Out comes a mouse

Saturday 1st October, 2022

The much-advertised National Council (NC) has had its inaugural meeting, which was nothing much to write home about, so to speak. Those who were present there did what they are adept at; they waxed eloquent but, as usual, said nothing new or anything of substance. Our representatives have a remarkable ability to say so little in so many words, and they never miss an opportunity to display it. What is needed, at this juncture, is not blether but decisive action to break the back of the economic problem and grant relief to the public crying out for help.

The MPs of the JVP-led NPP, the SLFP, and the SLPP dissident groups were conspicuous by their absence at the first NC meeting. They have said they will not join the NC, which, they say, is being used by the government to retain power until the end of the current parliamentary term despite calls for a snap general election. Their argument is not devoid of prejudice but holds water.

Some of the Opposition MPs who attended the NC meeting warned that they would pull out if the government tried to play tricks on them. (What else do they think the beleaguered regime is doing?) The odds are that some Opposition members of the NC will vote with their feet sooner than expected. The NC reminds us of the proverbial mountain that was in labour, and the tiny mouse that came out of it. What President Ranil Wickremesinghe promised was the formation of an all-party government to make all MPs partners in governance. He said he wanted to pave the way for a new political culture.

There is reason to believe that the President was keen to adopt a consensual approach to problem solving and enlist the support of all political parties represented in Parliament for the efforts being made to bring about political stability and put the economy back on an even keel. But the SLPP is averse to the idea of a unity government; it wants to consolidate its hold on power, by hook or by crook, and the President, whose party has only a single MP, is at the mercy of the Rajapaksas, who do not want to share power or dosh. Like all other politicians, Wickremesinghe is also concerned about his political survival more than anything else. The SLPP can pull the rug from under his feet anytime, and this is a worrisome proposition for him.

The NC, which is Parliament miniatured, will serve the interests of the SLPP and the President; they do not want to let go of power. The question is whether it will be of any use to the people who are demanding an immediate end to the SLPP’s misrule, the ongoing theft of their money and their economic woes.

The need is for the formation of an interim, all-party government, followed by a general election in early 2023. Such an arrangement will not only help bring about the much-needed political stability but also enable President Wickremesinghe to have greater leeway, and make good on his promises if he cares to do so.

The Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe administration is doing the exact opposite of what the SLPP promised in its election manifestos presented to the people before the presidential and parliamentary elections, in 2019 and 2020. The people must be given an opportunity to endorse or reject its new policies, at a general election.

Above all, the SLPP MPs who are loyal to the Rajapaksa family are consumed with hatred towards the people who rose against their misrule. They are hell-bent on taking revenge, as can be seen from the brutal police attacks on anti-government protesters. They are a bunch of failures who will never be able to sort out the economy, and therefore their hold on power has to be terminated before they ruin the country further.