A Balance Sheet - Mahinda Chinthana 2005 and the Actions of the

Regime during the Last Four Years - Lionel Bopage

This article provides a balance sheet on the current political, social and economic
situation in Sri Lanka. This would help in deciding whether, during the last four years,
85 percent of the election pledges made in ‘Mahinda Chinthana 2005’ had been achieved
or not. This is important because shortly we all have a serious
responsibility to fulfill in the upcoming presidential election.

Politics of Broken Promises

During the presidential election in 2005, the present President made the following
pledges through his ‘Mahinda Chintana’.

“At all elections, politicians place promises similar to fairytales, before the people.
Although the voters bring the politicians into power, very often the promises are
forgotten. I will take the following measures to end politics dominated by broken
promises” (Mahinda Chintana Page 99).

Despite this pledge of the President, have not we faced now with the continuation of
‘politics dominated by broken promises’?

Do you remember the following promises made in ‘Mahinda Chintana’?

“I extend my hand of cooperation to you and your children with sincere love and
affection”, “to
expeditiously solve your problems” “having understood fully your struggle for survival
against various odds”

(Page 79); until benefits of the “projects aimed at increasing individual and family
income levels” to reduce the cost of living are reaped, I intend to implement
“programmes to solve the day to day problems of the people” (Page 17) by bringing
down “the prices of essential food items including rice, dhal, milk foods, spices and
coconut oil” so that “a weekly food basket to each of the poor families” (Page 19) is
available to you.

Remember this was in ‘Mahinda Chintana’!

The southern polity brought the present President to power, then tolerated the unbearable
cost of living and sacrificed lives of their own children with certain expectations. With
the end of the war, they expected the cost of living will reduce, their other socio-
economic problems will find solutions and the development of the country would
advance. They deemed that unprecedented prospects will open up for this to occur. Yet,
there are no signs that these expectations will be fulfilled in the near future. What did the
Tamil people expect? They expected a just and long term political outcome to address
the national problem. Is there a plan of action to fulfill such expectations even in the
distant future? No, certainly not.

Do you remember the election promise given in 2005, to “include ‘The Charter of
Rights’ into the
Constitution based on the” Universal “Declaration” of Human Rights “of the United
Nations and other international treaties to uphold and protect social, cultural, political,
economic and civil rights of all Sri Lankans” (Page 98)?

What have we experienced to date?

Only the decimation of human and democratic rights of the people in total violation of
the international agreements and treaties.

What happened to the election promise given in 2005 regarding media freedom?

The pledge was to recognise “the right of the people to have access to correct
information”; to “truly establish” “the freedom of the media”; and to make State media
“the highest example in the use of an independent and responsible media and “towards
this,” to de-politicise it (page 94).

During the past four years what has been the outcome of this promise?

It has ended up with the use of draconian legislation such as the anti-terror and
emergency laws to violently suppress media freedom; with the assassination of 34
journalists and media workers; with the kidnapping of another ten; with Tissainayagam
being held behind bars; and with over 50 journalists being forced to live in self-exile for
safeguarding their lives from certain torture and death.

Let us remind ourselves of another pledge provided in ‘Mahinda Chintana’ 2005.

This was to take steps to fully strengthen “institutionalised arrangements … for law
enforcement” (page 5);
to transform the police service into a people-friendly and impartial service” (page 38);
and to “refrain from using force against anyone” (page 26).

What have we achieved during the last four years?

The use of police, armed forces, para-militaries, thuggery and state media to achieve
political needs of the regime with the complete breakdown of the country’s laws and
peaceful environment. Many more matters relating to the manner the law enforcement
and human rights operates in the country are being confirmed during the current election
process.

What about the pledge to “restore the dignity and independence of the public service”
(page 9)?

Hasn’t it ended up with the public service being made completely dependent and
politicised?
Why does not the President take necessary steps to implement the 17th Amendment to
the Constitution that would establish Independent Commissions such as the Public
Service Commission and the Police Commission?

Could you recollect this pledge?

To “present a Constitution that will propose the abolition of the Executive Presidency”
“with the consensus of all”, and “in the interim, … to present a Constitutional
amendment through which the Executive President will be made answerable to the
Parliament by virtue of holding such office” (page 97).

