Open letter to the President

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for finally addressing the nation for which we were anxiously awaiting your assurance that all possible steps in your and the Government’s power were being taken to mitigate the crisis.

Thank you for following the advice of the GMOA and speedily implementing same. Also for appointing a task force which will be responsible for strategic planning as well as implementation. 

Additionally, I appeal to you to put the entire country on lockdown with immediate effect to save lives. You must also emphasise the importance of practicing extreme social distancing at any cost even if one has to manage on minimum food. A video by a young Sri Lankan in Italy is currently on social media frighteningly emphasising its importance.

However, many of us were deeply disappointed for the following reasons:

1. You read from a prepared script instead of speaking from your heart

2. People are paranoid with fear and need your heartfelt assurance of doing your utmost 

3. You did not display forcefully that you were on top and in command

4. Blaming those who are noncompliant with your mitigation strategy is no excuse for a leader 

5. You should have convinced all of us that ‘desperate times need desperate measures’ 

6. You should have banned the ‘Big Match’ forthwith knowing very well the danger of high level of contagion and exponential growth of the pandemic. Please apologise for it and make sure nothing similar happens again.

7. You were not forceful enough in expressing the urgency for Government and citizens to act concertedly and quickly in achieving your mitigation strategy 

8. You should have declared the country on a ‘war footing’ stating that the enemy is ruthless, invisible, lethal and with a limitless army

9. You should not have deflected your speech to gain political mileage by focusing on your duly recognised past successes and reducing consumer goods prices. They are doubtless important but not priority over the urgency of pandemic mitigation.

10. You should act unselfishly in postponing elections as it is undeniably the need of the hour. The profound good of such an action will undoubtedly and eventually sweep your party into power.

11. You should also revoke the dissolution of Parliament in order to muster the maximum support of all parties in this time of crisis. It will hail you as a great leader working in the best interest of the nation. No opposition will be able to topple you, ever.

I earnestly appeal to you to give urgent consideration to the above submission in saving our country and people from irreversible calamity which is happening, as we speak, in some countries like Italy. We do not have much time left. Our lives are in your hands! Act speedily now.

Rohana Jayaratne