Why I have hope for our future ...

By Renton de Alwis

Written in late 2009, recalling the early days of the current President’s rule and the hopes generated therein. I present it today to serve as a baseline to critically evaluate where we are today. I still hold hope and hope that sanity prevails for our political ‘leaders’to act as LEADERS and focus on real issues such as education, food, health and shelter and wean away from the petty politics and dominance based issues.

 

During 2003/04, I wrote a regular Sunday column in a newspaper. On the eve of the last Presidential elections in 2005, these were published and launched as a collection. It took a critical look at how we as a people, were letting go the many opportunities that unfolded before us to carve out a desirable future for our nation. I called it a socio-political commentary of our times. Just the other day, I was browsing through its pages and realised that some of my hopes had indeed been realised, but much of what was desired yet remained as hope, of a yet optimistic non-partisan citizen of this blessed land of ours.

Kept cool

At that election, which was a neck to neck race, the current President won. He had a tough call, with the President in office and leader of his party at the time, not entirely backing him. The daggers were out, but the man kept his cool and with an efficiently run campaign ably managed also by some of his now foes, made it. The opposition cried foul, saying the Northern constituency was barred from voting by the LTTE. Given the process, rightfully, a majority of votes of those who exercised their franchise had been got.

To me what mattered most was what happened next. A definite prioritisation of tasks was made with defeating terrorism at the top of the agenda. Since there was a hung legislator, which was a constraint to exercising the agenda, a crafty political manoeuvring process began, to call for support of likeminded legislators. Harnessing the support of key opposition members, a sound management base was established to achieve the objective of defeating terrorism.

Basic trust

No matter what the opposition claimed, it showed that there was a basic level of trust in the leader among those who joined-in to render support. As was claimed, some may have joined for they were fearful of being prosecuted for ill deeds of the past. Some it seemed, for they had to secure their political future, power bases, the perks and/or because they despised their own leadership. There were others who genuinely believed that the cause was worthy of pursuing with the new leader. The result was a huge Cabinet of Ministers that a small nation of our size, could ill-afford. No doubt it was a game of horse-trading that went on. It was indeed tough to hold it all together as there were polarised political agenda and vested personal interests also at work within the process. This meant that cracks appeared in that alliance now and then. In spite of that, focus was maintained on the key objective and a determined effort was made to rally the support of the nation as a whole.

Clear policy

The most trusted aids, some from within the family, were appointed to handle key tasks. I thought it fine, as they possessed the qualifications and the experience to do the assigned jobs. The arms procurement mafia was aptly dealt with and that was a first thing, first done. No matter, what was said by whom, these useless middlepersons were a key deterrent to ending the war and a definite push factor to keeping it going on and on. Resources were found, teams were formed and delegation of tasks was done.  

Since the new President’s induction, policy statements made were clear. What was sought was to end terrorism, seek peace and unity for Sri Lanka where all citizens could secure a future to live their lives with dignity and honour. The model of development was to be with self-sufficiency in food as its base, with least dependency on the global markets, reducing income distribution disparities, while ensuring regionally equitable distribution of that development. Communications were effective and in spite of the criticisms levelled in some quarters, our foreign relations were also focussed to achieve the key objective. While a war was fought and won on the battle grounds here, another war was fought and won in many fronts overseas to cut off the financial might and the procurement lines of the LTTE.

Focus on positives

The war on terrorism has now ended. The process to ensure the honour and dignity for the Tamil people and all other minorities has begun. It is still in its infancy with many shortcomings. It has definitely started with a strong process of reconstruction and development of the affected areas, which I have personally witnessed. But there is so much to be done. This certainly is not a time to create more uncertainty or instability for this nation, struggling to recover from a very dark era. All of us need to have faith that we have what it takes to make this land of ours, a better place for all its citizens.  We must stop looking at the negatives but focus on the positives and more importantly, what our own little contribution can be to the process of nation building. Many right thinking individuals who have opted to keep out of ongoing political circuses that only sow seeds of divisiveness, are of the view that each of us need to do our bit now and lend our shoulders to the process of rebuilding our nation. The call made in earnest is for us all ‘to walk the talk’. We as citizens have the responsibility by Mother Lanka to contribute to see her prosper and having done that, the right to exercise vigilance to call for accountability from our elected leaders.    

Hold responsible

There is no doubt that what is wrong in our society needs to be corrected. Corruption has been rampant at all levels of our society and needs to be dealt with strongly. The Rule of Law must prevail over all else and independence of all public institutions must be ensured. The development agenda must continue with no elitist considerations, but with the objective of benefiting all communities, ethnic and social groups. The needy and the desolate must be given special attention. Our wasteful and greedy ways that impact adversely on the natural environment must be ended.

It is noteworthy that all of this has been stated by the President in his various policy statements and I am willing to count on him to deliver on them, upon obtaining a fresh mandate. We must ensure that we are aware of what has been stated as policy that is desirable and venture to support them. Equally, we must hold him and his team responsible for its delivery at all times, for the essence of a democracy is about accountability.  

Looking inwards

Back on to my publication, in a foreword written by the editor of the newspaper which carried my columns wrote of the 2003/04 era; “His columns have touched on issues of governance, the role of the business community in society, business leaders, political opportunists and the like….He wrote while we watched how politicians ruined the country or how business leaders left it for others to clear the mess. We blamed each other instead of ourselves.”

My cry then was for unity among our political leadership to work for peace to end a meaningless war. The disunity in the South was hurting us bad and the LTTE was gaining ground from all the infighting that was going on in the Southern body-polity.

My cry now is also for the same. We must soon end the bickering and petty political games and get on stronger with the process of nation building. Each of us, our leaders included has much we can give this blessed land of ours, in our own way … within our own means.