Although various proposals for the formation of an all-party Government are not new and have emerged from time to time over the decades in various backdrops, under the prevailing social, economic and political climate, such proposals and decisions regarding the same cannot be taken lightly as was done before. In fact, an all-party Government was also one of the foremost proposals that were presented when last year’s (2022) aragalaya movement (the string of public protests that demanded the resignation of the former Government led by then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa) failed to change the members of the Government as was expected.

As the country is gradually recovering from the bitter experiences of the socio-economic crisis, this topic has reemerged. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition Parliamentarian and Tamil Progressive Alliance Leader Mano Ganesan had recently told the media that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to extend an open invitation to all political parties to join the Government when the Parliament meets next week to debate the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) bailout programme. His statement however, comes in a context where certain members of the Government have begun talking about the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle which they want to materialise in a manner that goes against the possibility of an all-party Government. The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), which constitutes the majority of the members of the Government and of the Cabinet, is expecting more Ministries for “real SLPPers” in a Cabinet reshuffle, according to SLPP General Secretary and Parliamentarian, Attorney Sagara Kariyawasam.

Thus far, no formal discussions have commenced in this regard. However, an all party Government, which was proposed towards the end of the aragalaya movement, still remains a major topic within the political arena. While the President put forward an invitation for politicians of any party to support and work together with the Government, which has not been retracted by him, which implies that it remains valid, several members of the Parliamentary Opposition, including those of the SJB and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), have joined the Government. However, although such an amalgam constitutes a multi-party Government, the Government appears to be reluctant to accept that it is that way, and now, the SLPP is making plans to further expand its dominance within the Government by including more SLPPers in the Cabinet.

The SLPP’s intentions reflect Sri Lanka’s traditional party centric political culture, which the aragalaya movement, which paved the way for the present Government to come to power, attempted to rid the country of. That begs the question as to whether the members of the Government have understood the massive responsibility that they have, which depends largely on political discipline. Sri Lanka needs a Government that is free of a single party’s interests and prioritises collective interests, and therefore, the Government should ideally strive to form a Cabinet or a Government which includes diverse political views, expertise and experience, and the representation of the people of diverse backgrounds. It should appoint skilled MPs to the Cabinet who can do the job, not those who can represent a political party.

It is not just the members of the Government that should change their attitudes. The Parliamentary Opposition too has a notable role in this regard. They should keep party politics aside for the time being, and accept the President’s invitation to form an all-party Government. As is applicable in the case of the Government, the Opposition too should prioritise the country’s interests at this critical juncture. Instead of taking disciplinary action against those who support the Government, Opposition parties should encourage MPs with experience and expertise to join hands with the Government to rebuild the country, and find ways in which it can be achieved collectively.

This is a time when the political authority should prioritise its main role, i.e. being public representatives, instead of prioritising their secondary role, i.e. being members of political parties.