Leader of the Opposition

Will 2015 be a year of pivotal politics for Sri Lanka? It is possible to read into the political events that have swept through this island many significant developments or, at least, the portents of developments.

The shift in the presidency has been hailed by political scientists as well as commentators as a shift from a culture of superstition-ridden, feudal-type politics to a culture of modernist, republicanism. How far this change will go, remains to be seen. The seemingly continuing popularity of those ethnic phobia-mongering politicians of the ancien regime as shown in the subsequent parliamentary election may have been a dampener for those modernist hopefuls.

The parliamentary polls also provided further relief for those good governance promoters. The lead political party for change, the UNP and allies, emerged winners but, did so in a finely balanced parliament. For those who recall the misdeeds of past governments of all hues, this fine balance is all the more desirable as a useful brake on any unscrupulous aspirations by politicians in power.

The successful formation of a coalition government bringing together the two main alternating political parties of government, the UNP and the SLFP, is also historic in that it is a 'first' in our national political firmament. This is what many political prophets have been calling for in the past as the 'only way' to resolve the most difficult national problem - the ethnic conflict.

The combining of the SLFP and UNP in government brings hope for the building of consensus in the national discourse for a solution to the ethnic conflict. It is to be hoped that two mainstreams of public political thinking, namely, the aspirations for ethnic identity security and the clarification of fantasies of ethnic supremacy can now be brought together in dialogue and constructive debate to help overcome ignorance, cultural caprice and, thereby, inter-ethnic injustice.

If the Liam Fox initiative to broker a 'national government' between the SLFP and UNP failed nearly two decades ago, this time round, sheer political necessity - arising from the worsening overall crisis in the polity - seems to have pushed these two parties, as well as several other movements, together even without any foreign intermediaries.

In this context, a third significant development this week seems to have been tailor-made as a valuable dynamic in the hoped-for process of resolving the ethnic conflict. This is the appointment of the leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the Hon. R. Sampanthan MP as the country's new Leader of the Opposition.

It is the second time in our modern history that a ethnic minority political leader and political party have become the most powerful group in the parliamentary Opposition. The Parliament of 1977 also saw the electoral victory of the Tamil United Liberation Front as the largest Opposition party after the quirks of the first-past-the-post system resulted in the complete decimation of the main alternate SLFP, while the UNP won an unprecedented 5/6th majority in Parliament.

This time round, with both the main Sinhala-led parties compelled to collaborate in government, the functioning of a minority ethnic Tamil leader as the Opposition Leader, provides a window of opportunity to help create the atmosphere of inter-ethnic trust that has to be the bedrock of any lasting agreement between ethnic communities as to the multi-ethnic composition of the Sri Lankan polity. It is only a consensus on the multi-ethnic nature of the Sri Lankan republic that will provide a stable and sustainable polity.

Mr. Sampanthan is one of the most able and most experienced political leaders in Sri Lanka. He is also one of the politicians with a clean record of consistent policies and vision on the one hand, and incorrupt and rational governance practice on the other.

It is a golden opportunity for an inter-ethnic interlocutor to work the magic of trust-building that is so vital for conflict resolution. Mr. Sampanthan has the maturity to show restraint on ethnic community ambitions on the one hand, while winning over hearts and minds of the other ethnic communities through the fulfilment of the duties of Opposition Leader who must represent all Sri Lankans in the national legislature. His role might just be the crucial ingredient so needed for the right mix for inter-ethnic peace and reconciliation on our conflict-ridden island.

Portfolios and perks

Even as the nation watches a new-fangled ‘national government’ take oaths, with its promises of revamping a corrupted and decadent country, those familiar props of a self-indulgent polity are being brandished. First, there was the bargaining and horse-trading over ministerial portfolios and also, placements on the ‘national list’ of MPs. This exercise is now more or less over, although with one casualty as one national list MP swiftly resigned in view of the failure of his party to strictly observe given electoral promises not to bring losing politicians into parliament via the national list.

This week will see the newly elected representatives of the people gather up their various perquisites as MPs – ranging from dollar loans and luxury vehicle import permits to appointments of personal retinue, all at public cost.

It is time that the goals of good governance are extended to the formulation of a more precise framework of parliamentary behaviour that will curb this kind of unrestrained self-indulgence by the elected political class that only serves to promote self-aggrandisement and alienation from the masses of the electors.