Sri Lanka has a problem. Its President is in the habit of letting the country down when it least expects it. The worst part is that His Excellency just doesn’t realise it. If the events of 26 October, 2018 were a rude reminder that President Maithripala Sirisena was inclined to governing the country as he would the Polonnaruwa Pradeshiya Sabha, the vituperative speech he delivered at the 71st Independence Day of Sri Lanka last Monday was confirmation of this very disturbing fact. President Sirisena’s actions last October cost the country dearly in economic terms. The fallout of it is still being felt with the resultant credit rating downgrades likely to affect the cost of funds for quite some time. Not just that, the whole exercise was declared illegal by the country’s Supreme Court in a unanimous verdict. To date, there has been no remorse of any sort shown by His Excellency for the carnage he caused, as he continues to wreak havoc wherever possible. The only reason he continues to enjoy the office is because of the absence of an effective Opposition. Even the United National Party (UNP) which continues to be at the receiving end of his fury has chosen to remain quiet and stomach his insults rather than take the fight to him for reasons best known to that party. The fact that the President is now the de facto head of the main Opposition as well does not help the cause. The only individual who usually gives a speech during the three-hour-long elaborate independence commemoration ceremony is the President. Besides, the event is considered an opportunity to showcase the country to the rest of the world and in fact weeks and months of preparation go into it so that even the wheel nuts on the hundreds of military vehicles that participate in the parade are all shiny and well-polished. In other words, it is the event where we show the rest of the world our best possible face. Last Monday, in accordance with tradition and protocol, representatives of all the foreign missions in the country were present at the ceremony. The media both local and foreign were present in full force to capture the event. President Sirisena, instead of using the opportunity to rally the different ethnic, religious, and political groups in the country to unite and serve the country, squandered the opportunity in favour of political expediency. He had the opportunity to rally the rest of the world in the country’s favour but chose to lambast his political opponents instead, including the members of the very Government of which he is the head. Given the recent ethnic tensions in Mawanella between the Sinhalese and the Muslims, the President had the opportunity to remind these groups of the consequences of their actions and the lessons that history taught us in the not-too-distant past. One could not help but notice the smirks on the faces of foreign delegates when the President spoke of chilli powder and knife attacks in Parliament which ironically were carried out by ardent supporters of the Prime Minister he chose to appoint on 26 October. He recalled in vivid detail how the Police had to storm the chamber of Parliament in order to protect the Speaker and other gory details of that episode. Which head of state would use the county’s Independence Day ceremony to speak of things that would make even ordinary citizens squirm and hide their collective faces in shame? One fails to comprehend how in the President’s estimation, his tirade against his political opponents would raise the profile of the country in the eyes of the foreign dignitaries present at the event. The President caused further embarrassment when he went to the extent of misquoting facts with regard to child malnutrition and poverty levels. He claimed that 50% of the population was living below the poverty line when in fact the actual figure was a fifth of that. He also stated that one out of every four children was suffering from malnutrition when the reality is very different. He claimed that the country was full of drugs when in fact the spate of successful drug raids in the recent past has diminished supply to a great extent. If one were to take his words at face value, it is pertinent to ask as to what he has done in the past four years as President and Head of State to address these issues, especially poverty alleviation. Alternatively, this being the last time he will address an Independence Day parade as the country’s President, unless by some stroke of luck he is re-elected later this year, he could have focused on his legacy as President of the country; and there is substance to talk about on that subject. For instance, media freedom has been restored to an acceptable level, an independent judiciary has been established, independent commissions have been set up to govern key state institutions including the Police Department, restoration of the rule of law to some degree, and the successful war on drugs. All this was forgotten on what is likely to be his finale at least as far as the Independence ceremony goes. The President’s speech is akin to him looking up and spitting, little realising that the blame for all the ills he mentioned ultimately lands on his own desk. It does tantamount to admitting that his administration has failed. The President needs to get himself a capable set of advisors if he is to make the transition from village headman to statesman. Moreover, if he is to realise his dream of continuing in office, he better start acting like a President and accept the responsibility that comes with the job. He must understand the fundamental principle that responsibility at the top is not transferable. In other words, while everyone else can pass the buck, it stops at the top.