BY EDWARD THEOPHILUS

Since the election of Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as the president of Sri Lanka at the end of 2019, people expected from him he will launch Sri Lanka in an era of new policy implementation. People expected the eminence of the political administration compared to previous presidents. The excellent feature of his administration is a halcyon approach to issues and a focus on result-oriented reforms and supervision. The best example is the approach on the COVID-19 issue that needs the wide support of people without a political difference.

The owned styles of administration had been shown by political leaders of Sri Lanka since King Vijaya, and King Senkadagala Rajasinghe was the best the example of the calm approach of administration. He investigated many issues himself rather than listening words of others in a way like opening soda bottles. The facet of the Gotabaya administration is given priority for results examining that the results breed from policy outcomes. The way of King Vijebahu was a secret investigation in the community walking in the night. The nature of Mr. Gotabhaya’s administration shows he adapts to historical kings, and it shows the excellence of Rajapaksa policy above Mr. Sajith Premadasa and Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe. Many people don’t quickly understand the way of handling issues, because the approach of Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapaksa concerns achieving broader outcomes rather than hanging on narrow indulgence.

When Mr.Gotabaya was addressing before the new lockdown decision, he clearly explained people the potential impact of the lockdown, and his explanation was clear to people. He expected unitedly working rather than too much talking. The world has been adapted to working collectively than distancing on political reasons. The COVID-19 has been promoting social distancing that is against the way all religions promoting. Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapaksa directed unity in working to eliminate the virus than political-based collectivism.  

The most significant point that he mentioned in the address was the requirement of unity to control covid and his fundamental view is Sri Lanka wants political unity than the concept of the Queen’s opposition, which divulged that the opposition is the alternative government of Queen by Ivor Jennings. Religious leaders and elders of the country have been preaching this view since 1956, but it was unsuccessful because an underhand element worked against the unity. When Mr. Rajapaksa was working against the LTTE, he had in mind that unity was an essential condition, but Mr.Ranil Wickramasinghe had ignored the unity might be under the advice of foreign powers. If he agreed with the unity, he could have shared the victory with the government. It was the major reason to backward UNP in 2020. The policy eminence of Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is strong trusts the unity of people to eradicate problems in Sri Lanka.

The political divisions are being the poison that entered political administration in Sri Lanka. Democracy began in the early 1930s and since then, people have misunderstood the concept and many politicians have misused the concept. With these democratic reforms, the concept of unity has gone away and people attempted to achieve various outcomes in divided ways. People expect Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will change the misunderstanding in a way that is appropriate to Sri Lanka.

What is the policy eminence of Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa?

• Organic Agriculture Production–Many health issues in Sri Lanka are associated with inorganic agricultural production and people saw that agrochemical and chemical-based fertilizer invaded the agricultural production process. Before formulating the British policy in late 1800, Sri Lanka had an organic production system, and resulting from the plantation industry, the inorganic method of soil management began and people became an allurement of agrochemicals. A.Bour and Company, Colombo Commercial company, and others turned to inorganic fertilizer production, and the farmers were forced to use inorganic fertilizer and chemicals. In the long run, Sri Lanka has become an element of an inorganic method of production and relegated to a variety of diseases. And the cost of these diseases absorbed a large sum of the budgetary fund and the country pushed to an indebtedness. The wise policy of Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is an attempt to change the method of agricultural production and the results could be seen after several seasons.
• Renewable Energy–Sri Lanka gave priority to hydropower generation. Many countries use fossil fuel and modernization of power production and services encourages power production using hydro, wind, and sunlight, and others and the policy of Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has directed to generate renewable energy.
• Export Economy. The export economy becomes a major factor determining the exchange value of the monetary unit of Sri Lanka. Prof.Dudley Seers has analyzed the export economy of Sri Lanka late 1960s and Mr. Rajapaksa has focused on his policies to increase earnings from exports and make restrictions on a variety of imports that could be domestically produced. The trade policy of Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa could support achieving better terms of trade and a gradual improvement of the exchange rate of the Sri Lanka rupee.
• Import Policy–Since the late 1950s, Sri Lanka began import substitution and established many public enterprises to manage import substitution. However, this policy has been changed by Mr.J.R. Jayawardane for a market economic system without disciplines, and the liberalized import regulation allowed to come unnecessary imports and incurs foreign exchange shortage. Mr.Rajapaksa has started a policy to fix the problem.

The outcomes of policies cannot be seen overnight. It will take a minimum of ten years and people in Sri Lanka are not calm and struggle to show results. The era of Mr.Gotabhaya needs to change society. Free and education from mother-tongue have made radical changes, but the current situation is people need education from three media and people to need to be conversant in three languages. Although education was free, it was not offered equally and disparities created a class that secretly promote feudal society promoting the use of the English language. This could be changed by offering three languages to all in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Martin Wickramasinghe had been enthusiastically talking about the brahmin caste that influences society. The brahmin class was conversing in the English language. Changes in the economy, especially land reforms and distribution of education in rural areas, contributed to change. However, now there is called a posh society, people in the posh society are not well educated and capable in English communication. They are in an artificial society and they are less respected for values. Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapaksa needs to focus on changing the concept of posh society to achieve equity and justice.