With Sri Lanka still at economic crossroads, the role the incumbent Government has to play, is one that needs to be executed with care and planning. It must not be forgotten that despite the landmark win that the National People’s Power and newly-minted President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won at the Presidential Election last month, they reached victory with only 42% of the electorate's vote. It is evident that the caretaker NPP Government is only now coming to terms with the ‘governance realities’ of Sri Lanka. 

Last week’s diplomatic engagements perhaps impressed upon the Dissanayake Government the need to give adequate priority to uphold sound diplomatic relations, while navigating the harsh seas of geopolitics which surrounds Sri Lanka.

On the governance front, Dissanayake seems to have learnt a valuable lesson in wanting to stay away from practices which would paint him in the same light as predecessors who had held the ‘to seat’. Dissnayake has shunned extravagance, pomp and pageantry which the JVP ideology has long called ‘wasteful'. It is clear that the NPP President does not wish to be associated with the assertion that those who came to change the system ended up falling victim to that same system, or that the system is changing them. Since the NPP vowed to change the culture of extravagance which existed in the policymaking sector before, the new leadership has to clearly set out its course in accordance with the mandate received. Dissanayake has thus far as head of the caretaker Government been hitting the election vote-maker buttons – corruption, wastage, and malpractice, as he knows that they will be raking his NPP votes at the General Election. He has also managed to show the public that austerity changes should start from the top, by taking decisions which result in implementation of austerity measures from the highest echelons of power. This is what the popular vote that swung in the NPP’s favour wanted to see.

Nevertheless, Dissnayake’s key role as President of Sri Lanka, irrespective of what his party politics dictates, is to ensure that Sri Lanka does not slide back into the socio-economic crisis of 2022. This is paramount for the island’s stability and order.

The Dissanayake Government will also have to give prominence to foreign policy, given the increasing engagements required in Sri Lanka’s recovery path. Geopolitical sensitivities will also have to be given special focus, given the preconceived notion that being a Leftist Government, there could be more alignment with the Chinese, while the regional giant India keeps a close watch after playing a significant role in assisting Sri Lanka’s economic recovery programme. It is clear that without the support from India by way of financial aid as well as intervening to secure the IMF programme for Sri Lanka and the debt restructuring programme, the island nation would not have achieved the progress it has up to now. It is learnt that the Dissanayake Government dropped the ball in having the right diplomatic protocol and relevant translators and interpreters in place during several of the engagements with foreign envoys last week. Such shortcoming should not be allowed to be repeated in future engagements. It is also reckless for the new President and his caretaker Government, as small as they may be, to not have well-consulted foreign policy directions when approaching such important meetings.  

While the President may have the public mandate, the caretaker Government should be mindful that Sri Lankans have not yet rubber stamped a ‘NPP’ Government, as such in the interim, Dissanayake et al. should work towards securing the third tranche of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) which Sri Lanka entered into with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Failure to do so, would push the third trance to be considered later, perhaps in early 2025. Such delays could cost the Sri Lankan economy dearly, and impact State activities as well.  It would be wise to have clarity on the change the NPP wants in relation to the EFF’s ‘parameters’ and even the debt restructuring negotiations, and to do so as a fully-fledged Government with a public mandate, and with the right expertise in place to negotiate.