‘Then and Now’ rhetoric

President Chandrika Kumaratunga made a typical Sri Lankan ‘ Then and Now’ political speech at Polonnaruwa last week where she recalled the past misdemeanours of the UNP governments and contrasted with what her Peoples Alliance government had done for the past four years. As usual the speech was telecast over state owned stations and hosannas to her are now being sung in the state owned press.

It is natural that President Kumaratunga, being a Sri Lankan politician, makes such a speech . All our politicians when in power do perform this ‘ Then and Now ‘ exercise ever so often. Politicians in the opposition make ‘Broken Promises’ speeches pointing out to the pledges made to the masses and how much of them have not been kept and will never be kept.This is the merry-go-round of Sri Lankan politics and even though such speeches are adrenaline that boost the spirits of the faithful, even at a cursory glance it is evident that not much substance is there.

In her ‘lunu- ambul rhetoric’ the president went on to describe the referendum held by the UNP as the ‘Kalgedi- Lampu Sellama’, the pot and the lamp being the symbols used to decide whether a general election was not necessary or not. The PA government,she vowed, would not postpone elections even for a single day more than the stipulated period of office.

This announcement though received with cheers by the SLFP faithful as a measure of her commitment to democracy, is nothing to caw about . The PA had in the last election campaign vowed that it would never postpone elections. Thus, all these cheers and hosannas are for the president’s pledge not to break one of her fundamental election pledges! Besides it would be illegal and politically immoral to postpone elections once the term of office is over. Such kind of statements are not made to politically sophisticated and matured electorates but in Sri Lanka not only President Kumaratunga but her predecessors have revelled in making such pronouncements. It reveals the political immaturity of the Sri Lanka electorate even though we pat ourselves on our back about our political sagacity, experience in democracy—- over 100 years of universal franchise and all that.

President Kumaratunga had also said that four years was a very short period of history in the country and development was a continuous process which cannot be completed overnight and referred to the ‘country which was in a deep abyss after 17 years of UNP rule which the PA inherited’. Four years is indeed a short time in history and the PA has two more years to go. But the 17 years of ‘UNP misrule’, anarchy or whatever terms she may describe it, is no excuse not to implement her election pledges . President Kumaratunga,once again, is not saying something new . Before her in 1977 when the UNP came to power they spoke of the Hath Avurudhu Sapaya ( The Seven Year Curse) referring to seven years of SLFP rule. In 1970 the SLFP referred to the misdeeds of the Dudley Senanayake government and the Dudley Senanayake government claimed that all what the UNP did after winning Independence had been undone by the SLFP governments of Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Mrs. Bandaranaike. The first Sri Lankan government (of the UNP) spoke of the stupendous task ahead on taking over the country after 443 years of Portuguese, Dutch and British rule!

President Kumaratunga in a question and answer session with her Polonnaruwa audience has asked how much a farmer received for a kilo of paddy in UNP times and how much they got now. The answer had been Rs 5 then and Rs 10.50 now. Whether this logic of paddy farmers being better off now than before would have convinced anyone is doubtful when the rates of inflation then and now are compared. A farmer had much greater purchasing power with Rs 5 then than Rs 10.50 now.There were also references to the ‘Reign of _Terror’ then and comparative peaceful times of today. However it has to be pointed out that the ‘Reign of Terror’ ended soon after President Wijetunge took over. He conducted a peaceful election for the PA to emerge as victors.

Politicians of all hues are inclined to give into such foibles but it is time that the Sri Lankan electorate matured and discussed issues of national importance. For example President Kumaratunga’s observation of the reluctance of graduates to join the private sector – the Engine of Growth as it is called —and their longing for the public service is an all important issue that needs public discussion..

This permanent state of electioneering is one of the greatest drawbacks this country faces. This was pointed out in another context— in Pakistan by an army commander who was forced to resign over that bold and sagacious statement. The Sri Lankan electorate got to reach a state of political maturity where the ‘ Then and Now’ politics will have no cutting edge and politicians would have to take on the vital issues facing the nation when addressing the public.