Chanaka Bandarage

Since 1970 or so all parties in this country have been extremely corrupt. Then, in the past 35 years we became one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Because the politicians are so corrupt, public servants too became corrupt; they also engaged in all forms of bribery and corruption.

This phenomenon favoured the NPP at the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, as NPP leaders had boasted a good record in relation to honesty. Thus, people voted for them en-mass.

The people’s only hope was that NPP will rescue them from the enormous social and economic plight that the country was in and bring forth prosperity to them 

What people wanted was NPP to rebuild this nation, the last thing they wanted was NPP to put them into more turmoil.

Why cannot the NPP government provide relief to the innocent sugar cane farmers of Sevanagala? Why is the government so slack and lethargic in this?

Is NPP acting like Gota’s government?

In 2019 people voted for Gota resoundingly (69 million). They genuinely believed that he would fix the country’s problems and make it prosperous.  Gota failed the people miserably; they threw him out within two years of coming to power. Will the same fate fall upon this NPP President and the NPP government?

Let us hope not.

If it is a Yes, it will be disastrous for the nation – a loss for all people.

In the last 10 months, the incidents of Container Gate, nepotism, appointment of lackeys to country’s top jobs have caused a dent in the Government’s honesty record.  But, people are still willing to give the government a chance – they still hold that overall the government is good and honest.

But, the way the NPP’s senior leadership and some Ministers behave has raised doubts in the people’s mind about NPP’s Integrity, foresight, wisdom, efficiency, administration, intellect, empathy, patriotism etc.

Let us hope that the NPP President (AKD) and his government will rectify their grave mistakes and become successful.  This paper is written in  that spirit.

When JR came to power in 1977 with a 5/6 majority, it immediately showed good results to the people. Thus, people were happy until the ugly incident in 1983.

Even before the last Presidential election, NPP indicated that upon its leader becoming the President, he will not rule the country alone but with his team.

Is this happening now?

If yes, this is the reason for the government’s present downfall.

We have a Parliamentary Executive that consists of the President and the Cabinet. The topmost government officials are considered part of the Executive.

In such a context, NPP cannot expect to  run the country from Pelawatte. The government should be run from the Echelon’s Square, by the Executive President.

Though NPP tries to emulate China and Vietnam (they are Leftist countries that practice Capitalism); it must realise that ours is more than a French style Presidency.

Our President has enormous power, some are like dictatorial.  

The late US President Harry Truman had the sign ‘the buck stops here’ placed on his desk.

The same rationale applies to our President.

JR drafted the current Constitution in order to be like the strong leader Lee Kwan Yew. JR failed because of the war (he did relatively well until 1983).

Our President must know what is good and bad for the nation.  He must not be scared to take good decisions – in the best interests of the country.

Does the President lack the ticker to be the country’s leader (unable to run the country under his total command and control, in true leadership spirit – something that is demanded by our Constitution?)?

If Yes, he is not leadership material.

The NPP promised masses that under its regime all looted money ($) will be returned to  Sri Lanka and the looters will be prosecuted. This was their strongest point during the two election campaigns.

This is one of the main reasons why people voted for them.

Are they genuinely doing this now? No.

Ranjan Ramanayake stated ‘brother, all 225 are friends”. According to him, the JVP is included in the  225.

NPP is now not Leftist, but strong Liberal

Unlike Rohana Wijeweera’s JVP which was Leftist, the NPP leadership under AKD is strong Liberal.

That is ok.

But, the NPP’s Liberalistic comments/conduct in criticizing the need to uphold traditions and values is a real cause for concern.

According to NPP’s pre-elections rhetoric, traditions must be dismantled as they inhibit the society’s forward march.

For the first time, singing Jayamangala Gatha at a Presidential Inauguration Ceremony was not allowed by NPP. This was a major blow to the country’s Buddhists. Even during the ‘British Raj’, Jayamangala Gatha was not estopped by them at state functions.

