Daily News Editorial

Ratnasiri Wickramanayake

30 December 2016

The death of Ratnasiri Wickramanayake (83) leaves a great void in the Sri Lankan political scene, for men of his calibre are becoming increasingly rare in politics and elsewhere in life. Wickramanayake had the rare opportunity of becoming Prime Minister twice (2000-2001 and 2005-2010), an achievement that only a few others could match.

An old boy of Ananda College, Colombo, he qualified in law in London. But his true calling was politics. The foundation for this career was perhaps laid by his election as the president of the Ceylon Students Association of the UK in 1955. He entered politics in 1960, contesting the General Election from the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) from the Horana electorate, which he would represent for the next few decades.

After joining the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in 1962, he was elected twice to Parliament in 1965 and 1970. His first ministerial appointment came in 1970, as Deputy Minister of Justice in the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Government. He was promoted as a minister (Plantation Industries) in 1975 and became Justice Minister the next year. He lost his seat in the 1977 General Election, in which the SLFP won only eight seats, and became SLFP General Secretary in 1978.

He returned to Parliament in 1994 and became the Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs and Plantation Industries in the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga Government. His first tenure as Premier was from August 2000 to December 2001. After the SLFP victory in 2004, Wickramanayake was appointed Minister of Buddhist Affairs, Public Security, and Law and Order. He was sworn in for a second time as Prime Minister on November 21, 2005. Later, D.M. Jayaratne succeeded him as Premier. He did not contest the 2015 General Election.

Wickramanayake, who had a reputation for calling a spade a spade, made an effort to develop all the sectors to which he was assigned. He was known for his fiery speeches in and out of Parliament and was one of the few who openly dared to criticize the leaders of the former administration on various issues while still being in the Government. He was a staunch nationalist, but advocated amity among all communities and religious groups. He always had a special place in his heart for Horana, where he lived and initially schooled. His son Vidura has followed in his political footsteps. He leaves a rich legacy of work and memories. May he attain the Supreme Bliss of Nibbana.

Economic transformation in 2017

The economy is very much in the news these days, thanks mainly to the debate surrounding the proposed Development (Special Provisions) Bill. The fact that the authorities have forwarded such a concept shows the importance of expediting the process of development. It is left to Parliament and the Government to fine tune this piece of legislation taking in both supporting and opposing views, but the crux of the matter should remain a priority – it is essential to speed up development.

Finance State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena revealed on Wednesday that the Government has indeed focused on the goal of rapid development and will take radical measures to boost the economy next year. According to the State Minister, the government will take several radical measures to strengthen the economy. A programme for an economic transformation is scheduled to be implemented towards this aim. It is not only Sri Lanka’s economy that has suffered setbacks – many other countries have had a worse spell.

This is due to the very global nature of the world economy. This is indeed why the previous Government’s isolationist policies would not have worked. This Government has mended our relationship with the Western world, which anyway buys most of our exports. The country has already been able to get the EU fish exports ban lifted and the GSP Plus concession is likely to be restored soon. More countries have also granted aid and loans to Sri Lanka.

It may sometimes be necessary to veer away from populism for the sake of development. “We will not privatise or re-structure” is a popular slogan, but it is not always practical. There is a dire need for reform at loss-making Government institutions to make them profitable again. Although there are differing views on privatization within the Unity Government, both the UNP and the SLFP agree in principle that loss making institutions have to be reformed. The Government took the correct decision to secure Chinese investments with regard to the port and airport at Hambantota, which were barely existing. Now the Government is planning a nine-fold economic programme in line with the National Unity Government’s second anniversary on January 8.

We hope this will usher in a revolutionary new era for the country, which is aspiring to become an economic powerhouse strategically located between Singapore and Dubai. The Western Province Megapolis initiative has already laid the groundwork for an economic transformation and the new plans will no doubt build on that foundation to herald in a brighter future.