Professor Beyme of the University of Heidelberg in his book titled “Political Parties in Western Democracies” has defined political parties as “Organisations aiming to achieve power at Governmental responsibility”.
Being a coalition of political parties not in power, achieving of power at Governmental responsibility seems to be the prime objective of the Opposition in Parliament. What should be its role in the process of achieving power?
The role ought to be of the Opposition could be summarised as follows.
Support the Government to give effect to the mandate given by the people at the General Election. Demonstrate the capacity of the Opposition to take over the Governmental responsibility being alternative to the ruling party in Parliament.
Effective
Convincing the people that the Opposition has more effective alternative solutions to the challenges confronted by the Government.
Not to use undemocratic ways and means to misdirect the people against the Democratically elected Government.
There is a vast difference between “role ought to be and role in reality.
If role is reality is not in conformity with the role ought to be, it indicates the Opposition acts in an irresponsible manner due to the fact that “purpose of “ought” in law is to regulate conduct or behaviour of a person or organisation”.
The role in reality of the opposition could be traced out by analysing the conduct, behaviour and attitude of the members of the Opposition in respect of the performance of the Government.
Few instances are cited in this regard as follows.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused an immense suffering to the whole world. Sri Lanka is not an exception to that situation.
Nevertheless Leader of the Opposition and his allies have misinterpreted this reality in order to sling mud on the President and the Government.
It has paved the way for emergence of miserable state of affairs in the society, although the Government has managed to control the pandemic situation from the inception of its first wave up to the present, effectively when compared to the efforts made in this regard by some developed as well as developing countries.
The strategy
Strategy adopted by Government for this purpose is organising personnel of the health services, security forces and police together coupled with intensifying of the PCR and Antigen tests and vaccination program steadily is considered a unique system.
Instead of appreciating the effort made by Government in this manner to control the pandemic situation, the Opposition comes out with irrational and irresponsible allegations against the Government on the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
The Opposition Leader says repeatedly “people are living under starvation, Rs.5,000 dole is not enough, instead give them Rs.25,000 per family per month.
He says I will not take the vaccine unless the entire population is vaccinated, Government has no money to import vaccine, US Dollar five per Synopharm vaccine has gone to the pocket of an ally of the Government and so on.”
This kind of allegations are considered highly irresponsible and nonsensical. Is that the way to render his co-operation to the Government in this crisis situation?
Leader of the the Opposition has failed to come out with any alternative to the program adopted by the Government but instead he makes silly utterances.
Allies
Based on his behavioural style on the pandemic situation, it appears that the Leader of the Opposition and his allies would be really happy if the Covid-19 pandemic crisis situation is continued further due to the fact that it provides a conducive environment for the Opposition to misdirect the people against the Government on the one hand and it suspends the credit that goes to the Government by getting it completely recovered on the other hand.
The Government has already disclosed to the public its policy is to go ahead with development projects whilst managing the control of the Covid-19 pandemic situation effectively.
Accordingly the Government has set certain measures within a short period of one and half years from its inauguration for the development of several sectors such as agriculture, industries, plantation, FDI, import and export infrastructure which includes rural and urban road network, express ways, development of habours, jetties, airports, industrial parks, oil refineries, bunkering projects adjacent to Hambantota Habour Project, power and energy which includes projects on alternative power supply such as wind power, solar power, and so on.
Changes also were made in the banking and finance sectors to facilitate development projects mobilising of funds at a low interest rate, simplifying of procedures required to follow on borrowings from banks and granting of loan facilities, imposition of substantial moratorium on repayment of loans, increasing the purchasing price of paddy from farmers, inducement of value addition scheme for agricultural products and encouraging export oriented agriculture.
Prioritising exports and minimising non-essential imports are considered some of such progressive measures implemented by the Government whilst having several development projects scheduled to be implemented through the passage of time.
It may be noted that the above efforts have been made whilst tackling the Covid-19 pandemic situation successfully.
Members
What is the attitude of the Opposition and its members on aforementioned development activities launched by the Government? Their attitude seems unreasonably pessimistic.
They suggest “why the Government is in a hurry to get those projects mobilised, suspend all of them and focus on Covid-19 pandemic control”.
