Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga yesterday (11) launched a policy statement containing proposals for political, economic, and social reforms, which has been prepared by taking the views of many parties such as senior politicians, scholars, professionals, youth and women representatives, trade unions, and civil society organisations.
The policy statement includes proposals made under a number of sections such as the constitution, economic development, agriculture and food security, livestock development, industries, environmental conservation, education, health, ethnic problem, youth, women and children, good governance and elimination of corruption, and “aragalaya”.
Kumaratunga launched the said statement at an event held in Kurunegala yesterday (11).
The proposals with regard to the Constitution include the abolition of the office of the Executive President, revision of the existing electoral system, securing and expanding the fundamental rights of the people, decentralising the governing powers and transferring them to the Provincial Councils (PCs), preparing methods to prevent all forms of corruption and irregularities, entrusting the people with power to recall MPs, establishing the independence of the Judiciary, Police, and Government officials, and increasing the representation of women and youth in the political sphere.
In order to overcome the economic crisis that has arisen in the country, Kumaratunga has suggested that attention should be focused on matters such as working honestly with the International Monetary Fund for debt restructuring, increasing income and preventing waste, increasing productivity and establishing a service-oriented economy based on sectors such as the tourism industry and institutions like ports and airports.
Among the proposals related to agriculture and food security are to increase the production of basic foods including rice, vegetables, fish, chicken, and milk, prepare necessary plans for export of fish and vegetables, prepare a comprehensive agricultural development plan for a period of five years, improve the quality of agricultural products using modern technology, and recall researchers who have practical skills and currently abroad, and releasing the necessary funds for that purpose.
In addition, it is stated that steps can be taken for the development of the livestock industry through projects such as providing credit facilities, training labour, using modern technology for the production process and providing high-quality animals to farmers. It states that the market for livestock products should be established under a co-operative network and the private sector, and the Government should intervene only to determine and stabilise the prices of such products.
In the development of the industrial sector, Kumaratunga stated in the set of proposals that studying the possibility of producing and exporting spare parts for large-scale factories in foreign countries, expanding the production of textiles and pharmaceuticals, re-establishing factories that were relocated in other countries due to political conditions, training the necessary professionals, and establishing institutions affiliated to foreign educational institutions will be of much importance.
The proposals state that the education sector should be developed by bringing reforms in areas such as primary and secondary education, key examinations such as the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level, university education, and tuition education. Towards that end, revising the syllabus, increasing opportunities for students to learn subjects such as English language and information technology are very important, the proposals read.
The proposals regarding the ethnic problem state that the majority of the Tamil community have been demanding for a long time, the establishment of a decentralised system of governance in which the power of the central Government is divided to the areas where they live. They state that all efforts such as the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact, the Dudley Senanayake-Chelvanayakam Pact, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, and the Amendment to the Constitution which was brought in the year 2000 to address the Tamil community’s issues failed due to political opportunism. Therefore, it states that an urgent programme should be prepared to establish the rights of all sections of the population including the Tamil community.
It also states that a policy framework that can provide positive solutions to the problems faced by women, children, and youth should be prepared with the support of civil society, and women and youth groups. It further states that a committee under the President should be established to implement the policies so prepared.
Furthermore, it states that all parties must work to produce politicians and public servants who are free from corruption and fraud, prepare a transparent system for regulating the public services, establish a public service as it existed before 1977, reorganise the public service in a necessary manner, and to increase the salaries and other benefits of public servants according to the current conditions will also be of importance in addressing many issues that have arisen at present.