Welcome to new Mayor

Mayor of Colombo Vraie Cally Balthazaar  

At the recently held elections for the Council of the Colombo Municipality, the governing NPP won a majority of the wards, a clear indication of the preference of the citizens living in the capital city. The other political parties gained their seats largely on account of the proportional system in place. Many of the sitting councillors were rejected as ward representatives, often the incoming NPP winner commanding a large margin. 

Being newcomers to the mouldy corridors of our city politics, the NPP representatives are like a breath of fresh air. Youthful, idealistic they are a striking contrasts to the hoary amoral city fathers we had come to identify with the city of Colombo. Wheeler-dealers, confidence tricksters, commission agents, faded beauties, big talkers and even a three-wheel driver had tried their hand at running the city. They mainly ran the place down, on nearly every score the city ratings went south. Politics of the city, like the rest of the country, descended to the level of the lowest common denominator; political parties cynically vying to put forward candidates who conformed to perceived religious, racial or caste or composition of various wards. Rather than uplifting the outlook or advancing the consciousness of the voter, this was politics calculated to keep them in thrall of their basic instincts!

Ugly urban chaos

Needless to say, Colombo today is typically third world; an ugly urban chaos; narrow and crowded streets, rude traffic, blaring horns, loud music, overhanging cables, crumbling buildings, garish billboards, gathering garbage, homeless cats and dogs; it is palpably hopeless. For comfort, our city fathers of old took to comparing the city with still greater failures; look at cities in Africa, India or Pakistan they said, in comparison, how good is Colombo! 

The outlook of the failed!

In assessing the liveability of a city there are internationally recognised parameters. Measurements such as availability and access to modern conveniences and facilities, quality of services, economic strength, cultural vivacity, environmental factors and even the liberties enjoyed in the city. Very few Asian cities qualify for high ranking, for Colombo to aspire to these honours will be an ambition too far. 

Having their feet firmly on the ground, it is unlikely our newly elected Counsellors will even imagine of Colombo achieving high global ranking in these surveys. Their targets should be much more modest; staff sitting at their desks, officials who answer the phone, to act promptly on public complaints; standard conduct our public sector has not been able to maintain to since 1948. 

Undoubtedly, the new Mayor and her team will have their hands full. Understanding the problems facing them, a clear awareness of the limitations of resources, having a realistic assessment of the human material available; their task is unenviable. 

Issues facing the new team

Just to illustrate the nature of the issues facing the new team at the Colombo Municipality, I like to refer to a matter I have observed through the years in the area I live in. Relative to other problems in Colombo this perhaps is not high priority. Yet I have often wondered why the attention of the local government authorities have not been drawn to this recurring embarrassment.

Whenever there is a heavy downpour in Colombo, there are areas where even the main roads go under water, at least 6 inches of water collecting on the surface. The water level is so high that motorcycles and three-wheelers are half submerged in the dirty water. The vehicles run the risk of falling into deep ruts or drains due to the flooding water.

Three impacted spots I have identified through the years are: near the Nugegoda junction on the Nawala/Nugegoda road, near the Marga building on the Nawala/Narahenpita Road and in front of the Moon River Restaurant on Thimbirisgasyaya Road. 

We can see that flooding is a common occurrence all over Colombo, particularly these rainy days. It is likely that first and second spots are outside of the Colombo Municipal boundary. But flood waters do not respect city boundaries. There obviously is an overall drainage issue in Colombo and its environs. Whatever the reason, our city administrators and engineers have not found a solution to this repeating problem. Unfortunately, this is not the only problem they have not found a satisfactory answer to.

Before the Mayor and her team is a long and difficult journey. I am sure they will give it their best shot. Historically as well as empirically their chances of achieving a well-run city status are slim; people are designed differently, they may be good at some things, while in other matters hopelessly inadequate; a nation’s institutions can only reflect the essential personality of those who constitute it. Since independence, we have not shown capacities to compete with the sizzling cities of the world. To contend with a Singapore or a Dubai, we need to match their outlook, efficiencies and capacities. It seems cruel to demand such achievements from a people palpably lacking in those attributes.

Different in very fundamental ways

Nevertheless, the new team in charge of Colombo are different in very fundamental ways. At least now we can assume that they will not have personal interests in contracts of work awarded by the municipality, be asking for commissions/benefits from various municipal contractors or prioritising flood relief work only in the areas they live in or own property in.

Although the title sounds weighty, in many municipal wards two thousand or even fewer votes could make a counsellor.

It is said that when it came to political debauchery the Municipality was not far behind our Parliament. Many foreign trips were undertaken by the counsellors to study how other cities run, the bungalows of officials were extravagantly renovated and in a comic mimic of our parliamentary extravagance the counsellors attending meetings were provided substantial meals. Since families of the counsellors were awaiting anxiously for the breadwinner who was attending to public matters, surely they too are entitled to lunch at the cost of the rate payer! The hardworking counsellors took to taking away the delicious food home!

That is how it was before.

We wish our new lady Mayor and her team all strength, they face a gigantic challenge.