LankaWeb Weekly Editorial

!5th. Nov.2010Seems like a strange paradox that while many nations in the world are paying glowing tributes to the Sri Lankan Administration of Mahinda Rajapaksha for the progress and march forward towards Nation Development, the Leader of the Opposition and United National Party, Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe is singing a tale of woe wherever he goes and continues to drag down the Administration with his pathetic sob stories about administrative mismanagemnent, negative portrayals of the health care system and the nation’s economy whereas economists around the world as well as political observers with a gread deal of clout are accolading the remarkable transformation of Sri Lanka from an insurgent torn nation into one showing rapid progress and a high economic growth rate indicated by tangible evidence rather than the negative rhetoric of disgruntled politicians who have virtually lost their credibilities in the political arena. This seems to be a pattern favoured by others of the motley crew of Sri lanka’s political opposition with a few good personalities who do not belong in this category notwithstanding!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In a recent address to a gathering in Polonnaruwa, the Opposition Leader has suggested that the Sri Lankan economy, health care and the Nation per se are in shambles which seems the furthest from the truth and needs to be put into perspective that it is not the Nation that is in disarray but National Unity and what the political opposition of the nation eternally seeking a means to discredit an administration that has earned admiration and respect from many corners of the world contribute towards it and about time that the UNP perhaps set things right by infusing new blood into its leadership and ridding the party of old dogs who cannot be taught new tricks!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In a pitiful display of attempted sarcasm which truly depicts the mindset of the individual concerned, the question has been asked of a gathering of curious onlookers whether Polonnaruwa has a harbour ? in a feeble attempt to perhaps ridicule the magnificient development of the Rajapaksha jewel in the crown Hambantota Harbour perhaps and invoke unnecessary negative sentiments in villagers whose proximity to any sea not requring any harbour for obvious reasons is the Sea of Parakrama and by and large sending titters amongst the audience that such a question could even cross the mind of any intelligent man where the relevance seems linked to Gothamic Wisdom albeit a few “Nays” reported from the gathering in all innocence of the simplicity of Sri Lanka’s peasantry suggest that they too may have peen perplexed abput the man’s intellect had the preposterousness of the question been explained to them in detail and laymen’s terms!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The latest glowing accolade confounding the Opposition Leaders negative riposte against the Administration needs to be quoted as coming from Singapore in like manner of many others who recognise Sri Lanka’s current progress into the 21st Century and is auspicious timing for the run-up to the commencement of President Mahinda RajapaksaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s second term where Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s contemporary achievement has indeed received a glowing testimonial from an important political personality in the South Asian region, the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Singapore, Teo Chee Hean and highlighted by that doyen of Sri Lankan feature writers Mr Dayan Jayatilleka of past diplomatic repute himself now based in the University of Singapore with first hand access to the administrative infrastructure of Singapore and her prestigious political representation it is presumed.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ During the keynote address delivered by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister as guest-of-honour at the 6th International Conference of South Asia on the theme of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”South Asia in the New Decade: Challenges and ProspectsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, organised by the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) of the National University of Singapore (NUS) there were glowing tributes paid by him to the present state of the nation’s economy and progress which in all probabilities represents the general consensus of Singapore as a leading nation in South Asia if it was offset against the representative links with the Government of Singapore, Mr Teo Chee Hean obviously has.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The University has been rated three years running by the Times Higher Educational Supplement as one of the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s 25 top universities and the intellectual wisdom of all concerned undoubtedly belittles the negative impact of the rhetoric of Sri Lanka’s opposition leader about who’s right and who’s wrong about the nation’s economy.

In his address on Thursday at the Mandarin Orchard hotel in Singapore, Mr. Teo Chee Hian has been quoted as saying that “Sri Lanka has emerged from a decades-long civil war, and is enjoying an economic revival. It is currently the second-fastest growing Asian economy after China, a fact not lost upon the IMF, which recently upgraded Sri Lanka to middle income emerging market status. Like Brazil, Sri Lanka enjoys an adult literacy rate of just over 90%. Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s gross enrolment ratio, which gives an indication of school attendance, is also comparable to that of China. What is particularly noteworthy of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s growth is the narrowness of its gender gap. In the Global Gender Gap Report 2010 published by the World Economic Forum, which measures gender-based disparities on economic, political, education and health-based criteria, Sri Lanka ranked within the top 20, the only South Asian country to do so. Closing the gender gap is not just an issue of gender equity; it is also one of harnessing the current human resource potential, and uplifting the potential of the next generation. The most important determinant of a countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s competitiveness is its human talent ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the skills, education and productivity of its workforce. In any country, women account for half of the current talent base and have a key role in nurturing the next generation.” end of quote from Mr. Jayatilleka’s feature item.

so what exactly seems to be the objective of our local opposition leader in delivering negative speeches to local gatherings in the face of such important assertion with corroborative facts and figures emanating from such credible global sources.

It seems a somewhat disconcerting reality in Sri Lanka today that the opposition party politicians continue their relentless drive to discredit the Rajapaksha Administration when they really need to pit their strength and support towards the progress and development of the Nation where speeches of the nature of the opposition leader’s address to a crowd in Polonnaruwa point to the contrary and a rank misuse of the freedom of speech in case he was unaware of it and needs to be very politely adviced of the fact and that it would be to his detriment to persisit in such baseless rhetoric ahead of his complete demise as a credible politician if he ever was!