Yahapalana Government: Is it all rhetoric only?

The Yahapalana team has also disregarded the value systems for personal gain, giving rise to corruption, abuse of power, nepotism and misrule once again

By Lacille De Silva

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, having won the presidential election, in his first address to the nation in 2005 stated: “My policy will be to consolidate the rule of law to the maximum. The law of the country should be just. Everybody including the President of the country should obey and respect the law. I would like to state here that I will not allow anyone to subvert the law and order using political power and privileges. I believe all State institutions should strictly follow policies of good governance.”

What did former President mean by “all State institutions”? I have no doubt that he meant the “Public Service”, which covers the core of Government’s machinery – Judiciary, ministries, departments (including the provincial administrative machinery), boards, corporations and other State-owned business undertakings.

As you know, the death of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra occurred after a shoot-out in Kolonnawa. Premachandra had been appointed as a Coordinating Secretary to the former President. The relevant court case got bottled-up and tyrannised for reasons not known to us during the former regime. However, after the 8 January victory, the case came up before a trial-at-bar and the verdict too had been pronounced on 8 September.

Does this signpost that the Yahapalana team (YT) is on the right track? If so, the citizen would be glad to see YT enforcing the law to the letter by ‘strictly following policies of good governance’ and ‘not allowing anyone to subvert the law and order using political power and privileges’. This is the rhetoric of all day in day out! 

Some above the law?

The people however seem to be in a predicament because there are YT members to whom the law does not apply. You could see politicians travelling at break-neck speed with security escorts. Do they now need security vehicles at a massive cost to the people? They could also escape from hit-and-run cases too. 

A true democracy requires the rule of law, accountability for elected representatives too. Does that mean the YT leaders of the Unity Government too say one thing and mean another? YT made promises after promises and highlighted the need to strengthen our democracy, freedom and good governance in the interest of the people. However, in real life, after they are elected, they also do not honour the promises and apply the noble practices. 

People seem to be of the view that the YT too had disregarded the value systems for personal gain. Eventually, all those in YT had also given rise to corruption, abuse of power, nepotism and misrule once again. Addressing a press briefing, Minister Rajitha Senaratne had ejaculated that the YT Government is mystified because investigations are being done for smaller cases and the big ones had been left out.

The Court of Appeal had issued notices returnable on Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake challenging the impugned decision to grant a waiver of Customs duty. A COPE member had said the crisis at Laksathosa, involving billions, had shocked COPE. Politicians quite effectively take over the controls and swindle national wealth while raising slogans of democracy, patriotism, economic growth and the need to ‘consolidate the rule of law to the maximum’. 

It could be seen elected governments had not ruled the country democratically. Another senior Minister had allegedly got involved by attempting to prevent a transfer of CID official. YT continues to violate democratic principles by exploitation, mismanagement, nepotism, bad governance and particularly lack of rule of law even to this day. It does not however seem to be happening as desirable. Why? Because there is unchecked political corruption rampant under the YT too in every nook and corner. 

What happened when the supplementary estimate was considered to provide billions to purchase luxury vehicles in Parliament for YT members? YT gave most ridiculous sounding excuses. YT argued they need comfortable vehicles – Jeeps, etc. because they have to travel long distances, hilly terrains etc. They had greedily disregarded the enormous suffering their electors undergo due to poor transport facilities, lack of proper roadways, etc. Maintaining a big vehicle fleet of Benz, Jaguar, Volvo, Montero and Prado vehicles, among others, is a huge drain to our scarce resources. Consumption is less than four km per litre. Servicing and maintenance all that by the agents at exorbitant costs with unlimited fuel. 

Education and healthcare

They had conveniently forgotten that the poor people have been deprived of their children’s education, etc. which is their birth right, having drastically reduced funding. The free education system in our country has wretchedly failed. All the successive governments had served and looked after themselves. 

It has been reported that the university education too in Sri Lanka is in a state of crisis. They had opined that our graduates especially those graduating with Arts degrees are considered unemployable and low quality. Research and innovation are pathetic. Politicisation of university administration is at a disaster level. 

The following vulnerable groups had also left the targets of compulsory education miserably unachieved – economically disadvantaged children, disabled children, children in the plantation sector, street children and children under institutional care. An elderly man had been abandoned on Elders’ Day in front of a temple down south. There had been similar news items in the media several times. It proves the YT had totally neglected both the youth and the elderly. 

If MPs have to be given luxury vehicles worth billions, there will be more facilities that will have to be curtailed. Government must ensure the availability of medicines in State hospitals. Patients now have to buy prescribed medicines from privately-owned pharmacies. Open heart surgeries and bypass surgeries are done having kept the patients in waiting lists after long delays. Shouldn’t they therefore sacrifice all those luxuries and invest all that for the benefit of the citizens?

Why are the President and the Prime Minister silent when Ayurvedic Corporation, etc. are being mishandled by the relevant ministers? The appointments made by Minister Lakshman Kiriella had been an issue raised in Parliament too. Kiriella argued that the party supporters had to be looked after, which is totally unethical, depraved, inappropriate and irregular. Accordingly, if YT too permits bad governance, in all probability, if the people do not take the trouble to elect good leaders, we will never be able to solve our problems in future as well. YT must wake up to understand the realities.

