Unfulfilled Yahapalanaya promises

Open letter by concerned citizens to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe

Your Excellency and Hon. Prime Minister, let us at the outset wish you a very happy new year during which may you be showered with heavenly blessings to fulfil the promises you gave the people of Sri Lanka. You were elected one year ago as the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

The Yahapalana sloganeering was effective in winning the election and securing power. After your victory you declared, to the delight of all those who had supported you, that party and the colour of politics was not important to you and your only focus would be on service to the country. In the ISLAND of 28th June it was reported that you stood for “lawful governance, a better life and a value added society”.

Your Excellency and the Hon. Prime Minister over and over again appealed to the voter public not to vote for the corrupt, fraudsters, ethanol dealers, etc. Unfortunately, you have let us down badly.

If integrity is the primary characteristic of Yahapalanaya, how can those defeated Ministers/MP with a bad track record, now brought in through the National List, pass the test? Can competent public servants working under these Minister/MPs, respectfully address them as Hon. Ministers/MPs and take instructions from them? Have they been made Parliamentarians to serve the people or is the Parliament a source for securing employment and lifetime pensions for wrongdoers? Your actions don’t appear to be seen as those of a person determined to wipe out corruption. You could have used the multi- disciplinary talent available in the country to bring in the change the people expected.

The power given to you by the people is being seen as a tool to pursue your own agenda without any consideration for the people’s expectation. 

Further cause for concern is your Excellency’s statement that you wish to lead the SLFP in the local Government elections. Do you not realise that as a President, your role is to lead and serve the whole country and not a particular party?

Further reasons for public discontent are the irregular appointments to government institutions and State Banks etc. to satisfy relatives, friends and party loyalists with scant regard to their qualifications, suitability and competence to lead and drive these institutions. The previous regime was defeated precisely to end an environment of non-integrity, nepotism, and the denial of a just judicial process.

Transparency and accountability are hallmarks of good governance. Delays in applying these principles serve to stunt the enthusiasm and collective resolve that the public had in bringing about change.

Lack of transparency and accountability have eroded the sovereignty that is enshrined in the people. Public frustration has escalated over the government’s failure to fulfil its promises to deal with corruption by those who robbed the country’s wealth. 

The slow pace at which these investigations are being carried out and considerable delays in the prosecution of criminal offenders seems indicative of a general reluctance to proceed with cases involving persons closely aligned to the former regime. These delays, have aroused suspicion among the people that deal making is the order of the day. Are we to believe that the country lacks the capacity and skill to deal with such matters effectively? 

The economy too has seen no upward movement notwithstanding a Cabinet of 48 Ministers. Sustained economic growth cannot be achieved without much needed reforms. You and the Prime Minister must act conscientiously to take bold economic measures to rectify the economic crisis lest we become the “Greece” of South Asia.

Finally, while appreciating and congratulating you for enabling a national government, we as concerned citizens reiterate that you need to uphold the values we thought you stood for,: a political culture in which honesty, justice and fair play would prevail. Otherwise all that you have been saying would be mere rhetoric.

The citizens of this country are neither gullible nor naïve. It is time we recognise our role as citizens and take appropriate action. A ‘change’ was promised, and the citizens voted for change and therefore are entitled to expect change. If we as citizens fail to demand this change, we risk losing a valuable opportunity to effect sustainable changes. This would only serve to perpetuate the corruption and nepotism that is alleged to have defined the previous regime. Meaningful change is imperative. 

“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing” – Edmund Burke