Ranel Wijesinha’s take on LG polls: “Election results eye-opener for both major political parties

The local government election results are a ‘brutal’ eye-opener for the unity government. The need to perform a deep diagnostic of the two major political parties, their structures and relationships with the electorate, whether in Colombo or in Provincial, Urban or Municipal Councils, and the need to re-look at the strategy, structure and performance of the Cabinet and the government itself, is no longer an optional extra but a compelling necessity.  

For the sake of democracy and sustainability of what is good versus what is not, the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) need to break and remake themselves, from head to toe. They need to restructure and re-position themselves before any attempt to restructure and re-position the ‘balance sheet’ of the nation or State-owned enterprises, which too they have done little or nothing about if SriLankan Airlines were cited as an example.  

I am disappointed with the performance of these two major parties when compared with a newly-formed party about to bloom, more so, since they have both lost an opportunity, they fought hard for in January 2015, but an opportunity they trifled with

True, they may have regained credibility and respectability as a nation; we regained credibility of the stock market and I have complimented the government about these, but what is now an imperative is that they need to regain their relevance to an electorate without which the unexpired period of their term of office, whatever they may attempt to do, will be of academic value.

I believe the level of seriousness with which these parties remake themselves, with time-bound action plans is a challenge they must immediately apply their heads and hearts to. 

I am disappointed with the performance of these two major parties when compared with a newly-formed party about to bloom, more so, since they have both lost an opportunity, they fought hard for in January 2015, but an opportunity they trifled with.

I remain optimistic about the yet unrealized potential of the country and hope the bitter lesson learned will propel the government into action, rather than force them into a self-inflicted woodwork and inaction. My views are as an equal stakeholder of the nation, equal to heads of government or of political parties, or the views of a simple paddy farmer in my village of Getamanna. 

For the sake of democracy and sustainability of what is good versus what is not, the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) need to break and remake themselves, from head to toe