Same rot continues to plague Sri Lanka

The more things change, the more they stay the same… is a well-known saying and this is true of Sri Lanka’s political landscape. Since July last year, the country has a new President and Government, new in name but it’s more a reshuffling of the same pack of cards, the difference being that a new hand has been dealt.

The past 14 months since President Ranil Wickremesinghe took over has seen the country which had sunk to its lowest managing to come up for air, but the situation remains precarious.

A delegation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is in the country at present to assess Sri Lanka’s progress on the implementation of economic reforms proposed by the organisation following which the country would know if it has done enough to access the second tranche of the IMF bailout package of $ 330 million. This would be crucial given the Government has to present the Budget in November and public expectations are it would provide them much needed relief from the high cost of living.

As the budget draws nearer, there are reports that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has met with the SLPP’s National Organiser and one time Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa to discuss matters relating to the upcoming Budget. There is also news of a meeting between a delegation of the SLPP led by Basil Rajapaksa, with members of the MEP which is headed by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

The SLPP/MEP meeting had been held to discuss both political and economic matters with a decision made to request the President to ensure there is more relief granted to the public through the ‘Aswasuma’ program.

The irony of the SLPP/MEP meeting is that the very same players who pushed the country to its lowest depths are sitting down to discuss ways to provide relief to the public, when it was their dismal economic policies that pushed the people to the miserable situation they are in today. Basil Rajapaksa whose disastrous economic policies and arrogance, and who, along with his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Ajith Nivard Cabraal and some others should be facing charges for economic crimes against the people of this country, has the audacity to sit at meetings with the President, Prime Minister, etc. and dictate how the Government should frame its budget. This is telling of the rot that continues to plague this country.

The current Prime Minister and his party the MEP too has been party to the destruction that has befallen this country. Sadly, he too has only thought about his survival within the Rajapaksa camp and has failed to take a principled stand when the people of this country were thrown into the pits thanks to mismanagement, corruption and nepotism that was the hallmark of years of Rajapaksa rule.

It is obvious that the Rajapaksas and their cronies who went under the radar as the public anger began to boil over last year are slowly but surely creeping out of the woodworks. They are looking to rehabilitate their image but not with sincerity and repentance but in the same dubious manner with which they fooled the public in the lead up to the 2019/2020 elections. The public is yet to hear a sincere apology from the former President, the former Prime Minister, Basil Rajapaksa or any of those who were party to the misguided policy decisions that has pushed the country back by several decades.

President Wickremesinghe is in the unenviable position where he has to depend on the SLPP for survival given the party commands the majority in the House. It is with their votes that he was appointed President and he has no choice but to do the bidding of the Rajapaksas to some extent at least. How much he will allow them to shape the next Budget is yet to be seen but no doubt there will be many demands to placate their interests.

“I fear the Greeks, even those bearing gifts,” a wise man said, warning the people of Troy from accepting the gift of a wooden horse. Wise words that the people of Sri Lanka should heed. However shiny the new packaging may be, the same rot remains inside.