Speaking at an event in Nuwara Eliya yesterday (3), President Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have stated that the majority of people have lost faith in elections and politics. To have realised this sooner than later is commendable. But then again, it does not take rocket science to comprehend this profound reality – all it will take is a visit to the Department of Immigration and Emigration, where thousands of young people have been queuing up to obtain passports in order to seek greener pastures elsewhere. Why? Because the land of their birth offers little hope.
For a politician who has been in active politics for 45 of the country’s 75 years of independence and is currently the Head of State to admit that people have lost faith in politics and elections is indeed a mea culpa of epic proportions. It epitomises the outstanding failure of our collective political establishment that has systematically destroyed all that was good about this once-proud nation – destroying its potential, its values, and finally its spirit. Having hit the nadir economically one year ago and now politically, according to no less a personality than the Head of State, the obvious question is, where to from here?
Even though it is only now that reality appears to have dawned on the political establishment, the people have seen the writing on the wall for quite some time. In fact, the Aragalaya of last year was all about that – a last-ditch attempt by the people themselves to put things right, having lost faith in elections and politics.
The people, unlike their political leaders, have been well aware of the fact that this country cannot continue on the same old self-destructive path for long and that is why they demanded ‘system change’. With that attempt all but nullified and a golden opportunity for real, meaningful change sacrificed at the altar of political expediency, it is little wonder that all that is left as far as the people are concerned is despair and hopelessness.
To get back to the question of where to from here, it is imperative that at least now this current leadership does what it takes to restore people’s faith in the political and electoral system as its topmost priority. After all, the worst that can happen to a country is its people losing faith and giving up on it, simply because their elected political leadership has continually let them down. As in all things, there will come a point when a fed-up people will say enough is enough.
To state that the people of this nation have been lied to and led up the garden path, robbed through uninhibited corruption and wastage, and victimised through unequal application of the law while the lawmakers themselves indulge in impunity is not far from the truth. All this must at some point necessarily weigh in on the public conscience and, in all probability, breaking point is not a long way off.
This is why it would be smart on the part of the incumbent leadership to give ‘system change’ the importance and urgency it deserves. Unfortunately though, that does not appear to be the case, with the regime choosing instead to indulge in constitutional tinkering to gag the people and stifle the expression of dissent.
It is important for any regime, least of all an interim one, to keep in mind that laws should be promulgated for no other reason than for the benefit of the people and the greater good of the nation. On the contrary, when laws are drafted as if compiling the grocery list for the Parliament canteen, aimed at specifically benefiting the regime in power, needless to say it becomes problematic for the people despite electoral and political fatigue.
It therefore becomes incumbent upon the people to protect their rights and freedoms from predatory political vultures. Those resorting to laws to contain dissent must keep in mind that power is temporary and the very same laws they create will bite them sooner than later when they are no longer in office.
These days it appears that all manner of ruses are being applied to justify the introduction of new laws to muzzle not only the people but the mainstream media and social media as well. The question is, if the country is doing as well as the regime claims, then what exactly is the necessity for these laws?
In the misguided enthusiasm to introduce tough new laws to tackle the media, among other things, the regime appears to have lost sight of the fact that it is laying the groundwork for mass dissension. Having been made to believe that change will be high on the agenda when the new leadership was thrust into office last year and nothing of the sort materialising thus far, there is every likelihood of people choosing to complete the unfinished business of one year ago for no other reason than the unsustainability of the prevailing political culture.
While the regime should be focusing all its energies on drafting legislation that brings about the systemic change required to ensure professionalism, transparency, and accountability in governance, such an endeavour has been replaced with petty attempts to muzzle the media while the status quo continues.
The regime must also be conscious of the fact that shrinking the democratic space through restrictive legislation and the policy inconsistency associated with it will only add to the numerous other reasons that are keeping investors away. The precedents that are being created by this regime in suspending the electoral process based on a flimsy excuse and the ongoing attempts to introduce laws to suit its requirements will undoubtedly be followed by future governments, making the business of convincing investors of policy consistency and adherence to democratic principles a near-impossible task.
Add to that the regime’s continuing unwillingness to tackle corruption and we have a recipe for lengthening our economic struggles. The case of the Member of Parliament who was caught attempting to smuggle gold and mobile phones is a case in point. The offending MP paid a fine that reportedly amounted to a fraction of the actual value of the contraband and he was free to go in a matter of minutes – so much so that a few hours later he was attending Parliament, of all places. Would the law be as benign to an ordinary citizen of this country? What of his political bosses who have maintained a deafening silence on the matter?
Restoring the people’s faith in the governance of their country is essentially linked to the credibility of the government in office. While the economic policies of the regime have brought about a degree of stability, the unmitigated corruption and impunity enjoyed by the political class has compromised all those gains.
In the same vein, telling people half-truths about the state of the economy is also adding to the credibility crisis. Notwithstanding what the regime states about economic recovery, there is no way it can prevent people from seeing first-hand the growing poverty around them, the increasing malnutrition among both children and adults, and the multiple crises that have befallen the once-successful education and health sectors – both of which are now in dire straits.
Therefore, if, as the President points out, people have lost faith in elections and politics – and may we add governance – it is due to no other reason than the corrosive brand of politics and politicians that the nation has been bestowed with. If the faith is to be restored, the politicians will either have to change their branding or people will have no alternative but to change the brand that has been thrust upon them for far too long.