Ranil prepares to govern the country cohabiting with President CBK

(Excerpted from 'Rendering Unto Caesar' by Bradman Weerakoon)

- by Bradman Weerakoon

Since his office was now to behave in the manner of an executive prime ministerial centre which would support him as virtual head of government, Ranil set about restructuring the order of business in the house.

He wanted papers and callers dealt with in a systematic, organized way. It was not going to be business as usual when the PM's office had been a post office passing-on all and sundry to the all-powerful executive president's office for decision. The 'buck', as Harry Truman had said, would stop here.

The first thing Ranil did was to ask me to drop in at the prime minister's office in Britain and spend a day there looking at how No 10 (Downing Street) was organized. He thought that would be the closest model to follow. So on a trip back from Washington I spent some time at No 10. Alastair Campbell, the media guru to Prime Minister Tony Blair was not available that day but all the other heads of divisions were most helpful. The essential point I got from No 10 Downing Street was the priority the Prime Minister, Tony Blair attached to information and the media. It was all about keeping the public informed, and the prime minister's thinking, on the major issues of the day.

The strategies included even the manner of presentation and the timing of the presentation of news to the public. A tip they suggested was to have a particular item of good news held for an appropriate action and released at that time. In a way, it was like having something in hand to be given to the media on a once-a-day basis. Interaction with the media was deemed so important in the modern prime minister's office that Campbell or an assistant would meet with the media corps sometimes even twice a day.