Cabinet reshuffle; cosmetic changes for a systemic problem

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reshuffled his Cabinet of Ministers for the third time since assuming office in November 2019. This time however the reshuffle comes amidst unprecedented nationwide protests that are demanding a systemic change of the whole structure of the State rather than a mere change of a few faces. 

In addition to four ministers appointed a few days ago, President Rajapaksa swore in a total of 17 new cabinet ministers yesterday. While some fresh faces have entered the Cabinet, the changes that have occurred inspire little confidence as it does not signal a significant change of course that is now demanded by a vast majority of the people.

At the crux of the problem is the president and the presidency. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Government came into power, in part by telling the public they will improve governance and minimise corruption. However, after the enactment of the 20th Amendment to the constitution (20A) in October 2020 there has been a significant erosion of public confidence in the institution of the presidency. 

Having concentrated unprecedented power in the executive presidency while also at the same time eroding the oversight power of parliament and the independence of the Judiciary and the public service, all that the 20A has achieved is to entrust the governance of the country in the hands of one individual to the great peril of the majority. The folly of the experiment is now abundantly visible.

The argument for the 20A was largely dependent on the sentiment that its predecessor amendment created impractical and damaging impediments for the Executive to exercise its powers, and therefore created a conflict that was insurmountable. The checks and balances that were introduced by the 19th Amendment (19A) were largely derailed because it was implemented by two deeply disappointing political leaders who were only focused on self-interest, usually at the cost of public interest. The serious fallout of this propelled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Government to power on an overwhelming public mandate to not only roll back the 19A but also introduce a new Constitution.

Despite the Government having all its political desires, on top of the 20A an unprecedented two-thirds majority in Parliament and an amenable judiciary, the current situation in the country proves that the weakening of the democratic institutions have resulted in a system-wide collapse in confidence in the whole governance structure. The nationwide protests demanding that the structure of the State be changed and the Rajapaksa family be ousted from power is not going to abate by a mere Cabinet reshuffle which does not change the status quo that has the executive presidency as a supreme leader. In this regard the bare minimum that should be acceptable is a change in the executive presidency. A roadmap that may offer the incumbent a decent exit which honours the mandate he received from the people in November 2019 can be negotiated within Parliament and the constituent political parties.

However, what is abundantly clear is that President Rajapaksa cannot hope to continue with token changes to his administration. A shuffling of heads in the Cabinet will not suffice to meet the demands of a people who have launched a peoples’ revolution for the first time in the country’s 90-year democratic history. It is best not to prolong the misery of the people and address their demands for a tangible, constructive and democratic change to the governance structure of the State.