Presidential Election filled with promises

 This blessed country after 70 years of independence can still boast of poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, communicable diseases, homelessness and many more; 35 candidates or even more will not run out of a topic to speak about 

– Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

By Chandrasena Maliyadde

Staggering balance of payment deficit; widening trade deficit; unimaginable investment-savings deficit; uncontrollable fiscal deficit; indebted to the public; indebted to banks; indebted to corporate sector; indebted to international organisations; Treasury bonds; Central Bank bonds; Samurai bonds; international bonds – one would think that I am insane. But these are some terms one would not miss when reading daily newspapers. 

They are not alien to Sri Lankans anymore. They are the subject of discussions among economists, academics and policymakers. Ceylon, which was the model for development at the time of gaining independence, has become Sri Lanka of deficits after enjoying the fruits of independence for 70 years. 

These deficits have become the obedient clay in the hands of economists who write, analyse, discuss, explain, defend, and criticise. They write beautifully quoting from the literature, theory and experience of other countries veiling the bitterness. For them, it is a topic for research. Their words, arguments, quotations, explanations are so attractive and convincing to make us forget that each one of us and future generations as well are indebted. 

So many promises

This blessed nation is facing the eighth Presidential Election in this backdrop. I have been watching, listening, reading the campaign trail of several candidates. I hear beautiful Sinhala words, phrases and terms used in their promises to make a healthy, environmentally friendly, non-polluted, educated, united, reconciled and prosperous nation.

One candidate promises polythene and plastic-free election campaign standing on a stage decorated with plastic and polythene materials. All the billboards, posters, flags and the shed are made of polythene; dignitaries on the stage are seated in plastic chairs sipping a coke in a plastic bottle. The public does not see but can hear and clap and shout loudly waving the polythene flags given to them by the organisers.

Another candidate shouts promising clean water from a shed made on the banks of a canal filled with worms, larvae, eggs, dirt, waste and debris. The canal welcomes all the waste, sewage and litter disposed of by dwellers living on its banks. They join rest of the crowd and shout and whistle after adding a generous contribution of human waste to the canal.   

The third candidate and his supporters whose children studying in an international school promise free education to children standing on a makeshift stage erected in front of tuition class with pictures of smiling Nihal Sir who is teaching “Riting Ingilish and Ispoken Ingilish”. Another whistle, shout and applause from parents who have heard of free education since the days of Kannagara.

The other candidate who was a Minister in whatever the Government in power is shouting of the virtues of “Good Governance” on a stage sponsored by a known drug trafficker in the area who is observing sill on every Poya day. Crowd cheers and claps and the drug addicts whistle.  

Organisers of another candidate have chosen an abandoned primary health care centre which can be identified only by the name board (now providing shelter to cattle who were lucky to save their lives from the thieves around) for the meeting of their man. The well-nourished candidate who was onetime Minister of Health on the stage promises ‘Health for All’ after his victory. 

The parents of malnourished children while chasing away the mosquitoes with their hands start clapping. The candidate after making an eloquent speech on ‘all for health’ sorry ‘health for all’  begs pardon of the crowd that he has to visit a Home for the Aged and murmur something to his organiser and rush away to keep his appointment with the specialist doctor in a private hospital.  

One candidate has been told that people are suffering due to poor sanitation resulting from lack of shelter, toilets and drinking water. He promises improved sanitary facilities on a stage put up beside a broken unusable water tap standing along with a roofless stinking public toilet with no door and no water. The signboard and the large size billboard with a smiling picture of his local organiser who invested public funds for the project were standing behind the water tap and the toilet. 

Be patient! We have 35 generous patriots crying for the nation and vying for the job.  The next we met is found to be a nature lover. His inaugural rally was organised in North Central Province. His stage and the shed were erected blocking an elephant corridor. The arrangements for the meeting have been made by a well-known man in the area who loves elephants especially those with tusks and keep several tusks in his house not for ornamental purposes but in memory of dead elephants. Candidate’s second meeting was in Dematagoda in front of the abettor on a stage built and decorated by an abattoir. This reminds me of a story related by my granddaughter.

Teacher: What is your favourite animal Mary?

Mary: It’s the cow, madam

Teacher: why is cow the favourite?

Mary: Because I like beef.

The third meeting in Ratnapura on a stage erected with forest species taken from nearby Sinharaja forest by a famous illicit timber logger.

Each candidate promises more

This blessed country after 70 years of independence can still boast of poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, communicable diseases, homelessness and many more; 35 candidates or even more will not run out of a topic to speak about. Taking advantage of that and the pittance of cash required to be deposited for the presidential race due to visionary thinking of Free Election Commission 35 is still a small number for a country of 22 million people and 100 Ministers (half of the MPs) and 1.5 million public servants serving themselves.

According to the last Household Income and Expenditure Survey conducted in 2016 by the Department of Census and Statistics, Share of income to total household income in the country is as seen in table 1.

But 82% of the tax revenue comes in the form of indirect taxes paid by the poor while direct tax contribution is 18%. The candidates promise more welfare facilities and subsidies to the poor and more tax relief to the rich. Each candidate makes a promise to provide more relief, exemptions and welfare facilities eating into Government revenue. No mention of improving the income status of the poor and the productivity improvement of the richer. It is a promise to continue dependency rather than improving production, productivity, entrepreneurship and opportunities. 

Their promises vary on where they speak. In Colombo, it is housing facilities, improved public transport, and a cleaner city. In an agriculture producing area it is free fertiliser, and writing off loans. In a Buddhist majority area principal place to Buddhism. In a Hindu, Catholic or Muslim majority area, equal status to all religions. 

To the poor it is poverty alleviation; to the educated it is employment; to the women, it is prevention and protection from gender violence; to the youth more training, jobs and leadership while in Sri Lanka no politician retire from politics due to ageing;  to the business community more tax relief.  Merry go round goes on. Higher the number of candidates more promises. More the merrier. 

As children, we listened to the stories of our parents. We were told that Handhamy (the moon) brings kiriy paniy (milk and honey). For us after 70 years, the moon is still Handahamy and we are waiting for kiri peni whereas others have landed on the moon. We are a nation of history lovers. 

Politicians know our pulse

As kids, parents told us of a country with a history of 2,500 years. Today we tell our children of a country of history of 2,600 years. This is the 21st century. More the number longer the history. We can continue the parade boasting of a longer history. Politicians know our pulse. And they address our need. They make promises. Promises from historic, record-breaking 35 candidates. Unfortunately identifying one among them with a vision, policy or a roadmap is nearly impossible. 

Finally, the saga faced by the people and the “leaders” in this country reminds following piece I saw in a movie and what I read in a novel. “People drink sand not because they are thirsty, they don’t know the difference” – (The American President, movie).

“The only great achievements that make it to the pages of history, are those to which tremendous thought and preparation have been given” (Chanakya advises Senapathi in the novel ‘Chanakya’s Chant’).

(The writer is a retired Ministry Secretary and can be reached on [email protected].)