Thoughts for the incoming President

While thanking all, the winning candidate’s message to all district and electoral organisers, should be that every one should be treated with dignity and respect – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

I have been asked to share my thoughts, on what the incoming President of Sri Lanka should address in his first few days. These are only a few of my expectations, which I commence with the words “Towards a deliverable or short term milestone”.

 A. Towards immediate transition to a laudable benchmark of law and order; preventing and pre-empting post election disturbances, and tempering celebrations of victory

1. While thanking all, the winning candidate’s message to all district and electoral organisers, should be that every one should be treated with dignity and respect. Law enforcement authorities, must be responsible for maintaining law and order and for the protection of every citizen. To ensure that this happens beyond passive advice to supporters, a Presidential Task Force on Law and Order, should be set up on 22 September to oversee and monitor follow up on complaints received on hotlines, disseminating same to law enforcement authorities, with constant feedback to the office of the President.

2. An Acting IGP shall be appointed forthwith, and made responsible for law enforcement. He/She shall inter alia ensure the operation of emergency and hotlines to facilitate 1 above, at every police station seamlessly connected with personnel on duty, off site.

3. All positions shall be adequately resourced and facilitated by advanced communication technology.

B. Towards bipartisan consensus 1. All other Presidential candidates, should be invited to a meeting of warm fellowship, treated with dignity and respect and their partnership sought in the progress of the country, beginning with working together on all areas of convergence, in public statements and manifestos.

2. Sincerity of purpose should be demonstrated in a manner that, a new administration begins with planting seeds of bipartisan consensus on future legislation, institutionalisation, implementation, oversight, monitoring and feedback, thus reaping dividends for all citizens of the country. This will pave the way towards bipartisan consensus on facilitating desirable state owned enterprise reforms; public private partnerships; selected privatisations as feeders for debt restructuring and sustainability. 

C. Towards continuity of desirable, just and equitable, economic restructuring and repositioning

1. In consultation with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka establish a Presidential Task Force to recommence negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, addressing as a priority, needs of vulnerable communities, amending agreements in macro critical areas, thus obtaining “buy in” from political and other detractors for continuity of reforms.

2. Meet with the heads of all multilateral and bilateral development partners to negotiate the inclusion of perhaps a larger role for them, arising from the above.

D. Towards sustainable national harmony

Just as justice delayed is justice denied, truth delayed is truth denied. Reconciliation delayed is reconciliation denied to generations in a nation that seeks sustainable national harmony. Accordingly,

1. Establish a Presidential Task Force on Truth and Reconciliation with a six-month mandate to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or whichever the equivalent thereof was provided for, in the respective manifesto of the winning candidate. Set in motion laws necessary to legally enable its establishment. The Presidential Task Force on Truth and Reconciliation shall review and recommend improvements to the scope, approach and methodologies of the office of Missing Persons and Office of Reparations.

2. Establish a Diaspora Fund. Towards that end, set in motion the drafting of laws necessary to legally enable such a fund, its structure, composition, operation, internal and external audits and overall Governance.

E. Towards openness, transparency and good governance

1. Review and reconstitute where possible all independent commissions.

2. Make operational, all independent commissions, which are currently dormant, such as for example, the Independent Procurement Commission. Immediately submit all pending public procurement whether solicited or unsolicited to this commission.

F. towards addressing economic hardships of the less than privileged and vulnerable communities

1. Within the first week in office, establish a Presidential Task Force on Cost of Living and Consumer Protection, to progress towards achieving, in all key areas where possible, a more just, fair and equitable cost of living structure, in the short to medium term. Towards this end, with a first focus on our people, reconstitute inter alia, the Consumer Affairs Authority, the Consumer Affairs Council and deploy these institutions, to ensure that factors that contribute to a high cost of living, which are not compatible with the provisions of consumer protection, are appropriately intervened into.

2. To facilitate the above, through relevant associations of manufacturing, production, wholesale and retail distribution, perform immediate diagnostic assessments of costs, value and supply chain issues, direct and indirect taxes and set in motion a program to provide early relief where practical and possible.

These are only 6 from 20 plus broad expectations I have, but I restrict my thoughts to enable print media space for the views of others.

(The writer holds an FCA (Sri Lanka), MBA (USA), and is a Chartered Accountant and Management Consultant.)