Corruption everywhere

The Public Accounts Committee in Parliament, in one of their latest reports had revealed that the Ministry of Agriculture had rented out a building for a sum of Rs. 958 million without following the proper tender procedure. PAC report had also revealed that the Customs Department had failed to collect Rs. 1,886 million from numerous State institutions. 

The report had dealt with several other State institutions, i.e., Prisons, Inland Revenue, the Department of Motor Traffic and several other public sector institutions. All these relate to misdeeds after 8 January elections. This was also an issue that had cropped up during the period I served PRECIFAC. I had duly taken this matter up with the Presidential Secretariat that PRECIFAC should be given suitable powers to investigate issues of corruption of the present Government too! 

Corruption undermines economic growth and development and generates inefficiency and causes dilapidation of public sector institutions. We had therefore neglected strategic areas such as basic industries, health, education and transport services, technological, scientific and agricultural research and even preservation of environment and natural resources. We eat fruits and vegetables sprayed with various chemicals. A news item in the media revealed that over 50% of the medicines are far below the standards. We even pay for motor spare parts of inferior quality at inflated and unrealistic prices due to unscrupulous motor spare traders. Politicians, businessmen and the bureaucrats love to promote corruption for personal gain, while protecting each other. And they together disregard the poor citizen. Didn’t YT promise to change all these?

Herculean task

However, can the President and Prime Minister alone clean up the corrupt systems? A herculean task! When lawmakers themselves break laws, how can even CIABOC, FCID or PRECIFAC deal with them? We now need good, capable and committed lawmakers with sincerity if we need to change the culture. Corruption no doubt in every sector had been the cause for the country to lag behind causing immense problems to everybody. 

The education system too currently does not support developing an appropriate sense of dignity, integrity and respect for human rights. Accordingly, children too become accustomed to corruption. They consider the disregard of human rights is a natural part of social interaction. WHO on suicides has ranked Sri Lanka among the fourth highest in the world. A Consultant Psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health had stated: “The number of people suffering from mental illness in the country is on the rise, and I believe the present mental health services are inadequate.” It has been the same story in Cancer Hospital too. Are YT leaders in hibernation?

If the necessary steps are taken to minimise corruption and establish good governance, we could ensure a better country without drugs, bribery, extortion, nepotism, organised crime, etc. People seem to be aware that there is lukewarm attitude in achieving goals of good governance. 

These are good enough proof that the State machinery is yet terribly ineffective. We believe even a small business venture cannot become productive and profitable if it is badly managed. Similarly, if the State cannot play the expected role, the dreams of the present Government cannot be attained. Why have we failed to manage SriLankan Airlines, when in fact Singapore Airlines is managed so well with efficiency? Why cannot we manage Petroleum Corporation profitably? Why is it that the National Water Supply and Drainage Board and even Lotteries Board have recorded losses? Why is 51% of running water in NWSDB wasted, which is the highest compared to other countries? How can CEOs go scot free having allowed losses to accumulate for several years? This will not be permitted in developed countries. 

Our rulers do not remove incompetent persons or even replace them with efficient capable and honest managers. It appears YT does not mind pumping money senselessly from the Treasury continuously by taxing the overburdened public. Do they invest tax money for the benefit of the people? No.  

Nevertheless, shouldn’t they now do a SWOT analysis, to understand the strengths, weaknesses, threats and the opportunities before YT? Time is running out fast.

"Corruption undermines economic growth and development and generates inefficiency and causes dilapidation of public sector institutions. We had therefore neglected strategic areas such as basic industries, health, education and transport services, technological, scientific and agricultural research and even preservation of environment and natural resources. We eat fruits and vegetables sprayed with various chemicals. A news item in the media revealed that over 50% of the medicines are far below the standards. We even pay for motor spare parts of inferior quality at inflated and unrealistic prices due to unscrupulous motor spare traders. Politicians, businessmen and the bureaucrats love to promote corruption for personal gain, while protecting each other. And they together disregard the poor citizen. Didn’t the Yahapalana team promise to change all these?"

"The people seem to be in a predicament because there are Yahapalana team members to whom the law does not apply. You could see politicians travelling at break-neck speed with security escorts. Do they now need security vehicles at a massive cost to the people? They could also escape from hit-and-run cases too. A true democracy requires the rule of law, accountability for elected representatives too. Does that mean the Yahapalana team leaders of the Unity Government too say one thing and mean another? The Yahapalana team made promises after promises and highlighted the need to strengthen our democracy, freedom and good governance in the interest of the people. However, in real life, after they are elected, they also do not honour the promises and apply the noble practices

If MPs have to be given luxury vehicles worth billions, there will be more facilities that will have to be curtailed. Government must ensure the availability of medicines in State hospitals. Patients now have to buy prescribed medicines from privately-owned pharmacies. Open heart surgeries and bypass surgeries are done having kept the patients in waiting lists after long delays. Shouldn’t they therefore sacrifice all those luxuries and invest all that for the benefit of the citizens?"