders meeting, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had commented on the failure of Ministers to visit the areas affected by the invasion of the “army” caterpillar (The Island, 02.01.2021). He had to do that as well. There are several ministers in charge of different branches of agriculture, MPs in the areas and may be budding provincial councilors, who could have visited these areas and listened to the plight of the affected farmers. This is just one example. Earlier, the President had to visit the RMV, and several other government institutes, to look at the chaotic mess in these places, and the difficulties faced by the public who come to these offices with their problems. He had to instruct the officers how to make these places more efficient. Maybe the President is forced to do this as he cannot see anybody else doing it. What about the subject ministers, secretaries and heads of departments and heads of these institutes? Aren’t they drawing a salary and therefore duty bound to do their work.

If these ministers are incapable of doing their work, cannot they at least refrain from causing damage. For instance, do they have to create a major political issue out of a minor problem, like burial of Covid victims, do they have to get rid of officials who excel in their work, make a mess of Ayurvedic treatment of Covid, engage in occult practices, give different views on important issues, such as sale of national assets, agreements with foreign countries, etc. Does the President finally have to depend on the armed forces to do the work? He had to hand over the printing of driving license to the Army in order to eliminate the many irregularities involved with that work. He knows he could rely on the armed forces to deliver, and nobody else. As a result he is accused of militarizing the system.

The war against the LTTE was won by the armed forces under the leadership of the present President. Leadership on that occasion largely meant taking the correct decision that the war was winnable, when several others held the contrary view. Thereafter, everything necessary to win the war was supplied. That is the leadership the country needs at present too, as 69 lakhs of people have correctly decided. That leadership has to be given all the support to achieve what has been planned. That leader did not have to carry a gun and march towards the enemy. Now that leader has been given a bigger task, and he should not be made to carry the gun. It should be made possible for him to use all his talent and put all his effort to make correct decisions regarding the three big problems the country faces – Covid, Economy and Security.

Regarding Covid, our excellent health services and medical scientists should be allowed to take control. The President should be allowed to listen to these experts and make correct decisions. What is happening now is unscientific, which could be disastrous when handling a pandemic caused by an elusive and largely unknown virus. If it is going to be as chaotic as now at the helm of the ministry, we may have a disorganized vaccination programme when it is made available. We may even not get it at all, given the world-wide competition to procure the vaccine and ministry politics. The President has done the right thing in appointing his own adviser to be in charge of the vaccine procurement committee. Whether he would be allowed is a matter of concern. Our only hope is the excellent health service, which has a brilliant record in the field of vaccination.

President Rajapaksa is trying to balance the actions required to control Covid and economic recovery, as the two have adverse effects on each other. He has been talking to the people before his election, and now he has started another dialogue with the people and he would be well aware of their problems. He would have a good knowledge of what should be done to alleviate poverty, provide employment opportunities, improve household income and develop the economy of the village where most people live. Ministers and MPs must rally around him and help him to achieve the goals he has set in his election manifesto, instead of driving their own agendas.

He will know by now the peril of opening the doors to robber barons. He did not sign the MCC. He must be aware of the threat to the environment posed by meaningless development. With regard to energy, he has stated his policy on renewable sources and hopefully he will be allowed to meet these targets. The President may not be interested in gigantic projects that heavily impact the environment. Ministers who want image boosting huge projects that have little benefit to the people, must be firmly restrained. Huge loans should not be utilized for such projects. Deforestation for such projects should not be allowed. There have been several incidents of encroachments into forest reserves and other Eco-systems by avaricious politicians of this government. How sad it is that people have to appeal to the President to stop such evil deeds. People know that there is no use in appealing to these crooked politicians.

Security of the country has become a major problem with opportunistic politicians trying to fish in troubled waters. The Covid burial issue has been developed into a major problem, threatening a flare up of communal violence. Government politicians have played into their hands instead of allowing the health authorities to scientifically handle the issue. There seems to be too much politics in the Health Ministry, at the top, and this has caused a lot of unnecessary problems to the President. Muslim militarism has been given an opportunity to rouse up the emotions of the community by these bungling politicians. A situation has been created which could attract the sympathy of Muslim countries, as it is made to appear that Muslims are discriminated. These elements are quite capable of causing another devastation.

Another security concern that the country has faced, since its introduction, is the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. It hangs over the nation like a “Sword of Damocles” for it is a stepping stone for federalism and secession. People are worried about this ever present danger. They rallied strongly and did the impossible and gave a 2/3rd majority, despite the PR electoral system, hoping that there would be an end to this danger. The people are not against granting the minorities their rights. How it could be done has been clearly stated by stalwarts like Prof.G.H.Peiris and Neville Laduwahetty. Tamil politicians like Gajendra Ponnambalam too have seen the futility of continuing with a system that cannot solve people’s problems. On this matter too, the government parliamentarians are divided and seem to be motivated by their personal agendas. They may have ambitions of fielding their kith and kin at PC elections, and sponsoring a political career for them. President Rajapaksa has to take a firm stand on all these critical issues, if he is to be remembered as one of the better presidents the country has had, for which he undoubtedly has great potential.

N. A. de S. AMARATUNGA