At a time when the entire country is awaiting impatiently to hear some good news or an announcement of relief measures from the Government, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is slated to address the nation tonight (16).
It is too early to assume what the President’s address will mean to the people, especially for the 6.9 million people who placed their faith in him and voted for him. However, what he says will have a significant impact on the crisis-riddled people, and the President should therefore choose his words carefully.
First and foremost, this cannot be just another speech filled with promises and complaints about how the past two years have been challenging, because the Government is past that stage where the people relied on the Government’s promises and sympathised with the Government.
The people neither need to hear how the Government fought with the Covid-19 pandemic during the past two years, nor do they want to hear how Sri Lanka is better than other countries with regard to the management of the pandemic. The people most certainly do not want to hear the President giving the Russian-Ukrainian war, or other international crises, as excuses for what has befallen the country’s economy. At the same time, the people are tired of the Government blaming foreign forces and conspiracies for allegedly trying to destabilise it, and how Sri Lanka is stuck between world powers’ geo-political struggles.
The President’s address is not going to make any difference if he starts blaming the former United National Front (UNF)-led Government for how it left the country’s economy and the Opposition parties for allegedly spreading misinformation about the Government, or the inefficiency of the public sector officials, for the difficulties faced by the people. He was elected to face up to, and change, those situations because the people believed that he had the steel in him to do that.
The President should not tell the people to remain positive as negative people have never developed any nation, or that negativity is an obstacle to overcome, when there is little in the country that people can be positive about. The President can also no longer reject the people’s criticisms as allegations against the Government, when the economic crisis is a phenomenon the entire country is experiencing regardless of the political choices they made at the last Presidential and General Elections.
What then do the people want to hear from the President tonight?
The people need to hear answers and solutions, and promises would be clearly inadequate. How the Government is going to overcome the foreign reserves crisis in a few months, how local industries will be revived by the end of the year, how the public sector will be streamlined soon, and what new projects the Government will initiate next month may have been accepted by the public as answers earlier, but not anymore. The kind of answers the people need must be extremely specific, time bound, measurable, practical, and most importantly, effective. Moreover, the President’s plans should be supported by facts, figures, and concrete steps. At this juncture in Sri Lanka’s history, the people are unlikely to settle for less, nor should they.
It is also noteworthy that President Rajapaksa is the most powerful Head of State elected in Sri Lanka’s history. He became the President with the blessings of 6.9 million people because of the trust that they had in him to change the established system for the better – especially national security, which was a grave concern when he was elected the President – and also the confidence that his brother, former President and present Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaska, would be sensitive to the people’s concerns and provide necessary relief. Now, the two brothers are serving as the President and the Prime Minister, while a third brother, i.e. Basil Rajapaska is serving as the Finance Minister, which means that the President has the support of two brothers in the two most powerful legislative positions to rule the country.
At the same time, the 20th Amendment to the Constitution presented by the party that the President represents, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), received a two-thirds majority support, and the said Amendment removed several barriers the President’s rule and family had, which again shows the Government’s strength in the Parliament. Even though the President’s popularity seems to be waning rapidly, especially due to the present economic crisis, there are many parliamentarians that are still supporting him, and excuses such as his tenure being extremely challenging are not good enough for the people to trust him without a feasible recovery plan.
Most importantly, it should be noted that the people’s verdict will be based on what actions are taken in the days and weeks following the President’s address, not what the President promises during the address. The President needs to grasp this reality. Even though he may still be strong in his party or in his political circle, in the eyes of the people, he has lost much and he has much to regain, and this revitalisation is only possible through actions. Furthermore, it is his actions in working towards the articulated vision that will reassure an angry public that the President and the Government have a workable plan of action, and instil the kind of positive attitude and sentiment that the President often urges in people.President must ‘address’ the future tonight
15 Mar 2022
President must ‘address’ the future tonight
15 Mar 2022
At a time when the entire country is awaiting impatiently to hear some good news or an announcement of relief measures from the Government, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is slated to address the nation tonight (16).
It is too early to assume what the President’s address will mean to the people, especially for the 6.9 million people who placed their faith in him and voted for him. However, what he says will have a significant impact on the crisis-riddled people, and the President should therefore choose his words carefully.
First and foremost, this cannot be just another speech filled with promises and complaints about how the past two years have been challenging, because the Government is past that stage where the people relied on the Government’s promises and sympathised with the Government.
The people neither need to hear how the Government fought with the Covid-19 pandemic during the past two years, nor do they want to hear how Sri Lanka is better than other countries with regard to the management of the pandemic. The people most certainly do not want to hear the President giving the Russian-Ukrainian war, or other international crises, as excuses for what has befallen the country’s economy. At the same time, the people are tired of the Government blaming foreign forces and conspiracies for allegedly trying to destabilise it, and how Sri Lanka is stuck between world powers’ geo-political struggles.
The President’s address is not going to make any difference if he starts blaming the former United National Front (UNF)-led Government for how it left the country’s economy and the Opposition parties for allegedly spreading misinformation about the Government, or the inefficiency of the public sector officials, for the difficulties faced by the people. He was elected to face up to, and change, those situations because the people believed that he had the steel in him to do that.
The President should not tell the people to remain positive as negative people have never developed any nation, or that negativity is an obstacle to overcome, when there is little in the country that people can be positive about. The President can also no longer reject the people’s criticisms as allegations against the Government, when the economic crisis is a phenomenon the entire country is experiencing regardless of the political choices they made at the last Presidential and General Elections.
What then do the people want to hear from the President tonight?
The people need to hear answers and solutions, and promises would be clearly inadequate. How the Government is going to overcome the foreign reserves crisis in a few months, how local industries will be revived by the end of the year, how the public sector will be streamlined soon, and what new projects the Government will initiate next month may have been accepted by the public as answers earlier, but not anymore. The kind of answers the people need must be extremely specific, time bound, measurable, practical, and most importantly, effective. Moreover, the President’s plans should be supported by facts, figures, and concrete steps. At this juncture in Sri Lanka’s history, the people are unlikely to settle for less, nor should they.
It is also noteworthy that President Rajapaksa is the most powerful Head of State elected in Sri Lanka’s history. He became the President with the blessings of 6.9 million people because of the trust that they had in him to change the established system for the better – especially national security, which was a grave concern when he was elected the President – and also the confidence that his brother, former President and present Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaska, would be sensitive to the people’s concerns and provide necessary relief. Now, the two brothers are serving as the President and the Prime Minister, while a third brother, i.e. Basil Rajapaska is serving as the Finance Minister, which means that the President has the support of two brothers in the two most powerful legislative positions to rule the country.
At the same time, the 20th Amendment to the Constitution presented by the party that the President represents, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), received a two-thirds majority support, and the said Amendment removed several barriers the President’s rule and family had, which again shows the Government’s strength in the Parliament. Even though the President’s popularity seems to be waning rapidly, especially due to the present economic crisis, there are many parliamentarians that are still supporting him, and excuses such as his tenure being extremely challenging are not good enough for the people to trust him without a feasible recovery plan.
Most importantly, it should be noted that the people’s verdict will be based on what actions are taken in the days and weeks following the President’s address, not what the President promises during the address. The President needs to grasp this reality. Even though he may still be strong in his party or in his political circle, in the eyes of the people, he has lost much and he has much to regain, and this revitalisation is only possible through actions. Furthermore, it is his actions in working towards the articulated vision that will reassure an angry public that the President and the Government have a workable plan of action, and instil the kind of positive attitude and sentiment that the President often urges in people.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!