In this manner they have made sinister attempts to degrade the Government efforts and to divulge that the Government has failed by disseminating malicious information to the public.
The latest drama directed by members of the Opposition has been focused on five issues namely the increased fuel price, fire on Express Pearl Ship, organic fertiliser project, port city development project and the high cost of living index.
The fuel price increase is inevitable due to the adverse impact of increased price of crude oil overseas on the one hand and impossibility on the part of State banks to continue to release funds to maintain subsidised fuel price further due to the fact that the subsidising capacity has already reached cut-off point.
The situation so emerged seems beyond control of the Government unless an appropriate increase of fuel price is affected.
Leader of the Opposition and its members have taken mean advantage of this situation to attack the Government.
Instead of agitating through pseudonymous demonstrations organised by proxies of disgruntled members of the Opposition it is more pragmatic for the Opposition to come out with its solution for the problem. I wonder whether the leader of the Opposition has any alternative solution in his hand to this problem.
Ship
Fire on the ship Express - Pearl was an isolated incident that took place within the vessel abruptly, may be due to an oil leakage.
Opposition makes an attempt to convince the masses through some media that the Government is responsible for this incident.
Allegations so triggered against the Government seems irrational and irresponsible. Leader of the Opposition has no courtesy to appreciate prompt action taken by the Government to claim compensation.
Replacement of chemical fertiliser with organic fertiliser is in fact a mega project which would lead to a revolutionary change in the agriculture sector mainly paddy cultivation.
It would directly contribute to save billions of rupees which is spent annually to import chemical fertiliser to this country.
This project is not an arbitrary proposal abruptly put across by the President. It is in fact based on the election manifesto of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa “Vistas of Prosperity” endorsed by the people at the last Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.
Several developed countries in the West who advocate organic food production, professionals who appreciate organic agriculture including FAO have already commended and extended their support for this project.
However, the Leader of the Opposition and his allies have taken mean advantage to practice their usual tactics “fishing in trouble waters” on this issue.
They have launched a disgraceful campaign through pseudonymous demonstrations organized by their proxies using hired labour, not the real farmers, disseminating fabricated lies and irrational predictions, generating of a fear psychosis stating there would be a grave food shortage and a severe famine if this project is implemented in this country.
Predictions
These predictions are really predilections what they wish or what they dream. One of his allies openly stated the Government is going to import human excreta from China as organic fertiliser. Another one of the Opposition has stated this project has been launched due to financial inability of the Government to supply chemicalised fertiliser free of charge any longer.
In this manner what a disgraceful gimmick they have launched to misdirect the public against the Government and to sabotage this project.
The Port City Development Project is the other issue on which the Leader of the Opposition and his allies have taken mean advantage to sling mud on the Government and also to sabotage the project.
They alleged that the Government has sold outright to China a reclaimed block of land adjoining Colombo City to build up a Chinese colony, casino centre and money laundering hub with multi-national links, an independent State within Sri Lanka which is worse than that of the Tamil Elam claimed by the LTTE outfit within which the law of the land in Sri Lanka will not be applicable, and so on.
They stressed the project will be re-scrutinised once they come to power. The hidden intention behind those allegations seems to be nothing but to sabotage the implementation of the project and damage the cordial relationship that exists between China and Sri Lanka.
Outright
In respect of FDI projects, commonly they allege the Government is in the process of selling outright very important blocks of land to foreigners. “Outright sale” is a false allegation.
Those lands have been allocated to FDI projects, not to individuals, on lease hold basis on varied lengths of lease the maximum of which does not exceed ninety nine years.
It has been observed under the “Greater Colombo Commission Act, subsequently changed as Board of Investment Law No. 04 of 1978, some blocks of valuable lands in EPZs had been allocated to some selected mega FDI Projects on 99 years lease basis as far back as the last quarter of the 20th Century during the time of President J.R. Jayewardene.
Therefore the allegation on “outright sale” is a false, malicious attempts to provoke the people the Government.
On perusal of the Port City Commission Act, it has been observed all those allegations leveled against the Port City Development Project by the Leader of the Opposition and his allies could be identified as irrational and irresponsible utterances with hidden intention to sabotage the Project and mislead the people against the Government.
