.

A good example

MPs on both sides of the House have acted with commendable sensitivity to public perception by initiating a proposal that the Speaker's traditional year-end party for them be cancelled and the resources that would have been spent on that account be sent instead for the welfare of soldiers on the front. Mr. K.B. Ratnayake was only too happy to oblige and the necessary instructions have been issued.

This newspaper, which has consistently opposed extravagant spending of public funds for the gratification of the few at the expense of the many, is happy to applaud this gesture by the elected representatives of the people. MPs are generally seen as a breed who serve themselves generously from the public pot on a philosophy that Sir John Kotelawela once expressed in pithy Sinhala. "As long as you have the spoon in your hand,'' he had said, "bedaganilla'' !

The idea that the year-end festivities, which drew very poor attendance last year with most MPs wanting to get home to their electorates at the end of the gruelling budget debate, be cancelled and the money saved be better employed emerged from the government backbench and was enthusiastically supported by members of the opposition. The originators of the proposal obtained the signatures of 58 MPs of the 225-member House, not because the majority were not with them, but for the constraint of time. There would have been many more signatures if all the Members could have been reached.

This backbench initiative came hard on the heels of the attempt to substantially increase salaries of ministers, deputy ministers and MPs, placing their emoluments on par with those paid to the higher judiciary. The cabinet approved proposal was on the order paper of the House when the politicians were forced to bow to the force of public opinion. There was however a minister who was determined to soldier on notwithstanding opposition even from among the ranks of the PA itself. "Those who don't want the increase can give it for soldiers' welfare,'' he had said. "Let others who need it have it.'' But better sense prevailed. Cynics, no doubt, would attribute the forthcoming elections to be at least partly responsible for the change of heart.

According to our political columnist, Rs. 680,000 was to be spent on the cancelled MPs dinner. That is a clear index of the kind of extravagance that is indulged in by those who should know better. Although the government has been making noises about discouraging liquor by severely regulating the advertising of harmful products like alcohol and tobacco, there has been no serious effort to limit the serving of the most expensive spirits at state functions. We do not believe for a moment that either the price stick that has long been used or legislation will stop people from smoking or drinking. That has time and again proved to be a failure profiting only illicit distillers.

But it is a pity that public funds are being uninhibitedly used for official entertainment involving the extravagant use of liquor while great play is made of recommendations of task forces advocating stringent controls on the advertising of such products. We are aware that even some Islamic countries that will desist from serving alcohol at their National Day receptions do not exclude liquor from their smaller more private parties, no doubt with the experience that they would otherwise not be able to attract any guests! We are not advocating prurience but do think that less hypocrisy on these matters will be in order.

It was not long ago that there was a rejoinder to a comment we had made on the extravagance of the SAARC Summit hosted in Colombo earlier this year in a state controlled newspaper. That editorialist asked whether we wished the grand occasion to be celebrated like a "pauper's wedding.'' That was not our wish nor the intention of our comment. We were merely making the point then that we repeat now that there must be moderation in public expenditure in non-essential areas. However poor we and many other third world countries may claim to be, our leaders are not slow in adopting extravagant lifestyles at the expense of the people.

We have had many pre-election promises of reducing the number of ministries, not using opulent vehicles and what have you. But the way the successors perform in these matters is no different from what the predecessors did. We are sufficiently cynical to believe that on this score at least matters will only grow worse and no better. Gone are the days when entertainment allowances paid to elected officials were used to serve a cup of tea to a visitor. Today voted funds are freely utilised to have various bashes at the drop of the proverbial hat. The fact that Rs. 680,000 was intended to be spent to host our MPs to dinner is index enough of the kind of public money that is spent on all kinds of parties.

| NEWS | PROVINCIAL | POLITICS | DEFENCE | FEATURES | LEISURE | BUSINESS | SPORTS | ADS |