Of that ‘egg trick’

Friday 30th December, 2022

The government seems to have taken the masses for asses. In a way, it cannot be faulted for this kind of attitude. Most people voted for the SLPP, at the last three elections consecutively, believing in its promises Besides, some members of the public acted in such a manner, a few moons ago, that the UNP, which had been relegated to the political dustbin, managed to crawl out of it and savour power again. So, it is only natural that the ruling politicians take a dim view of the public, who, they apparently think, can never so much as find their way out of a wet paper bag. But we believe that the people are not so dumb as to fall for the tricks that some government politicians are playing.

Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera pretends that he has done the public a great favour. He boasts of having made eggs available at Rs. 55 each. When the SLPP came to power, an egg cost only Rs. 12 or less. The current administration ruined the economy and gave unscrupulous traders kid-glove treatment so much so that the prices of all goods and services increased exponentially, and errant businesses are now free to fleece the public. Minister Amaraweera, who has been a Cabinet minister of the SLPP-led government, is also responsible for the current economic crisis and people’s suffering. He should not try to insult the intelligence of the public by flaunting the sale of eggs at Rs. 55 each as an achievement.

Egg producers say they are now selling eggs themselves at Rs. 55 each because they are concerned about the public! But they are certainly not overflowing with the milk of human kindness. They are in fact doing themselves a great favour; they are reportedly disposing of egg stocks nearing sell-by dates; tens of thousands of eggs have remained unsold as traders increased their prices to Rs. 70 each.

The layer industry could not have asked for a better deal than the one it has struck with the Agriculture Minister. The government previously set the maximum retail prices of ‘white’ and ‘brown’ eggs at Rs. 43 and Rs. 45 each, respectively, but now eggs are sold at Rs. 55 each although the price of chicken feed has reportedly dropped.

The discerning public will not be duped by Minister Amaraweera’s egg trick. He should concentrate on agriculture instead of trading and ensure that farmers have access to fertilisers, etc., and such products conform to stipulated standards. He should not make the mistake of thinking that every citizen is one egg short of an omelette, so to speak.

When Reds see red

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake is breathing fire at the government over what he calls a sinister attempt to postpone the local government (LG) elections, again. The Election Commission (EC) is reported to have said that it will issue a gazette notification soon announcing the LG polls, but the government is trying every trick in the book to put off the elections, the JVP leader has claimed, vowing to scuttle its plan. He can rest assured that all right-thinking people who cherish democracy and are desirous of seeing the back of the current dispensation will be on his side.

Government politicians are trying to mislead the public into believing that the country cannot afford to hold an electoral contest at this juncture, given its economic difficulties. But a nation has to bear the costs of elections even during crises to protect democracy.

The Opposition would have had its work cut out to convince the public of the need for the LG polls amidst the present crisis if the government had adopted a conciliatory approach to problem solving, concentrated on resolving the economic crisis, and thereby lived up to people’s expectations instead of acting like a bull in a china shop. The SLPP-UNP combine has chosen to go on the offensive, and is bulldozing its way through on the pretext of straightening up the economy. It cuts corrupt deals, and abuses power while suppressing democratic dissent. Its members are junketing and living the high life at the expense of the public. So, they will have to be given shock treatment in the form of a stunning electoral defeat if they are to be made to mend their ways.

Nothing will make the champions of democracy happier than the JVP’s strident call for elections. In the late 1980s, the JVP went all out to sabotage elections, and even sought to terrorise the voting public by cutting off the fingers and hands of some of the intrepid voters who defied its election boycotts and exercised their franchise for the sake of democracy. In 2017, the JVP did not scruple to side with the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to amend the Provincial Council (PC) Elections Act in a despicable manner to postpone the PC polls indefinitely. Today, it is doing its best to frustrate an attempt by the SLPP and the UNP to postpone the LG polls. Let comrade Dissanayake be given a big hand. And, again!