It has further been observed from the conduct and behaviour of those disgruntled politicians, there is an organised campaign to degrade the performance of the President using malicious and irrational criticisms and thereby portray to the international community that President has failed.
The Port City Development Project is a turning point of the Sri Lankan economy with immense potentials to attract mega FDI projects, to create employment opportunities for youths of this country, to contribute positively to strengthen GDP, to improve inflow of revenue to the general treasury by way of imposing new taxes, duties, licenses and so on.
Moreover, it has set a solid foundation to build a hub linking to the global network of trade, commerce, Foreign Direct Investments, tourism, cosmopolitan socio-culture and so on.
With all these prospects pertaining to the Project, the Leader of the Opposition and his allies have no courtesy to appreciate it.
Criticisms
The prime objective behind criticisms conduct and behaviour of the members of the Opposition against this Project seems to be nothing but to sabotage development activities of the Government tarnish its image and to antagonise people against it.
The cost of living has gone up, but not up to the height at sky level as exaggerated by politicians in the Opposition and their proxies.
It has happened due to the crisis situation that emerged under Covid-19 pandemic.
This is an unexpected situation that emerged in most of the developing countries which was confronted with Covid-19 pandemic.
It is impossible to reduce the cost of living that exists at present to the level that existed two to three years ago due to the fact that it is a matter of recurrent increase consequent to the adverse impact of price factor on overall supply and demand for consumer items.
In that context control of price of consumer items is considered most appropriate solution in the short run.
The Government has implemented the best possible measures to control the cost of living at reasonable level through the co-operative sector and franchised distribution network affiliated thereto in private sector as well whilst having launched a campaign to fight black marketeers.
It is a fact that basic food items are available at controlled price at the Co-operative distribution network as a result.
It may be noted that there is no provision in the Constitution of Sri Lanka which defines duties, functions and responsibilities of the Leader of the Opposition and its members.
Duties
The role of the Opposition may be governed by conventions and Standing Orders of Parliament.
However duties, functions and responsibilities of the President have been prescribed under the caption “The Executive” in Chapters 07, 08 and 09 of the Constitution.
In his book titled “Jurisprudence” which is considered a masterpiece that disciplined Professor Dias has defined duty as follows.
“Duty is an expression of conduct to which people ought to conform. Conduct is related to behaviour. The purpose of ought is to regulate man’s conduct in relation to external things and persons”
In that context it may be noted that the behaviour and conduct of the Leader of the Opposition and its members cannot be regulated due to the fact that their duties are not defined in the Constitution and there is no documentary evidence to identify their duties.
Nobody knows what their duties are. In that context there is a room for them to act in an irresponsible manner and arbitrarily.
In addition to the above situation irresponsible conduct and behaviour of members of the Opposition are protected and immunised under Parliamentary Privileges Act.
On the other hand duties functions and responsibilities of President are prescribed by the Constitution of Sri Lanka. In that context President is duty bound to act in a responsible manner as he is not a Parliamentarian. Some members of the Opposition in Parliament are in the habit of capitalising on this situation to conduct themselves in an irresponsible manner and to sabotage the functions of the President and the progress of the Government using all sorts of mean tactics as above referred to in this article.
It may be noted that the Leader of the Opposition and its members have right to represent the masses who voted for them at the Parliamentary Election.
It does not mean they have right to sabotage implementation of the Government policy based on the mandate given by majority of people of this country to the ruling party in Parliament at the same Parliamentary Election as well as Presidential Election.
Based on the facts given above in this article it is warranted to conclude that the role of the Opposition in present Parliament seems to be destructive, irrational and irresponsible.
Although the Opposition pretends it is people-centric, it is in fact self-centric. Hence neither people at large nor the Government they elected are benefited by that kind of role-play of disgruntled politicians in the Opposition.
W.A. De Silva
BA Spl Degree, University of Ceylon 1967
MBA - SJU
Retired Executive Director – BOI
HRM Consultant on Fiscal Reform Program -ADB
Inland Revenue Department 2005
Lecturer in HRM and HRD – American College of Higher Studies. (2002/2003)
Management Consultant since 2006 up to date – Multinational Group of FDI Companies