No Pragmatic Problem with the NPP?

With the timing of Local Government elections becoming increasingly uncertain, Sri Lanka’s largest opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has escalated its turf war with rival Opposition party National People’s Power (NPP) by challenging the latter’s Marxist-Leninist foundations. 

SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa launched the first volley by unearthing a website of the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the NPP’s core constituent that expounds on its ideology.

The old ideological stances do not square with today’s realities. New attempts are being made to comprehend economics in the global context as well as the reality of the Sri Lankan economic predicament. 

When one is encumbered with intellectual baggage from the party’s youth, this is a challenging assignment. Yet, the fact that efforts are being made is promising. Important JVP members have interacted with intellectuals, particularly economists, to better understand the opposite side of economic thought. 

For some time, discussions have taken place with the Central Bank, university instructors, and, most recently, World Bank executives in Colombo. Regardless of political affiliation, these are encouraging signals for the future of democracy and economic prosperity.

The NPP’s backdrop of national idealism had been one of its shoddy foundations. A desire for the homeland to create everything and decrease imports as much as possible ─ an unrealistic goal compounded by inadequate current economic sensibilities. Sri Lanka is a small country with limited land resources, which the JVP should recognise. 

As a result, in many circumstances, the country is unable to meet all of its food needs. In fact, producing many commodities, such as sugar, is far more expensive than importing them. The economics of large-scale sugar cultivation, as well as the fact that beet sugar production is less expensive than cane sugar, account for this.

Another aspect of their thought is that contemporary technology is unnecessary and can be readily replaced with labour. Again, it is an idealistic view that is impractical for a variety of reasons. This is also consistent with their increased emphasis on agricultural production over the reduced role that industry or services will play in the party’s economic vision. 

There is some indication that they may vary from these positions. For example, they just mentioned that industry has a role to play. They have mentioned the necessity for both domestic and foreign investors.

In an effort to win over Sri Lanka’s middle class, the NPP appears to have abandoned most of its Marxist ideology, appealing to their economic grievances fuelled by a significant increase in personal income tax. The party has also softened its stances on privatised higher education and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

 Furthermore, there is a need for international investment and assistance. This is a necessity as the country must double its foreign investment as the domestic savings-investment gap is too large to ensure a 7 to 10% growth rate. 

Foreign direct investment is especially significant since it brings not just capital but also know-how, superior managerial abilities, and marketing channels. Foreign investors require a more assured investment climate, and the JVP’s rumblings, which result in significant uncertainty in economic policy, are not conducive. 

It’s unclear when the web page was last updated, but the JVP hasn’t mentioned a proletarian revolution in a long time. A Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)-led Government brutally defeated two violent JVP insurgencies in 1971 and a formidable United National Party (UNP) Government-led by SJB leader’s late father President Ranasinghe Premadasa in the late 1980s. 

As the JVP’s prohibition was lifted, the party appeared to have abandoned violence and entered mainstream democratic politics and come a long way since the days of yore. Unfortunately, much still remains unsaid and vague- on their new found policy objectives, how they wish to achieve said objectives and least importantly yet earnestly on the assurances on follow through.