Sri Lanka’s tryst with destiny continues, with hopes for meaningful and qualitative reform to raise it out of the hole it has fallen into fading with each passing week as the bar for good governance is pushed lower. It is incomprehensible as to why the current leadership that was presented with a golden opportunity to ring in the changes necessary to ensure better governance, if not the system change that was demanded by the people, is continuing to test the patience of the people with its political skullduggery.

Two significant events in the past couple of weeks highlight the fact that the insecurities of the regime eclipse the interests of the people and the nation at a juncture when it can least afford to do so. The controversial appointment of the new Inspector General of Police (IGP), who himself is no stranger to controversy, and the actions of the Speaker of Parliament in the dubious passage of the Online Safety Act (OSA) have not only created two very undesirable precedents but also drastically lowered the bar for whatever is left of the concept of good governance. Understandably, both of these events have raised the ire of the collective Opposition, with the latter event resulting in an upcoming motion of no confidence against the Speaker.

Sri Lankans by nature have a notoriously short memory span and politicians an even shorter one. But that doesn’t mean it should be used against them to perpetuate the sorry state of governance that lies at the root of all of Sri Lanka’s problems, economic ones included. 

Let’s rewind to the events of May and June 2022, when people in their hundreds and thousands were gathered at Galle Face demanding one thing – better governance. It is important to remember that they did so not by choice but by being forced into doing so by circumstances. At the end of the day, it is the people who have to pay for the follies of their leaders and therefore their sentiments must necessarily inform the actions of the leaders, especially in the current context.

It is in this milieu that one needs to question if, in the ensuing one year and 10 months, whether the sentiments of the people have been given due consideration. If at all, it appears to be to the contrary, going by the arbitrary manner in which the Executive appears to be acting, as evidenced by the controversial adoption of the OSA as well as the manner in which the new IGP was appointed. Therefore, one needs to spare a thought for the people of this country who continue to silently hope for better governance. 

It goes without saying that a prerequisite for the post of head of law enforcement, be it anywhere in the world except in the banana republics, must necessarily be an individual of unblemished and impeccable character. One thing that can be said without ambiguity is that the new appointee to the exalted position of IGP does not meet that criterion as he has already been convicted by the highest court in the land for the violation of the fundamental rights of an individual. 

Besides, many are the allegations – some of which are now the basis of legal proceedings instituted against him and currently pending before court – which under normal circumstances would have precluded him from even being considered for the job in any other nation that values good governance. One of the more serious allegations, which the Catholic Church has continued to highlight, is his alleged role in the failure to prevent the Easter terror attacks. His role in not preventing the brutal attack on peaceful protesters at Galle Face is yet another contentious allegation that may well have precluded him from vying for the post in a more mature democracy.

Interestingly enough, just 24 hours after the appointment, the new IGP was seen in court as a respondent in a case. It goes without saying that at a time when discipline in the department is at an all-time low, the appointment of an individual with multiple allegations against him certainly lacks ingenuity. Then again, it also highlights the complete capitulation of the Executive to the ruling party’s agenda, with the party openly advocating for the appointment for reasons best known to it.

It is unfortunate that the leadership is yet to grasp or comprehend the many facets that make up the crisis at hand, the most profound being the crisis of governance. By resorting to what amounts to brinkmanship, be it in the appointment of the head of law enforcement or the dubious passage of dubious laws in Parliament, the regime is not only hurting itself and the country in the eyes of the world, but also prolonging the crisis at hand.

The manner in which the Speaker presided over the passage of the controversial OSA, described as “unworkable” by the big tech companies and roundly condemned by the collective Opposition for even allegedly ignoring incorporating Supreme Court amendments, is yet another instance of brinkmanship on the part of the current dispensation and the danger is that the precedent it has created paves the way for any future leader to resort to the same modus operandi to introduce despotic laws.  

While the current Executive has an expiry date of just over six months, it is the next occupant of that office who will most likely leverage the laws rushed through Parliament to get back at the very people who authored them. Therefore, not only is the entire exercise political harakiri but is also self-defeatist from the nation’s perspective as it will stifle growth and contribute to the extension of the present economic woes. 

Probably having realised that it has shot itself in the foot just weeks after the passage of the OSA, the regime is now said to be proposing some 20-odd amendments to it. In the interim, the episode has been a gigantic public relations disaster for Sri Lanka and may well have served to deter investment in the critically-important IT sector.

It is about time that the regime realised the fact that, owing to its economic crisis, Sri Lanka has become a basket case for the rest of the world and its eyes are very much on every action executed by its Government. Therefore the brinkmanship employed by the current dispensation in the rule of law is hardly inspirational and gives off vibes of a regime that has lost sight of the big picture – as to why it is in office in the first place – by amplifying its insecurities to the rest of the world rather than Sri Lanka’s cause.

The curious case of the Central Bank staff cadre salary hike is another indication that the regime appears to be losing the plot. There is no denying the fact that a key party responsible for the current economic crisis is the Central Bank. Yet, while the rest of the country has been asked to tighten their belts, salaries of Central Bank staff have been jacked up by as much as 70%. The new salary scale is so ridiculous that the lowest member in the cadre, a management assistant or commonly known as a peon, now earns more than a junior doctor in a State hospital.

In the final analysis, poor governance choices on the pretext of the economic recovery effort are not going to be bought into by the people for much longer. As the saying goes, justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done. It is no different when it comes to matters of governance.