By Sri Lanka stands at a critical juncture as it prepares to face the most crucial presidential election in its political history. This election is vital as it could decide whether Sri Lanka will survive as a nation or perish.
The incumbent president, Ranil Wickremesinghe has officially stated his decision to contest as an independent candidate by calling for the support of all to take on the daunting task of steering the country toward economic recovery and prosperity. This move suggests that there has been a paradigm shift in the thinking of the former leader of the largest political party in Sri Lanka, the United National Party (UNP) regarding the conception and construct of future politics in Sri Lanka.
Party Politics
As long as we can remember, party politics have been the hallmark of the systems of governance that have prevailed so far. “Suba Anagathayak, Mahinda Chinthanaya, Dharmishta Samajayak”, and the latest “Saubagye Dakma” are some of the fancy slogans political parties have used to dupe the masses into voting for them. However, the naked truth is that past governments were characterized by:
1. Political bungling
2. Bribery and Corruption
3. A Corrupt Political Culture
4. Self-centered lawmaking
5. Racism
6. Wastefulness
7. Insensitivity and a
8. A pseudo democracy
Their priority has been, and still is, maintaining the supremacy of their party and not the country ;s economic prosperity or the people’s well-being. This self-centered attitude has continued unabated and progressively got worse, with each passing year, while the country was rapidly hurtling towards economic collapse.
Each of the parties has its brand of politics such as right-wing, left-wing, communist social liberal, etc. which they aggressively market as the best option for the well-being of the people. However, 76 years of these brands of politics have only resulted in the country being reduced to bankruptcy proving that none of these brands are capable of steering the country towards progress. The Saubagya Dakma put the lid on it and the
educated youth of the country decided that enough was enough and initiated the “Aragalaya to oust President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and demand for a system change.
What is needed is a hybrid system consisting of a mix of policies which could deliver the goods within the current economic context. This can become a reality only if all parties put their personal ambitions aside and put the country before self.Ranil is a leader who has demonstrated far sight, fearlessness and statesmanship and proved himself as being capable of handling the current crisis effectively.
The vision of Ranil Wickremesinghe who has so far not been afraid to take unpopular decisions in the interest of the country and work with unity of purpose promises a new refreshing outlook for Sri Lankan politics. It is left for the people to decide whether they want Sri Lanka to survive as a nation or perish.
Shiranee Dissanayake-Senior Broadcast and Online journalist
