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Shedding party politics for true meritocracy

26 Apr 2022

Stressing that he would support the no-confidence motion (NCM) submitted by the Samagi Jana Balawegeya (SJB) against the Government in the event the Government does not resign this week, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Leader, and former Energy Minister in the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP)-led Government who sits independent in Parliament at present, MP Udaya Gammanpila stated that the new Prime Minister for an interim rule will be a SLPP MP who is approved by all parties in an interim Government. Even though Gammanpila has come off as an independent and straightforward politician during the past few months, especially after leaving the Government and resigning from his Ministerial portfolio, his statement shows strong signs of supporting the kind of party politics that Sri Lankans have grown tired of, as well as the anti-people policies nurtured by politicians. It is also noteworthy that his statement comes in the context where an audio clip was circulated in the media last week, including on social media platforms, that is said to be a statement issued by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, which says that Rajapaksa should be the Prime Minister in an interim Government. What Sri Lanka is facing is a national crisis that affects both pro-Government and anti-Government groups alike. Even though there is an extremely strong and direct connection between politics and the prevailing economic crisis, this is not a crisis of one party, one politician, one policy, or one decision. Therefore, first and foremost, it is important that all politicians acknowledge, and the general public understand, that this crisis has created a situation that calls for the disregard of differences and biases, and that this crisis should be viewed as a national issue that requires unity. This is a time that the country needs a national leader to guide the country out of the economic crisis, and what party they represent or what political ideologies that they support should not matter. This is actually the last chance to save the nation, and therefore, this is the time to choose a leader that can actually help lead the process of addressing and hopefully remedying this crisis. In this context, whoever makes decisions about appointments in an interim Government should see the importance of the competencies, character, and qualifications of the Prime Minister of the interim Government – not where they come from.  As a matter of fact, paying more attention to parties and political beliefs is one of the factors that has put Sri Lanka in the prevailing situation, because for decades, voters were so blinded by party politics that they could not discern individual competencies. Owing to party politics, during the past two decades, there were instances where party members were defended by political leaders, while new governments rescinded plans made by previous governments, resulting in losses of millions of US dollars.  Even though party politics has always been an integral part of Sri Lanka’s political culture, it is time for politicians to see themselves as public representatives whose political career depends largely on public support, not members of political parties. They need to remember that the powers they exercise were granted by the people. To serve the people, changing faces is not sufficient, and Sri Lanka has learned this lesson the hard way during the past few decades. To uphold the people’s rights, whoever becomes the next leader – whether a President or a Prime Minister – should have a plan, genuine willingness, and the ability to revive a collapsed country. It is high time for Sri Lanka to embrace the values of the concept of meritocracy; failure to do so will push Sri Lanka further towards an economic crisis, a social crisis, and a weak rule of law and democracy. To change this situation, politicians should stop blindly following political parties that have no regard for their duties for the country and for the people that elected them.


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