AKD after 228 days and histrionics of the opposition

• Are they (Opposition politicians) and ‘we the people’ expecting AKD to undo the damage done over a period of 75 years (552,375 days or more) in 228 days?

Just over eight months or 228 days ago, after failing to be elected after the first round of counting, President Dissanayake was declared the winner of the presidential poll by the Commissioner of Elections. Since then,  he has successfully campaigned for and won for the National People’s Power (NPP), the parliamentary elections by a two-thirds majority and the local government elections.

At the time of his assuming power Dissanayake faced a plethora of problems. The country’s economy is still not stable. Lanka is dependent on a four billion dollar line of credit extended by India and an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement courtesy a US$ 3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement of March 2023, which propped up Lanka’s credit worthiness.

The IMF facility is aimed at supporting Lanka’s efforts to restore macro-economic stability and debt sustainability. But it came at a price -the terms of the IMF facility placed unbearable burdens on economically deprived sections of the community, for example the cutting of government subsidies which adversely impacted poorer sections of the community. 

Even today, thousands of people continue to be semi-employed, if not out of employment. UNICEF statistics show nearly 25% of Lanka children are malnourished. According to the Ceylon Teacher Service Union, in some schools, some teachers and students have formed ‘rice banks’ to help students who cannot afford meals. The Department of Census and Statistics, found that the schooling of 54.9 percent of those aged 3-21 were impacted by the economic crisis.  

Worsening a bad situation, corruption is rampant with charges of corruption and nepotism being laid at the doorstep of particular ex-presidents, their families, government ministers and their acolytes.  

President Dissanayake campaigned on a ticket of brining to an end corruption, an immediate renegotiation of the IMF facility, bringing down the cost of living, bringing in a new Constitution, abolishing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) –the dreaded anti-terrorism law- through which all forms of dissent were crushed. 

Since coming into power, the president and his political party are beginning to realise it is easier to make ill-judged promises than fulfill them. The first slap in the face of the new president and his party was the blunt refusal of the IMF to change any of the clauses of the EFF. 

Today despite rising costs, the government has been forced to cave in to IMF demands to increase tariffs on power. We may soon see the tariff on pipe-borne water too, increased. Government has also not been able to reduce the cost of living. 

The price of our staple food rice is beyond the means of the common man. In fact,  many other goods and services cost more than when AKD and his political party came into power.

The government pledged to bring in a new Constitution. It has done little in this direction. It promised to abolish The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). No progress has been made in this direction, either.

But let’s stop and think for a moment. Our country has had a total of 17 IMF programmes since independence. Included are various arrangements, such as Stand-by Agreements, Extended Fund Facilities, and Poverty Reduction and Growth Facilities. The first program was in 1965. 

Despite the Opposition parties in parliament making a commotion, poverty in our country has been rising since independence.  All parliamentarians have at one time or another been party to increasing poverty levels in this country.Are they (Opposition politicians) and ‘we the people’ expecting AKD to undo the damage done over a period of 75 years (552,375 days or more) in 228 days?

But good things too, have happened during these 228 days. A number of corrupt ministers and officials together with their kith and kin have been brought before the law and now provided mats and pillows to serve long sentences for robbing the state during their hay day in power. 

 Singapore is one of the least corrupt countries in the world. A position having its roots in the leadership of its first premier Lee Kuan Yew. Lee recognised corruption was one of the greatest threats to economic stability and public trust.

Our government has taken the first tentative steps to eradicate this corruption. Will it dare continue this policy?