FEATURES
JVP/NPP’s “new political culture” sans “People’s Sovereignty”
“Remember…. We will change all this when we come” said JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD), addressing a public rally during an election campaign in early September 2024 held for his presidential candidacy. “Change” became a keyword in their election campaigns all through parliament elections as well. When AKD said “all this” he meant mega corruption in governance, waste, negligence and inefficiency in the State, summing them all as the “dirty political culture” groomed and left by previous governments. We were thus promised a “change” with a new political culture that would be “clean and people centric”.
This clean and people centric “new culture” promised, lacked “transparency” from day one. Lack of transparency leads to lack of communication and accountability too. My personal experience with this NPP government to this day, is their total refusal to even acknowledge a letter addressed to the President, the Prime Minister and Ministers. Refusal to acknowledge letters of request to meet with President, the PM and Ministers, is strictly adhered to when requests come from individuals and organisations outside their politics.
Absence of transparency and accountability in this JVP/NPP government seems incomparably greater than what it was with previous governments, accused of corruption and waste. No major figures in previous governments ignored letters and requests for meetings. They at least acknowledged, even if an appointment was not granted. They rarely refused to meet with trade union leaders whatever political colour, with professional associations and with social organisations and activists.
Beyond that, JVP/NPP leadership’s denial of publishing information was evident when they ignored Opposition requests for names of former government MPs whom they accused without naming to be tabled in parliament, for recommending foreign liquor licenses. To date, those names have not been tabled in parliament and the accusation remains a mere slander. Just 02 months since forming the government, the JVP/NPP leadership got directly involved in one of the largest corruptions to date, releasing 323 containers without inspection by Customs that were “red flagged” and therefore mandated to be physically checked by Customs Officers before release. The Deputy Minister of Ports Janith Kodithuwakku accepted in parliament the responsibility of the government in releasing them without inspection. A clear violation of law and screaming “corruption”. How people-centric and how “clean” was that beginning for a “new political culture”?
Sadly, for the people, the Opposition in parliament has failed to hold the government and Minister of Ports Bimal Rathnayake fully responsible in providing all details about the illegally released 323 containers. Seriousness of this extremely arrogant, high-handed and no doubt corrupt act of the government is mentioned in the public statement made by the Customs Trade Union Alliance (CTUA) on the issue. They clearly say, they would not take responsibility “if these particular containers are found to contain low-quality medicines rejected by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), cosmetic items deemed unfit for use, illegal cigarettes, other illegal imports, drugs or even weapons.”
Timidity of the parliamentary Opposition is one major factor that allows this JVP/NPP leadership, though novice in governance to stubbornly hold back all information they fear would adversely affect them, if made public. Timid and naïve, the Opposition even allows the JVP/NPP government to go without tabling the 07 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) the government signed with India during the most recent official visit of Indian PM Narendra Modi. When asked for these MoUs to be tabled in parliament, the callous response was by Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath who said, if the Opposition wants them, they could request under the RTI Act. This 57-year-old senior politician Vijitha Herath had been a MP from October 2000 and a cabinet minister in President Kumaratunge’s government in 2004-2005. Thus, he cannot be ignorant about rights and privileges of MPs and the responsibility of a government in providing free access to documents a government sign on behalf of Citizens of Sri Lanka. He cannot be as stupid as he sounded, asking MPs to use the RTI Act to have access to the MoUs signed, though a lady Attorney as a JVP/NPP MP kept yelling in a TV panel discussion, the Opposition should request for the MoUs via the RTI Act. How naïve the Opposition is, was proved when they allowed the government to go free with that invalid, irresponsible response.
It is common sense, the RTI Act is irrelevant for MPs. The government is bound to table that in parliament, at least when requested. IF the JVP/NPP leadership believes there is no such legal binding for now, they should at least now accept, the new “clean and people centric” political culture they promised, requires them to be transparent and accountable to “People”. Holds them responsible in establishing the tradition of providing all serious information to parliament. The Opposition should also know, the RTI Act No.12 of 2016, does not allow for any information related to national security and defence to be provided under Section 05.1(b)(i) of the Act. Thus, the RTI Act is of no relevance even to Citizens in requesting information regarding the MoU signed on defence corporation with India.
Though both signatories remain silent on details incorporated in the Defence MoU, Vikram Misri the Secretary to Foreign Affairs in New Delhi was quoted in the “Hindustani Times” of 06 April as having said, “A defence cooperation agreement finalised by India and Sri Lanka on Saturday, the first pact of its kind, will make existing initiatives more structured and lead to more joint exercises and potential defence industry collaboration”. What does the MoU specifically say about “defence industry collaboration”?
This JVP/NPP government of President AKD is now in an understanding with India on defence industry collaboration, an arms supplier to Israel for all its human massacres and tragedies in the Gaza. This same government is also accused of ignoring all complaints about illegal Israeli presence in our tourist sector, constructing illegal buildings for “Chabad Houses”. All this leads to compromising the “Sovereignty of the People” the Constitution says is “inalienable”.
Let me wind off saying, “People’s Sovereignty” therefore demands all information related to governance, out in public domain. MoUs signed with India to be tabled in parliament, forthwith. Requires all information related to the 323 “red flagged” containers to be tabled in parliament. Claims of few million Rupees saved from fuel, from MPs salaries but not told how and where they would be used, is not transparency and accountability. President not going for Sinhala-Tamil New Year ceremonies, is not what ensures People’s Sovereignty guaranteed in the Constitution. We don’t accept a political culture without transparency and accountability as anything better and decent than what has been cultivated by corrupt regimes in the past.
“In the Republic of Sri Lanka sovereignty is in the People and is inalienable. Sovereignty includes the powers of government, fundamental rights and the franchise.”
Chapter I – The People, State & Sovereignty / Section 03 of the Sri Lanka Constitution.