The entire country is waiting to see how the Government, especially President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, would respond to the worsening economic crisis and public protests, which took a fatal turn in Rambukkana yesterday (19).
The first official attempt by the President to deal with islandwide protests against them and to acquiesce to a Governmental and Opposition request, was trying to form an interim Government with the involvement of the Opposition. However, when that attempt failed as Opposition Parties turned down the offer, the President resorted to appointing a new Cabinet of Ministers, the majority of which consists of members of the governing party.
And now, after months if not years of opposition and criticism, the President and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have come forward to acknowledge some mistakes that they made.
On 18 April, the President delivered a speech during which he admitted that he and the Government led by him had made mistakes during his tenure and pledged to rectify those mistakes. Among the main mistakes are stopping the provision of chemical fertilisers to farmers under the Government’s hasty and poorly planned decision to go organic, regarding which the President said that steps will be taken to provide chemical fertilisers. What is more, the President openly admitted that it was a mistake to not seek the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) assistance sooner.
Considering the image that the President has created for himself as a strict and uncompromising leader, these admissions of guilt are in fact admirable, especially after a full year of defending himself and his Government against the people’s growing opposition. It also comes as a surprise, because the President, the Premier, and hardline members of the Government under President Rajapaksa have been protecting the Government, despite witnessing the destruction the said mistakes resulted in.
This is not the only admission of guilt Sri Lankans saw on 18 April. The Prime Minister had also decided to finally accept something that he, the President, and the Government had been rejecting over at least the past two years – the need for a Constitution that consists of provisions similar to those in the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which was replaced by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led administration with the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. The Prime Minister’s Media Division had announced that the Prime Minister would introduce a constitutional amendment towards this end to the Cabinet of Ministers.
Meanwhile, speaking in the Parliament yesterday (19), newly appointed Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said that a fuel pricing formula would be introduced for the Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) in the future. This is in a context where most members of the incumbent Government had on many occasions rejected and ridiculed the fuel pricing formula introduced by the former United National Front-led Government.
The Government’s choice to backtrack on four decisions it stood fast on for a long time, is a good development in a way, because a government that cannot admit its mistakes is a government that is not capable of making any positive change in a country.
However, we should not ignore the circumstances in which these admissions of guilt took place. The entire country is demanding the resignation of the President and the Prime Minister, to which the President and high-ranking members of the Cabinet have not responded positively. In this context, this sudden change in the Government’s stance appears neither promising nor sincere, and would have been much more acceptable had it come earlier.
In the case of the President, it is clear that if he needed a year to understand and acknowledge the destruction the organic fertiliser plan caused throughout the country, it raises serious doubts over how qualified he is to run the country.
The people have lost the faith they placed in the President and the Government under him. The only way to restore that trust is by listening to the voice of the people, and doing what is right for the country. We do not know how honest the Government’s admissions of guilt are. However, sacrificing a little to remain in power, and waiting until too late to understand and acknowledge the country’s problems, are certainly not the hallmarks of a good government.Overdue and insincere humility and honesty
20 Apr 2022
Overdue and insincere humility and honesty
20 Apr 2022
The entire country is waiting to see how the Government, especially President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, would respond to the worsening economic crisis and public protests, which took a fatal turn in Rambukkana yesterday (19).
The first official attempt by the President to deal with islandwide protests against them and to acquiesce to a Governmental and Opposition request, was trying to form an interim Government with the involvement of the Opposition. However, when that attempt failed as Opposition Parties turned down the offer, the President resorted to appointing a new Cabinet of Ministers, the majority of which consists of members of the governing party.
And now, after months if not years of opposition and criticism, the President and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have come forward to acknowledge some mistakes that they made.
On 18 April, the President delivered a speech during which he admitted that he and the Government led by him had made mistakes during his tenure and pledged to rectify those mistakes. Among the main mistakes are stopping the provision of chemical fertilisers to farmers under the Government’s hasty and poorly planned decision to go organic, regarding which the President said that steps will be taken to provide chemical fertilisers. What is more, the President openly admitted that it was a mistake to not seek the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) assistance sooner.
Considering the image that the President has created for himself as a strict and uncompromising leader, these admissions of guilt are in fact admirable, especially after a full year of defending himself and his Government against the people’s growing opposition. It also comes as a surprise, because the President, the Premier, and hardline members of the Government under President Rajapaksa have been protecting the Government, despite witnessing the destruction the said mistakes resulted in.
This is not the only admission of guilt Sri Lankans saw on 18 April. The Prime Minister had also decided to finally accept something that he, the President, and the Government had been rejecting over at least the past two years – the need for a Constitution that consists of provisions similar to those in the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which was replaced by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led administration with the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. The Prime Minister’s Media Division had announced that the Prime Minister would introduce a constitutional amendment towards this end to the Cabinet of Ministers.
Meanwhile, speaking in the Parliament yesterday (19), newly appointed Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said that a fuel pricing formula would be introduced for the Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) in the future. This is in a context where most members of the incumbent Government had on many occasions rejected and ridiculed the fuel pricing formula introduced by the former United National Front-led Government.
The Government’s choice to backtrack on four decisions it stood fast on for a long time, is a good development in a way, because a government that cannot admit its mistakes is a government that is not capable of making any positive change in a country.
However, we should not ignore the circumstances in which these admissions of guilt took place. The entire country is demanding the resignation of the President and the Prime Minister, to which the President and high-ranking members of the Cabinet have not responded positively. In this context, this sudden change in the Government’s stance appears neither promising nor sincere, and would have been much more acceptable had it come earlier.
In the case of the President, it is clear that if he needed a year to understand and acknowledge the destruction the organic fertiliser plan caused throughout the country, it raises serious doubts over how qualified he is to run the country.
The people have lost the faith they placed in the President and the Government under him. The only way to restore that trust is by listening to the voice of the people, and doing what is right for the country. We do not know how honest the Government’s admissions of guilt are. However, sacrificing a little to remain in power, and waiting until too late to understand and acknowledge the country’s problems, are certainly not the hallmarks of a good government.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!