Expectations and disappointments

IT is nearing 11 months since Anura Kumara Disanayake became President and nine months since the JVP-NPP coalition was put in power with an unassailable two-third majority in Parliament. Both were made possible by a new generation of Sri Lankans awakened by an accelerating desolation of the country’s democratic governance, economic development and its socio-cultural heterogeneity.

- 

The 2023 Aragalaya was the expression of their discontent, which impressed upon voters that without a fundamental change in the political leadership and art of governance the country had no hope of getting back to its past glory. But even before the Aragalaya, there were progressive thinkers and spokespersons within the elder generation who too were advocating the need for system change. AKD’s promise of a new political culture through social revolution was music to their ears, and when the coalition was swept to power with Madam Harini Amarasuriya, a qualified and experienced social activist as the country’s second woman Prime Minister there was an air of optimism sweeping throughout the nation. There was an aura filled with great expectations from the new leadership.

Clear set of signals

True, system change cannot happen overnight especially in the absence of a preset blueprint on the proposed new system. Therefore, the expected change needs to come through a process of trial and error. Even so, voters are entitled to expect at least a clear set of signals that the promises made are being translated into reality. But sadly, whether because of incompetence or inexperience or because of ideological differences between the coalition partners progress made so far has been too little, too narrow and too tardy. This is disappointing to say the least.