Instead of this pledge, hasn’t the present President used his executive powers in an
unlimited fashion to make him unanswerable to the Parliament as much as possible?

Do you remember this pledge?

“To strongly implement international treaties, declarations on anti-corruption” and to act

under international law against those found guilty of corruption, when engaging in trade
with foreign countries or foreign institutions” (page 98, 99).

What have we achieved during the last four years?

The maximum use of corruption, nepotism and family bandyism mainly for their
ambitions while completely overlooking the common masses.

What a nice pledge was the following ‘Mahinda Chintana’ pledge?

To extend the “hand of cooperation to you and your children with sincere love and
affection, without being confined to the narrow boundaries of ethnic and religious
differences (page 79); to launch “a special programme … for the resolution of issues”
encountered by the people “due to the ethnic diversity, geographical and cultural
reasons” (page 83); to “ensure the security of the people” so that “no ethnic group
should be reduced to being hostages of another group (page 83); to “respect all ethnic
and religious identities (page 26) and to build “a new society that protect individuals and
social freedoms (page 27)” .

Nevertheless, what have we achieved during the last four years?

With the end of the war, haven’t we consolidated discrimination against various
communities and limited individual and social freedoms by trapping the society into a
narrow chauvinist and religious extreme, by placing shackles to the right of peoples to
equality, autonomy and self-determination and by strengthening the power of chauvinist
and religious extremist groups?

Do you remember these election pledges in 2005?

To “commence extensive discussion with all political parties” based on “the

fundamental platform” of “an undivided country, a national consensus and an
honourable peace” (p.31); to “vigorously” implement “the official language policy”
(p.93); “to pay a temporary allowance to people who had to leave their homes as those
were located in high security zones”; to resettle “all those who are displaced … in their
villages expeditiously” (p.80); “to provide a plot of land to each plantation worker” to
empower them “to stand on their own like any other citizen who owns property” (p.88);
and “to commence a programme to issue National Identity Card to all citizens” (p.38).

What have we achieved after four years of this President in power?

The level of polarisation between different ethnic and religious communities has become
the worst it has ever been in the history.

How about the ‘Mahinda Chintana’ pledges on education?

To make “the blossoming lives of children meaningful” (p.6); to provide your children
… “well paid job opportunities” (p.10); not to “deprive our children of their right to free
education” (p.72); to “offer permanent employment to all volunteer teachers serving in
government schools” (p.7); “to settle the crisis in educational administration” with
priority “given to suitable qualified teachers in the recruitment into the Education
Administrative Services” (p.74).

The GCE Ordinary Level results of the last year alone will speak volumes of the
outcomes of these pledges.
What about the pledges on health services?

“To preserve the free health service and safeguard the right of every citizen for the
benefits thereunder” and “to enhance these services both qualitatively and quantitatively
through increased budgetary provisions” (p.70).

I do not have to remind what happened with the import of Indian pharmaceutical items
in the health service.

Wasn’t it recently that rubella vaccines killed two people and parts of hair or glass pieces
were found in vials for injections?

The President has been boasting about a labour convention for a long time.

Didn’t he during the last four years try and brand all those who demanded their fairgo
rights, including teachers, railway, electricity and port workers and public servants as
traitors to the land and to violently suppress the movements and individuals that made
such demands?

Do you remember the pledge to “follow a non-aligned, free and progressive foreign
policy” (p.85)?

How do you feel when the President has joined hands with anti-democratic rulers and
regimes despised by the civilized world, such as Myanmar (Burma)? When the President
spreads utter falsehoods about imperialist conspiracies to mislead people in order to
cover up the current regime’s anti-people and proimperialist nudity?

Local industries including the textile industry have slumped while unemployment has
risen due to the unfuturistic foreign policy.

Don’t you believe that these phenomena will have dire effects on the future, the
economy and the peaceful environment of the country?

During the 2005 elections, quoting the great leader of India, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru, the
President promised to “wipe the tears in your eyes”.

What has he done during the last four years?

Having consolidated his power after the military victory over the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the President has mainly worked for the ambitions of his family
while completely overlooking the common masses.
If you consider the situation of the country as detrimental to the future, to the economy
and to the tomorrow’s generations, a change in the regime has to be made.