LANKAWEB EDITORIAL

Regardless of all the political upheavals of  change which have been realistically fortuitous for Sri Lanka under the present administration,  the country is still facingunprecedented crises in many areas.

Despite all the promises made by the administration which realistically  is of a ‘pro tem’ nature and hardly a legitimately elected one exercised by the will of the people veritably, immediate actions are necessary  to resolve the political and socio-economic crises, including aggravating social unrest and severe damage to the livelihoods and well-being of all corners of society.

Distinguished members of parliament, opposition political parties, many  individuals of wisdom and civil societies have already recommend many  viable options. So far, none of them have been met or accepted effectively  by the country’s political authority which seems to have the proverbial “

 head buried in the sand – ostrich ” mentality and the President  continues his merry way ,at times in an authoritative manner which  also seems to have leanings towards strong arm tactics which is detrimental towards the well being of the Nation.

The dissenting Tamil opposition groups probably watch on with relish as they too have contributed covertly to all the negative happenings with in the country and there is a definite felt need to confront them.

Many observers watch the current state of hardships Sri Lankans are undergoing with anger, dismay and sorrow which has been brought about needlessly by the irresponsible, misguided and avaricious leadership of a previous regime who still need to be held accountable and brought to justice where the present President seems to be turning a blind eye towards this responsibility and there is speculation he is being  covertly manipulated by the very regime that has brought the country  to this state albeit with no tangible evidence to prove this allegation despite being a distinct possibility in the minds of some analysts.

 Sri Lanka in the aftermath of all she has suffered now has to  build a  prosperous and peaceful society towards posterity where people are  free from wants and fear of persecution and violence. The vulnerable  need to protected, and opportunities made available for all citizens  to fulfill their aspirations to their complete potential.

The foundation of this success will rest on the the importance placed on  public trust. Anyone in power, whether a political leader, a  high-level government official, or an industrial leader who rescinds  this concept and acts against the grain of legality and primarily the will of the people needs to be removed from power if responsible for committing any act of losing  public trust where an independent and accountable platform needs to be  set in place, based on merit, ensuring the rights of the public making  sure that the government functions according to regulations, even  when there is a semblance of political instability.Needless to say this is an aspect of governance the president needs to pay imperative attention to.

Separation of the powers of the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary has been of prime importance which should ensure checks and balances against excesses.

Working for the well-being of the country and its citizens whilst respecting the institutions of a parliamentary democracy which should enable these branches of government to build public trust where Sri Lanka can learn much from this concept in overcoming the current crisis.

 As a country, Sri Lanka is blessed with natural resources and a work  force second to none, if given a chance. All around the world, Sri  Lankans have risen to very high levels in academia and industries, yet  opportunities are not available and industries are not fostered in Sri Lanka equitably. There is a blatant disregard for public trust  and the public voice since the public has been made powerless by weakening  governance and politicization of critical institutions.The past and  current protests in Sri Lanka are timely actions to restructure,  reform, and balance the three pillars of the political economy – the  State, Markets, and Civil Society. Observing effectively the citizens’ genuine grievances, concerns, desires  and responding to them promptly is the only way one can save the country for future generations.Not suppressing them through threats of force.

 The citizens have lost their trust in the government in a climate of  uncertainty.The President, Prime Minister and his associates in  Administration should restructure their current policies,  positions and general elections held somewhere down the road.

 Perhaps parliament should select through confidential voting two potential candidates outside the ruling parties for the future President and Prime Minister.

 It appears that what is going on in the country is a slow progress and simply a means for  an overly ambitious President to ensure his legacy despite provisions of restitution made towards some of the country’s dire needs through a proportion of timely actions which have only been met in a token manner and the people appeased only marginally.

Needs which virtually brought a once proud Nation to her knees which have to be supplemented in their entirety for the Nation to function smoothly again.