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Departing from the comfort zone

12 Jun 2022

By Austin Fernando “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth – persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.”  – John F. Kennedy I sometimes say, in a lighter vein, that President Kennedy’s above quote would have been partly motivated by a premonition he had of what would happen in Sri Lanka in 2022! What else can one surmise when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa vows to finish the remaining two years in his term, despite months-long street protests calling for his ouster?  True, no President with all the attached pomp and glory will depart the comfort zone only due to street protests. Yet, President Rajapaksa declaring he will not recontest is realistic. It is not only due to street protests but the heard and unheard protests, curses, and complaints in all nooks and corners of Sri Lanka. No one will bargain with such clamour echoing around and contest to win.  If someone says he will contest, it will turn out to be a myth, as President Kennedy said – “a lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest” too. No one even from the Pohottuwa (SLPP) expects him to contest, because they may face similar consequences as what United National Party (UNP) contestants experienced in August 2019. Whether he and the Pohottuwa Government have the mandate and popularity he and his supporters claim can be easily checked on the day he contests or if he wishes to get an early endorsement evaluated at the long-delayed Provincial Council Elections. The President’s prior intimation of not seeking reelection shows his conviction of his real popularity, although he does not want to depart immediately.  If he does not stand for reelection because he wishes to focus on “fixing a financial mess,” it is well and good, but it will be understood as penance paid by him, since he led the team that caused the country’s economic mess. The new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who has taken over this responsibility needs no analysts to educate him.  It is common knowledge that the economic collapse was initiated with the reduction of tax revenue in December 2019, by revisions made to tax slots and Value-Added Tax; alleged duty waivers to friendly importers; the collapse of farming due to the President’s dream of accelerated organic agriculture combined with prohibiting fertiliser imports; power and energy supply restrictions due to the dollar shortage; delayed action with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and debt restructuring supported by his grabbing of concentrated political power through constitutional amendments, etc. Entanglement of the economic and political crisis was born with the last. As the team leader, he is hounded for these errors. He has, like a gentleman, accepted responsibility, of course very lightly, regarding two of these, calling them ‘mistakes’ – unaware that they were vast suicidal mistakes. The public wonders whether it should continue with him as the leader and accrue more suffering from his cavalier decision-making (as done already in governing) for the next two years or more. His supporters may in defence say, “Give him another chance!” “I can’t go as a failed president,” President Rajapaksa has declared, lamenting the committed mistakes. His failures have been admitted by him and even former Minister Ali Sabry. The President must be courageous and admit the rest too, as the leader of the team. He is a soldier, though retired! That is the way of officers and gentlemen.  When he speaks of failures, I can imagine the giggles Ministers Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara share on that count, without embarrassing their political boss. Normally one expects ‘a failure’ to leave, making way for another to correct the mistakes he has made. This was what Parliamentarians Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara yelled as if to bring down the Japanese chandeliers in the House.  But here is a President without a ray of hope or any semblance of showing any concrete corrective action to prove that any corrections have been lined up. His only demand is to allow him to hold on to his glory and show his ‘superiority’ and ‘greatness,’ though extremely diluted, which was seen by the prohibition to enter his own Secretariat for two months.  One may sympathise with him when he reminds us about a mandate (6.9 million), which in our wildest dreams does not factually exist. No one will say that such a mandate is valid now. This is the understanding of farmers, labourers, public and private sector employees, youth, professionals, academics, et al, who are yelling ‘Gota go home’. But he does not hear it and lives on memories of the conflict and the unproved 6.9 million behind him. The reports on his press briefing that I saw did not show his concerns on the most urgent issues faced by the community at large. To judge, let us look at one area – essential medicine for children and vulnerable groups. For example, medicine for seizures that should be in all paediatric wards is unavailable; the vaccination against fatal rabies is not available in hospitals either. It means children affected by fits must die and unless patients can afford to go to Chennai for anti-rabies vaccination, they must also die.  Under such circumstances, if he runs through his full term, it may contribute to heightened economic run-down, political uncertainty, and social unrest, and dilute and hide constitutional reform. He would rather wish to have the 20th Amendment intact as it will be an effective, safe, and beneficial constitutional therapy for him. The President said: “What is this Executive [powers] of the President? My opinion is that if you have a presidency, he must have full powers. Otherwise, abolish the Executive Presidency and go for full Westminster-style Parliament.” Therefore, his being “sceptical about the success of a planned constitutional amendment” is of no surprise. The last two-and-a-half years of the Executive Presidency equated to no Executive Presidency for the good of the people, and his alternate option, (i.e., Westminster style) is not being pursued by him either. His statement that either the presidency should be abolished or Parliament be kept out of governing shows his knowledge, understanding, exposure, and attitude towards the existing constitutional democratic governance. He added: “I experienced this and now know.”  What a great period of two years’ experience to comparatively comment on centuries-old concepts like democracy! He suspected people might blame him for this utterance. He is right. If people only blame and do not do anything else, he ought to be extremely happy and lucky.  The past performance as Secretary of Defence is the flag he and his supporters always wave. Their conception that being a successful defence administrator or an urban developer qualifies a person to be a head of state has been disproved in the last two plus years – Peter’s Principle at work. Hence, even mentioning it to boost performance becomes exhilarating humour.  The media said: “The President reiterated his controversial goal to push through ‘natural agriculture,’ a short-lived move to ban chemical fertilisers that caused crop output to slump.” If it is to say that irrespective of the failures it is to be continued regardless, that itself will be a blunder. Hope not. We may wish him all success in bilateral negotiations with foreign heads. He would have read the statements by the IMF Chief and officials, the World Bank, Samantha Power of USAID, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, et al. They would have educated him on what is required to attract them. Further, stability is necessary for economic and political fronts. Political stability will depend on constitutional reforms to which he and his party should contribute lavishly. The President must also observe external developments seriously and find a safe and convenient exit route with the help of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. Planning to return home after two plus years dashed the hopes of GotaGoGama protesters who eternally yell, “Gota go home now!”   Finally, evaluation of his career as President opens a new learning experience. His contention about the baggage carried by long-standing politicians is right. Having been a short-term politician, he also has allegedly been seen carrying the baggage of his friends in the military, business world, political advisors, freed convicts, and groups such as Viyathmaga and Eliya. Their weak support did not make him stronger but messed up his work, which is quite unfortunate.  The turnaround he anticipates is the social demand too. Many agree with him, but demand his returning home immediately, irrespective of legal constraints. Simply said, people cannot wait until he ‘passes’ the test on governance. Though the President may not agree that his governance has failed him and the country, the protesters demand: “Get out of your comfort zone and bring comfort to others.” Those who yell so must be devastated having seen this media report.  The yelling may echo and broadcast more intense, acute, and dangerous actions. Pray it stays at yelling and not what the world has experienced elsewhere. Nevertheless, the economic status may provoke such yelling to expand to dangerous calamities, if politicians do not address the economic and political issues properly, in a timely, efficient, and effective manner. Let all politicians be mindful of such a disaster, and not fertilise such. (The writer is a Sri Lankan civil servant and the former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India. He had previously served as Secretary to the President of Sri Lanka, Defence Secretary, and Governor of the Eastern Province.)


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