Unlike the US, Australia which are strong Liberal democracies; we are a strong conservative society (democracy).

People here know who they are/where they came from and why they are here. History is very important to us. We do not want History to be suppressed and/or faked.

We (Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims and Burghers) are proud of our cultures, customs and traditional ways of life.

NPP must not try to change everything overnight.

This is a civilization that has existed for 2500 years.

Sri Lanka is a country founded on a Sinhala Buddhist foundation. Sadly many Buddhist priests do not have the guts to say this openly. Several Muslim and Christian leaders (including the Cardinal) have been bold enough to state in public loudly that Sri Lanka is a Sinhala Buddhist country.

Accepting this does not mean others are 2^nd class.

We all live like children of one mother. It should be that way.

Contrary to what Rohana Wijeweera, Somawansha Amarasinghe preached, the current NPP seems to believe that Sri Lanka is not a Sinhala Buddhist nation. They have indirectly elaborated this before and after the 2024 elections.

Will the NPP accept the fact that the Sinhalese have the right to live in all parts of the North and the East? We need answers to this question now.

Since recently, NPP leaders have started visiting/worshiping Buddhist temples. This is somewhat hilarious. It is well known that JVP has been an atheist party.

Are they doing this to canvass the Sinhala Buddhist vote?  NPP must be truthful with the electorate.

We must not forget that the JVP of Rohana Wijeweera and Somawansa Amarasinghe has been a Marxist party.

Would the NPP continue to preserve the Article 9 of the Constitution? Would they support the State giving patronage to Buddhism or not? People ought to know this.

Why did upon coming to power NPP abolish the Buddhasashana Ministry?

NPP has slipped away from answering whether or not they would implement the 13^th Amendment fully (giving land and police powers to provinces), or even give 13+.

Up to what extent would they go in supporting the 13A or 13+?

Does NPP want to legalise prostitution? True, a licensing regime could give security and protection to prostitutes, but once sex work is recognized as an occupation people could travel in droves especially from villages to big cities to formally work in the new industry.  This is what has happened to one of our friendly countries in South East Asia. Legalizing prostitution (licensing brothels) means Colombo becoming the Bangkok of South Asia? (Thailand is 95% Buddhist, it is Asia’s topmost tourist destination (over 40 million tourists a year – 20 times more than us). In places like Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai one can see how scantily dressed Thai women (and men), in selected areas, openly solicit foreign tourists for sex. They smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol in open. Sadly, this trend seems to be spreading to Laos, Cambodia and possibly to Vietnam (all Buddhist countries).  Is this what we want in Sri Lanka?

Is it possible that NPP could legalise same sex relationships?  Will they legalise same sex marriages? A possibility under NPP, not by any other political party. Then, we will be the South Asia’s first to have legally recognised same sex couples/families. Strong liberal political parties like the NPP, Peratugamis (previously leftist) should realise that we are a conservative society, the concept of same sex relationships/marriages is ‘foreign’ to people here. Such things may happen in the West, just because of that we must not emulate them. Sri Lanka is certainly not ready for same sex relationships/marriages.

We all can remember that before the 2024 elections a senior NPP (JVP) stalwart stated that in order to promote tourism NPP will organise a procession where women in seminude (exposing their breasts) will walk from Galle to Colombo. This person now holds a senior Cabinet Minister position. We are seeing so many antics from him, when will the NPP remove him from the Cabinet?

The current NPP leaders must not forget that under Somawansa Amarasinghe’s leadership it worked hard to preserve the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It was the JVP that challenged the merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces in the Supreme Court. The JVP was successful on that occasion.

Today’s JVP (NPP) Liberal policies are poles apart from the Leftist policies of Rohana Wijeweera and Somawansa Amarsinghe.

Today’s NPP policies are most attuned to the philosophies and concepts of the Peratugamis, Lionel Bopage, Jayadewa Uyangoda, the late Victor Ivan et al. And we all know what they are!