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Editorial

04th January 1998

For a better ‘98

We sincerely wish a happy New Year to our readers. However gloomy theoutlook may seem, we must never lose hope that the New Year will be better thanthe last and the one before.

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga ended 1997 with a bang, firingsalvos all over, especially at her own team. Responding to questions in astage-managed or state-managed TV interview, where her information chiefallegedly reframed many of the leading questions, she let fly like a loosecannon. The worst hit was Attorney General Sarath N. Silva whom she hadhand-picked for this vital job two years ago. The man who files indictments wasseverely indicted by the all-powerful executive President for not even replyingher letters.

But it now seems that the letters were replied to by the Solicitor Generaland that the Presidential Secretariat had not briefed her. Thus the Presidentseemed thoroughly exasperated with her own Attorney General for what she saw asslow progress in taking action on the Presidential commission reports relatingto the Vijaya Kumaratunga assassination and other incidents.

Our political correspondent explains why Attorney General Sarath Silva didnot personally act in the Kumaratunga case or reply the letter because as ajudge of the Supreme Court he has headed the commission which probed theassassination and thus had deemed it unethical to act on his own report.

While that may be so, some senior AG’s department officials complain, “howcan we attend to normal work when half the department is busy in courts,prosecuting newspaper editors or political opponents on behalf of the President.”

In relation to the sensational locomotive tender, the President has madesweeping allegations against the Treasury Secretary who works directly underher. Though this senior public servant is regarded by many as an officer of highintegrity, the President virtually called the man who prepared the country’sbudget as a ‘corrupt’ official. But she still keeps him.

She says that 80 percent — eight out of ten — of public officersare corrupt. That was like when she sweepingly said education in this countrywas in a mess because of the teachers.

Then she goes to Galle and says the government was taken for a ride by aconsortium that entered into a contract to modernise the Galle harbour. ThePorts Minister, as much as the Attorney General and the Finance MinistrySecretary must, to say the least, be very embarrassed men.

With the dawn of a new year, Sri Lanka prepares to celebrate the goldenjubilee of Independence from nearly 400 years of colonial occupation andplunder.

This year will be as good as any to reflect on our performance as a freenation. In what areas have we progressed significantly and in what have weregressed? We have proved to be bad politicians and disastrous managers.

Our adventures into state control of the commanding heights of the economyhave proved futile. And now we see ourselves running after bankrupt Koreans,Indians and Westerners to come and manage these public utility areas.

Economically, the prospects are not quite promising. Tea and garments whichare largely instrumental in keeping our economy afloat face threats or stiffcompetition from factors such as El Nino and the emerging garment exports fromEast Europe.

The war is bleeding the nation further and the proposed political solutionappears to be causing more divisions instead of building bridges.

It looks a gloomy year ahead unless the political leadership of this countrybecomes more efficient and less aggressive on its perceived enemies in theonerous task of nation-building.

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