Ranil and Aragalaya effect

RW is feeling the Aragalaya effect and let the judiciary handle the matter without any outside interference. No one is above the law

“Araciyal pizhaiththorku aram koottakum” (Cilappathikaram) (Justice, the messenger of death to those who misgovern)

When Aragalaya broke out in 2022 its immediate demands were captured in two slogans: “Gota Go Home” and “No 225”. They were an uncompromising vote of no confidence on the ones governing the country and all elected members in the legislature of the time. But the real demand of the rebels went far beyond those two. Aragalaya in essence, was a revolt against a system of governance which since 1978, if not earlier, had reduced parliamentary democracy into a farcical game of musical chairs among different clans to form political parties, win elections and pretend to govern in the in the name of the people. In this pseudo-democracy one of the essential ingredients of democratic governance, i.e., separation of powers into legislative, executive and judiciary branches to avert arbitrary excesses of powers was sacrificed. 

The erosion of this essential element, which was progressing unnoticeably since 1950s became blatantly systemic with JR’s 1978 Second Republican Constitution. This constitution virtually vested all powers in the hands of the President, which prompted JR to boast that he could do anything under the constitution except to change the gender of a person, which in turn made Dr. Colvin R. de Silva, the author of the previous constitution, to respond by saying that he wished to be a minister again for a couple of weeks at least to get rid of JR’s “superbrat” baby. 

Yet, even more powers were bestowed upon the President by constitutional amendment during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s (GR) presidency which virtually made him a despot. The idea of separation of powers lost all its relevance and the judiciary became a handmaiden of the president. Parliament itself lost its decorum and discipline, the standard of debates declined, and members became receptive to underworld influences. With his viyathmaga cabal GR’s despotism brought unmitigated disaster almost in every front and the country was in total disarray. 

Panic wave among guardians of the old order

It was in such a gloomy environment that a new generation of young men and women without any ethnic or religious prejudices and with no commitment to any political party decided to act and their Aragalaya embodied their realisation that nothing less than a tectonic shift in the system of governance in operation since independence could save the nation from unavoidable calamity. While Aragalaya was winning the hearts and minds of ordinary citizens right across the country it created a panic wave among guardians of the old order. They seemed to have not understood the message and tried to satisfy the youth demand not by changing the system but by changing the personalities who operated it. Out of that exercise emerged Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) as the new chief. 

RW never grasped the seriousness of the youth’s aspirations expressed through the Aragalaya and he took that revolt as a passing phenomenon of youthful age. His first reaction therefore was to send the police force to chase out the agitators, arrest a few of their leaders and destroy their temporary shelters at the Galle Face Green. He also believed that the main reason for popular discontent over the prevailing system was economic and he therefore invited the IMF to take charge of economic reparation, which was in that environment the only alternative left for the open economy. To call him as the rescuer of the economy because of this invitation as his aficionados are doing is to fool the public. Apart from that it was business as usual for RW. 

With support from the Rajapaksa clan, he spent the rest of his presidential days in preparing himself to become the common candidate to contest the next presidential election. Public funds were dished out in the name of development and without any accountability to local chiefs in various electorates to win their support at the next election. But the youth did not go home to rest but took their message direct to the people. The results of the 2024 Presidential and General Elections were the material translation of the Aragalaya effect. 

Anura Kumara Disanayake (AKD) and members of the reformist JVP-NPP coalition captured the mood of the nation when they promised to (a) end the old political culture through social revolution (b) introduce clean governance by ending corruption and making accountability an essential requisite for government ministers and their officials (c) bring to justice those who mismanaged public funds when they were in power, and (d) restore judiciary’s independence. 

Aragalaya effect translated through AKD/NPP campaign

The Aragalaya effect translated through AKD/NPP campaign mesmerised the voters and produced that electoral tsunami in 2024.

As IMF’s effort to stabilise the economy proceeds with greater momentum and as the rate of economic growth is picking up even though there is growing pessimism about a global economic slowdown, President AKD and the NPP Government are setting about translating their promises into action. The drive to end corruption as part of the Clean Sri Lanka project has won plaudits even from IMF and it is not insisting on privatisation of SOEs, which implies that these enterprises could become profitable once corruption and mismanagement are weeded out. 

Similarly, the principle of accountability which was not in the dictionary of governance in the past is now inscribed in capital letters. RW’s arrest is the reflection of this new reality. It is neither an act of revenge nor a sign of dictatorial governing by either AKD or NPP as the opposition shouts. RW’s mishandling of public funds and his angry reaction when questioned by relevant authorities is evident from CID Chief Shani Abeyasekera’s recent interview with V-News channel. Has the nation forgotten about the Central Bank bond scam which happened when RW was the Prime Minister? RW is not Mr Clean as his supporters are trying to portray. Let the judiciary give its verdict on him. 

Will the shareholders of any private corporation or company for example allow its CEO to go scot-free after he/she misused the company’s funds? Presidents and Prime Ministers are like CEOs should be held accountable for their actions. They have a fiduciary duty to wards the nation. RW is feeling the Aragalaya effect and let the judiciary handle the matter without any outside interference. No one is above the law. 

How then does one explain the Opposition’s hoo-ha about RW’s arrest? In a couple of words, it is their guilty conscience that is pricking them. This is what the saying in Tamil “kuttamulla nenju kurukurukkum” implies. Those who are heading the pro-RW rallies and demonstrations are mostly former powerholders who ignored the fact that public funds are taxpayer money entrusted with the national treasury not for enhancing private opulence but for the development of the country and welfare of its people. As pointed out already accountability was never a requisite on financial matters in past governance, and that explains why corruption was so rampant. The new Government is reopening the books and there is more to be revealed. That explains the prevailing panic within the Opposition. 

Post-Aragalaya Sri Lanka has taken a U-turn and moving steadily along a new trajectory to make the country regain its past glory and respect within the international community. The Opposition both inside and outside the Parliament are uniting to reverse this journey. Their media outlets constantly spreading falsehood and innuendos against the new leadership. They are destined to fail because the Aragalaya effect is too strong to overcome. 

(The writer is a retired economist, W. Australia.)