Passing the election test

Thursday, 19 March 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

In times of crisis, strong leadership is a comfort. And as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa prepared to address the nation on Tuesday evening, the entire country was eager to hear how the Government would proceed in dealing with what is fast turning out to be the crisis of our times. What proceeded however was a far cry from the steady hand many hoped, instead one that addressed some key issues but left several key questions unanswered.

In terms of the good, the price controls placed on lentils and canned fish was welcome. Both are dietary staples of a majority of Sri Lankans and in terms of widespread availability, shelf life and its ability to feed entire households, not many other food items come close. The six-month moratorium on bank interest was also understandable, allowing vast swathes of the population to adhere to quarantine measures without fear of further financial strain down the line.

Sadly though, these and other positive measures were overshadowed by what remained unsaid. The main point of contention for many watching on was the Government’s desire to proceed with next month’s General Elections. Now while many are opposed to the idea of masses of people congregating at polling stations amidst the outbreak of one of the most contagious viruses the world has ever seen, the need for a budget – something that cannot be passed without an active Parliament – to help govern the country is equally as pressing.

In that context, yes, the Government’s desire to go ahead with elections is understandable. As far as alternate options go, the President could have withdrawn the gazette dissolving Parliament and passed a temporary budget, but the deadline for that will pass today (19 March) and as such is unlikely in the highest.

So where does that leave us? Well, for the most part, with a great many crucial yet unanswered questions – all of which are based squarely around the Government’s plans for testing and identifying those who have contracted COVID-19.

As it stands in Sri Lanka, only those showing symptoms of the virus can be tested for COVID-19. This, despite there now being reports in other parts of the world of those without symptoms also testing positive. It goes without saying that the present system is patently inadequate.

Further to this there is a distinct lack of transparency and communication when it comes to the numbers of those tested. Yes we know how many positive cases there are, and how many have recovered, but we don’t know what percentage of the population has been tested and cleared. And as of publication, there is no system in place to help identify those who are COVID-19 free – apart from that is if they’re not showing symptoms, which we now know is no longer a viable system.

And while the measures taken up to this point are certainly laudable, to truly flatten the curve we must do more. With a little over a month to the elections, the Government needs to start systematically sifting through the population and making sure testing is easily available for all, so that the healthy among us can return to work and keep the economy afloat, while ensuring that those affected are given the care they need.

If not, this upcoming election has the potential to render all the proactive action taken up to this point redundant.