The PA government seems to be trying to cover up all its sins through peace talks.
However, even the move towards peace talks is not preceded by the fundamental condition of creating a suitable political atmosphere for it.
The President had said that anyone involved in election malpractices and violence would not be given posts in the government. But it looks as if she had considered malpractices and violence as qualifications for those posts.
The executive committee of the PA had declared that it had decided not to issue liquor permits to MPs and to withdraw all those issued, in view of the protests against the policy of issuing liquor permits to MPs. However that declaration has proved to be only a camouflage to deceive the people.
There is no possibility of withdrawing the liquor permits issued to MPs. If that is done all liquor shops opened recently will have to be closed. But so far not a single liquor shop maintained on permits issued to MPs has been closed. It is impossible to think that they will be closed either.
About the four commissions demanded by the opposition in the interest of democratic political morality too, the government is following an evasive policy. The President in her policy declaration said that the PA too accepted the need for such commissions and that provision for some of those commissions has been made in the proposed new Constitution and that if support had been given to get the Constitution passed, those commissions could have been constituted without any difficulty.
Appointing any four commissions relating to these four subjects will not be a solution to the problem. The matters that will be most important are the power that those commissions will get, the extent of independence that they will be granted and the process through which persons will be appointed to those commissions, and so on.
None of the commissions provided for in the proposed Constitution would have such a strong foundation. Unlimited powers in appointing persons to extremely important posts are given to the President. When such arbitrary and unlimited powers are given to Presidents they have not shown any tendency to act justly. That is why in the modern world the process of selecting and appointing persons to very important positions has been placed beyond the arbitrary control of the head of state.
On the other hand fulfillment of certain conditions for democratic political culture need not be delayed until a new Constitution is adopted. It was before the Parliamentary election that the need had arisen for an independent elections commission for the purpose of holding an election free of malpractices. Although the European Union had emphasized to the government the need to have an independent elections commission before the parliamentary election in view of the corrupt practices that had occurred at the Presidential election, the government disregarded it because it wanted to win the Parliamentary election by fair means or otherwise in order to further safeguard its victory at the Presidential election.
Although the government won the election allegedly through violence and organised malpractices its victory was adequate only to form a government with great difficulty. It is a weak government which might crumble at any time.
The process granting ministerial posts is still incomplete. In order to satisfy the people, the deputy ministry of defense was not given to anyone. The deputy ministry of finance was kept vacant for sometime because a portion of it was allegedly demanded by Minister S.B. Dissanayake. Finally both those posts were filled in such a way as to make the people laugh. Alleged pressure from General Anuruddha Ratwatte was overcome by appointing him again to that post when the President was abroad. Due to rumors that the functions of the deputy ministry of finance were to be divided between Prof. G.L. Peiris and Minister S.B. Dissanayake, that post was given only to Prof. Peiris at the beginning but due to alleged pressure from Minister S.B. Dissanayake the functions of the post were divided and a portion given to Minister S.B. Dissanayake.
The Cabinet making process showed very well how the President’s leadership has become quite debilitated. The President could have prevented this situation if she had explained the necessity to appoint a small Cabinet in order to avoid criticism that a large expenditure would have to be incurred if a large Cabinet is appointed. At a time when the government had to be formed with great difficulty and the necessity to form a small Cabinet for the sake of the government’s survival essential, the President could have requested all those who were not getting ministries to be patient at this special moment. However what the President did instead was to follow a policy of granting portions of ministries to ministers for the purpose of pleasing everybody. That policy did not please anybody but only turned the administration into a mess. In order to please a single minister, portions of ministers had to be given on four occasions. Due to the objections expressed by Minister G.L. Peiris to the bifurcation of the post of deputy finance minister, no one was appointed to that post for a short period. When it was necessary to appoint a deputy minister of finance to present the vote on account, Prof. Peiris was appointed. However, for the purpose of pleasing Minister Dissanayake who was allegedly dissatisfied, the post was divided into two a few days later and a portion given to him.
He is said to have been displeased that while Mangala Samaraweera alone had been given the ministry that he had asked for, he had been denied the ministry he had asked for, and had been given only a partial ministry which had less power. He is said to have demanded more and more. He was given a number of posts, but he knew they were not vital posts. At the end, he asked for the most powerful post of the deputy finance minister. He is said to have refrained from getting his letter heads printed pending his getting what he had asked for. Finally the President had to grant his request. But this is said to have not only displeased Prof. Peiris but exacerbated the frustration of all those who had received ministerial posts. Why the President is apparently out to please Minister Dissanayake alone has become an important topic of discussion among others.
Although the government is committed to a resumption of peace talks as a strategy for getting international aid which has diminished, such peace talks undertaken without serious preparation and without getting the required background ready, is likely to aggravate rather than solve the complicated situation that prevails in the country. The move towards peace talks has created a state of dissatisfaction in the EPDP. The government has not so far been able to solve entirely the crisis that has arisen with the EPDP and the NUA. It is faced with the task of managing to survive on a majority of four seats. This is not a position in which a government can withstand even an ordinary political gust, to say nothing of a political whirlwind.
With the end of the festive season at the end of the year, the government will face external challenges and internal disputes too will worsen.
The impeachment motion which the opposition is due to bring against the Chief Justice at the beginning of the New Year is going to be the first shot fired that will shake the government. However, there is nothing that the government can do except to sacrifice the Chief Justice who has so far apparently functioned as its guardian. However, with that the government will lose the protection it has so far received from the judiciary.