[lg policy] LEADERSHIP AND MOTIVATION FOR POLICY CORRECTIONS IN SRI LANKA

Fri Mar 22 17:11:35 UTC 2019

LEADERSHIP AND MOTIVATION FOR POLICY CORRECTIONS IN SRI LANKA
Posted on March 20th, 2019

*BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS*

To achieve a rapid economic development and sustainable economic growth,
the most essential desideratum in Sri Lanka is policy correction in
relation to political, economic, social and cultural areas. It is a
gigantic task with a strong political and social motivation.  Since the
political independence in 1948, Sri Lanka continuously involved in policy
development tasks, which were misguided by a lack of clear vision, mission,
objectives and activities. The other issue that related to the policy
development is that the task doesn’t involve in a policy monitoring,
variance analysis and remedial management process for redevelopment of
policies consistent to international initiatives, directions, innovations
and changes.

It is possible to make many mistakes or incurring weakness at the stage of
policy development and the correction of policies, developed in the past.
In fact. it is a quite difficult task. For example, Sri Lanka introduced
new language policy after 1956 election, later the country wanted to
correct policy and it had many hurdles as UNP opposed with a public protest
and in 1965 elected government attempted to develop a policy for political
administration (Rata Saba), it was unsuccessful due to public protest but
same policy introduced with the 13th amendment to the constitution, which
has now a strong opposition in the country.

Policy monitoring and remedial management roles were purely the
responsibility of bureaucrats and they never informed the outcomes of the
role to public. It may have the ignorance of them or politicians did not
direct them to do so.  The elected government in 1972 introduced a
political authority for the purposes, later it became a tactic of taking
revenge from opponents and making special treatments to political
supporters.  Obviously, politicians and bureaucrats have poor knowledge,
skills and experience for policy development and correction.

Therefore, the policy development and monitoring process had a clear
division between the government, bureaucrats and public. The way
bureaucrats were playing the role supported to the development of
Machiavellian politics in the country to cheat each other. These are major
reasons for the requirement of policy corrections and the current
government has no opportunity to engage in policy correction, most probably
it will cease to exist in 2020. The reason to achieve this type of
situation by the current government was misguided so-called yahapana policy
without a clear and strong political leadership.  Therefore, the next head
of state will be elected by the presidential election should essentially
need to engage in policy correction.  As people of Sri Lanka strongly
believe that Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa can give a political leadership and
motivation for this giant task, SLPP needs educating voters on this issue.
My feeling is that IBRD, IMF and other international financial
organizations would have informed to the government the requirement of
honest policy process, but the government was reluctant to openly talk with
public and show the nakedness of yahapalanaya to public as the government
had to take responsibility to what they have done and October 26, in 2018
president Sirisena attempted to change the yahapalanaya but it was too late.

Party politics in Sri Lanka have been dominated since the era of the State
Council and people must have realized that party politics have been
Machiavellian than a real loyalty to the country. According to
Machiavellian advices political leaders as well as public are bamboozlers
in the society. The best example was that last stage of Sir John
Kotelawala’s administration presented a Four-Year Development Program,
which focused on a middle path between private sector and public sector
economic strategies, but the program was cancelled after 1956 election. If
there was a policy monitoring and remedial management at that time the
shape of Sri Lanka would have different.

All political parties are still standing on Machiavellian politics than an
honest intention to achieve a balance and rapid development and sustainable
growth. People of the country also are behaving within a self-centred
framework and politics in Sri Lanka seems that political parties attempt to
mislead people in one time and people endeavours to mislead political
patrician in another time. That is why I state politics in Sri Lanka
obviously Machiavellian. Attitudes of people badly turned to selfishness
and the of tele drama in Sri Lanka educates this dirty behaviour to kids
and young generation.

In fact, it seems that current politicians of the government are like crabs
in a cooking sauce pan until get it heat at the next general election.  I
read this interesting poem in a book written during the Kotte era, while I
was studying in primary schools. The most regrettable experience is that
people of Sri Lanka has not learnt lessons from this bad politics and next
elections must lead to educate and go beyond the self-centred Machiavellian
attitudes.  Today people need to positively response and create the
stability eliminating Machiavellian politics in the country.

In this situation, people of Sri Lanka have realized that the best leader
to change the current environment and to launch the country with a right
leadership and motivation is Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa and either, UNP, or SLFP
or any other political party cannot stop him.  SLPP must announce his
candidacy and commence election work.
One Response to “LEADERSHIP AND MOTIVATION FOR POLICY CORRECTIONS IN SRI
LANKA”

   1. Christie Says:
   March 21st, 2019 at 2:00 am
   <http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2019/03/20/%EF%BB%BFleadership-and-motivation-for-policy-corrections-in-sri-lanka/#comment-112973>

   Hi Edward

   Next time go for a holiday in Fiji and venture outside the tourist trail.

   Look at the life of its natives.

   We got the same problem.

-- 
=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

 Harold F. Schiffman

Professor Emeritus of
 Dravidian Linguistics and Culture
Dept. of South Asia Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

Phone:  (215) 898-7475
Fax:  (215) 573-2138

Email:  haroldfs at gmail.com
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/

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