Sunday Dec 22, 2024
Sunday Dec 22, 2024
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Ranil Wickremesinghe
Maithripala Sirisena
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
By Darshana Abayasingha
The last panel of the 45th Annual Conference of the Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka offered a rare glimpse into the governance philosophies of three former Presidents, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Maithripala Sirisena. However, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who too was bill to participate but was unable to attend in the end.
The event marked a first in the country, where the former leaders openly discussed their experiences, insights and challenges faces during their respective tenures.
A thought-provoking moment came when the former President Wickremesinghe was asked why a business leader or a chartered accountant could not become the President of the country.
“There is a big difference between becoming a political leader and a business leader,” he said, noting that Steve Jobs was a visionary and exemplary leader of a company, but he did not qualify or aspire to become a leader of the country.
“Sri Lanka has always been governed by lawyers, therefore you are in the wrong profession,” he quipped, stating joining his party offers better opportunity for accountants to take the lead.
“To be President or a Head of Government, it is not about if you are a lawyer or accountant or any other profession. Leadership is partly strength and partly shrewdness. Our first Prime Minister had not even passed eighth standard. But he was a good leader,” Wickremasinghe pointed out.
Former President Kumaratunga stated anyone should have the opportunity to lead a country, but that should be people with integrity, humility, education and respect. To this, former President Sirisena supported this view, but cautioned that that even well-educated people do resort to corruption.
Kumaratunga shared that her current focus is on developing the next generation of leaders, instilling the values she believes are essential for good governance.
The conversation turned toward corruption, a common theme in discussions on Sri Lankan governance.
Former President Sirisena highlighted the complicity of senior public officials in enabling corrupt politicians. He stressed that Ministers and Political leaders often rely on bureaucrats to carry out corrupt acts. “As both other leaders know, political leaders and Ministers cannot steal without the knowledge of senior public servants, and when they see the head resorting to corruption others can be tempted to do the same,” he said.
Sirisena stressed that Government machinery should learn to implement the law regardless of the affiliations of those concerned. He pointed to the controversy surrounding his presidential staff and a chairman of corporations who were caught red-handed soliciting bribes, and lamented the Bribery Commission was slow to take action anticipating that he would intervene. He said the same had also happened during a motor accident involving one of his brothers, where police had soft-peddled the investigation, but ultimately his brother had spent time in jail as he chose not to intervene.
“Even if the constitution and law is well constructed, it doesn’t matter if the people in power don’t implement them. So, it is not just up to the leadership but also for officials and the machinery. I do not agree with the notion that all leaders since independence were corrupt. Were the Senanayakes or Sir John Kotelawala corrupt? Were Mr. and Mrs. Bandaranaike corrupt?” Sirisena said.
President Kumaratunga said a National Procurement Agency was created in the past with good leadership to manage procurement of assets and resources devoid of corruption, but this institution was dismantled by subsequent regimes.
The discussion was not without humour. When asked about the infamous 2018 Constitutional crisis—when Sirisena dismissed Wickremasinghe as Prime Minister—Sirisena dodged the question with a light-hearted response.
He acknowledged his role in the crisis but downplayed it, suggesting that leadership struggles have been part of Sri Lanka’s political history, comparing them to power struggles during the time of kings.
“I do not want to comment on the constitutional crisis. But if you ask me privately outside I will tell. However, it was not my sole decision, but I take responsibility for it. But leadership tussles and changes are part of Sri Lankan history, as we have seen in the time of kings where brothers and queens have killed to take power,” he added.
President Kumaratunga interrupted with a light-hearted remark: “So, you killed one Prime Minister and brought another.”
Despite the occasional jabs, the tone remained cordial, with the three former Presidents offering an unusually candid reflection on their time in power.
The conference served as a reminder of the complex interplay between leadership, governance, and the fight against corruption, with each leader offering a unique perspective on how to address Sri Lanka’s ongoing challenges.
